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Football can sometimes be a cruel game, and Scotland found out the hard way after they were given a baptism of fire on their return to international football’s big stage.
The Tartan Army began their Euro 2020 campaign against a well-motivated Czech Republic side and, unfortunately, got beaten fairly and squarely.
Steve Clarke’s side started as the brighter side, but their lack of cutting edge ultimately became their undoing. The Czechs, on the other hand, were clinical on the day and deservedly ran out as winners.
Group D remains one of the toughest groups in the tournament, and the results of the first round of matches suggest it’s going to be a hell of a run in the next two group games.
Schick masterclass downs Scotland
Three matches were played on Monday, but the only player to dominate the headlines was Patrik Schick. The Bayer Leverkusen forward was the star of the show as the Czech Republic beat Scotland.
The 25-year-old came into the tournament in a rich vein of form and has shown no signs of slowing down. His first goal epitomized fight and awareness, as he ghosted in front of the Scotland defense to head the ball into the net.
Schick’s second goal, however, was pure genius. Spotting David Marshall way off his line, Schick produced an outstanding finish from the halfway line to leave the goalkeeper stranded and grasping for straws.
It’s certainly a goal of the tournament contender, and it’ll take something extraordinary to stop him from winning that accolade. Scotland simply had no answers to Schick’s masterclass.
Tartan Army can be proud despite the loss
Football’s cutthroat nature means there always has to be a winner and a loser. On this occasion, though, Scotland can hold their heads high despite suffering defeat.
In a tournament that has seen some very boring games, the Tartan Army gave their all from beginning to finish.
They pressed and continued to commit more bodies forward in search of goals, but it just wasn’t to be, as they unluckily fell to defeat at the hands of the Czechs.
“We didn’t come here for a learning experience but obviously if we have to learn lessons from it that’s what we’ll do,” Scotland boss Clarke said after the game, as quoted by the Guardian.
“We came here to be competitive and I think we were. Sometimes a football match doesn’t go your way and today was that day. I don’t think there was much between the two sides if you look at our attempts at goal.
“Our possession was good, we just weren’t quite clinical enough at the right time but the game on Friday will take care of itself.”
Scotland’s return to a major tournament after 23 years didn’t go according to plan, but they were gallant in defeat, and such fighting spirit could just be the ingredient that secures them a place in the knockout stages.
