Scotland eye up World Cup qualification
Scotland opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 5-1 victory in Malta after the home side were reduced to just nine men. The Tartan Army’s hero was Hull City winger Robert Snodgrass, who struck a hat-trick in the victory. Chris Martin and Steven Fletcher were also on the scoresheet for Gordon Strachan’s team.
The win means Strachan’s team sit top of Group F, with arch-rivals England second. Only the group winners and eight best runners-up qualify for Russia 2018. The Three Lions will be expected to top the group, but Sam Allardyce’s have not made a convincing start.
Scotland will be eying up one of the top spots, along with Slovakia, who suffered a last-gasp defeat by England in the first round of qualifiers. Scotland has improved greatly under Strachan, but the Tartan Army have not made it to the World Cup since 1998.
However, Scotland has taken part in eight previous World Cup’s and was ever-present at the World Cup from 1974 to 1990, five successive campaigns. It seems that Scotland now has a good opportunity of making it to Russia for the competition finals in 2018.
There is a feeling that the games against arch-rivals and old enemy will prove pivotal, as will the clashes against Slovakia, who are second seeds in the group.
With only one team seen as one major football nation in the group, Scotland have to be seen as realistic contenders to make the runners-up spot at least this time around. In the process, they could damage England’s chances of success, which would only add to the Scots delight.
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