LThe 115th edition of the oldest rivalry in national team football – they met for the first time on November 30, 1872 – will not go down in history. At least, for showy. “A lot of party, zero football”, could be the summary of the ‘derby’ played by England and Scotland (0-0) at Wembley.
The ‘Tartan Army’ promised war … and there was. “There is no bigger game than these. I desperately want to beat England,” Steve Clarke assured in the previous one. The entry of Tierney, Ché Adams, Gilmour and McGregor suited Scotland well, which had just lost to the Czech Republic (0-2).
Southgate respected the block. He only gave rest to the wings. James and Shaw entered through Walker and Trippier. England, however, had a hard time getting started. He looked ‘superior’ technically and when he wanted to put one more gear into the game there was no way.
The best chances, arguably, were in Scotland. The first, at 4 ‘. Stones had to reject a shot from Ché Adams at the mouth of the goal. The ‘9’ of Southampton, which in its day was international with the ‘three lions’ was a constant nightmare for the English defense.
Of course, no ball was as close to entering as a Stones header after a corner that Mount served at 11 ‘and crashed into the post. Until the break, nothing more to review. The clearest opportunities fell on the boots of Foden (18 ‘) and Kane (29’), but they were worthless. They were offside.
Even so, the bad moment of ‘9’, who has asked to leave Tottenham, worries. Pichichi was proclaimed and maximum assistant of the Premier, but with England he is in crisis: he has only scored in two of the last 11 games.
Meanwhile, Scotland, well withdrawn, tried to leave quickly to the left with Robertson and Tierney. He did it at 30 ‘, when O’Donnell spliced a great Tierney cross forcing Pickford to make a great save. It was the best of the game.
The second part is quickly summed up. One occasion for ‘beard’. Mount tested Marshall with a shot from the edge on 55 ‘and James got a shot from Dykes under the sticks on 62’. It was not clear if he was going outside … or to the squad, but better stick his head, just in case.
The game was diluted, little by little, between fouls and interruptions. Southgate tried to ‘unblock it’ with the entry of Grealish at 63 ‘. Villa’s ’10’ came out a foul received per minute. It was so bad for England that they retired Kane in the 74th minute to give entry to Rashford. It didn’t matter. There was no way.
The ‘classic’ died in a ‘scrum’ in the Scottish area that McGinn solved with a ‘ball’ to the Wembley goal. He remembered the ‘Six Nations’. The tie leaves England with one foot in the round of 16, but the ‘winner’, at least in the spirit, was Scotland. The stands went mad, forcing their heroes to turn around in honor. They had scratched a spot before the ‘Auld Enemy’.