Scotland Under-20 World Cup campaign

[LAF]

Fixtures/Results:

Japan 3-1 Scotland
Scotland 0-2 Nigeria
Scotland 1-2 Costa Rica


__________________________________________________ ____________________________________________

Well that's us crashing and burning out of the group stages again.

[DavidMc]

good call LAF


Scotland u20 squad for World Cup

The players selected, with their squad numbers, are:

1 Andrew McNeil (Hibernian)
2 Andrew Cave-Brown (Norwich City)
3 Lee Wallace (Heart of Midlothian)
4 Jamie Adams (Kilmarnock)
5 Scott Cuthbert (Celtic)
6 Mark Reynolds (Motherwell)
7 Michael McGlinchey (Celtic)
8 Calum Elliot (Heart of Midlothian)
9 Steven Fletcher (Hibernian)
10 Graham Dorrans (Livingston)
11 Ryan Conroy (Celtic)
12 Scott Fox (Celtic)
13 Ryan O’Leary (Kilmarnock)
14 Andrew Considine (Aberdeen)
15 Garry Kenneth (Dundee United)
16 Ross Campbell (Hibernian)
17 Sean Lynch (Hibernian)
18 Robert Snodgrass (Livingston)
19 Alan Lowing (Rangers)
20 Brian Gilmour (Clyde)
21 Greg Kelly (Aberdeen)

[DavidMc]

Scotland Under-20 boss Archie Gemmill says the first goal could be vital when his side open their World Cup campaign against Japan in Canada on Sunday.
"Japan are very much like ourselves," Gemmill told BBC Sport. "They play 4-4-2, are very disciplined and work exceptionally hard for each other.

"They have undoubted ability in their team, but we have as much as them.

"So whoever gets the first goal could be important. Luckily enough, we have players who can score goals."

Japan have pinpointed Hibernian striker Steven Fletcher as the main danger for the Group F opener at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria.

"Fletcher is absolutely flying in training," said Gemmill.

"He's vitally important to the team, but all 11 players in a team are important."

Hopefully, they'll keep their feet on the ground and go on to have successful careers as professionals

Scotland coach Tommy Wilson

The Scots have had a long wait for the tournament following the end of their domestic season, while Japan will go into the game with greater match fitness.

Hearts full-back Lee Wallace has been the Scots' only injury doubt but should be ready to face Japan.

"They have been going very well since we got together in Glasgow," said Gemmill.

"They are getting fitter every day, but it is all about what happens against Japan and they are mentally and physically ready.

"If we don't go anywhere in the tournament, it won't be for the lack of effort."

Nigeria and Costa Rica are Scotland's other group opponents in the tournament, which begins on Saturday.

Coach Tommy Wilson said: "The boys are getting a little stir crazy and they just can't wait to get started."

Gemmill's squad are being billed as the brightest pack of Scottish youngsters since the early 1980s.


Lee Wallace (right) is expected to recover from injury

And Wilson believes that comparisons with the star-studded team of 1983, led by Andy Roxburgh, are perfectly fair.

That group included Paul McStay and Brian McClair, who went on to play for Celtic, Steve Clarke and Pat Nevin (Chelsea), Dave Bowman and Jim McInally (Dundee United) and Dave MacPherson (Hearts and Rangers).

"I remember the 1983 finals well," said Wilson. "I was just too old to be involved and, by that stage, I was an under-21 international.

"It was a good squad who went to Mexico. My former St Mirren team-mate, Steve Clarke, who's now at Chelsea, was in the squad.

"They were at the start of their careers and full of ambition. It'll be the same hope for these guys. They do have the same sort of potential.

"They've got to take that and run with it. Hopefully, they'll keep their feet on the ground and go on to have successful careers as professionals."

The 1983 team reached the quarter-finals, as did Ross Mathie's 1987 side.

But Scott Crabbe (Hearts), Paul Wright (Kilmarnock) and Billy McKinlay (Blackburn) were among the few that made the grade from the side that travelled to Chile 20 years ago.

"Those players didn't achieve the same success," Wilson recognised. "It shows nothing is guaranteed for players of this age."

[LAF]

Scotland lost their opening match at the Under-20 World Cup in Canada, having been outclassed by Japan.

Yashuto Morishima tapped into an empty net after a blunder from keeper Andrew McNeil and Tsukasa Umesaki then arrowed a great low shot home from 20 yards.

McNeil, who made a number of good saves, was again to blame when he failed to stop Jun Aoyama's strike.

Scotland staged a late rally and Hibs striker Ross Campbell found the net with a scuffed shot.

Backed by the bulk of a noisy, enthusiastic crowd at the Royal Athletic Park, Victoria, Scotland were bitterly disappointing.

The Scottish passing was wayward throughout, while their opponents looked comfortable, zipping quick passes along the deck.

Hibernian goalkeeper McNeil had his palms stung by an early long range effort before he was forced to awkwardly scoop the ball off his goal-line.

A fierce shot from Umesaki whistled narrowly over the crossbar and Jamie Adams then had to hack the ball away as he guarded a post from a corner.

It took Scotland 25 minutes to launch a meaningful attack and an interchange involving Lee Wallace and Ryan Conroy allowed Steven Fletcher to race in behind the Japanese defence.

The Hibs striker flashed in a first time shot on the angle but the ball flew a yard wide of the far post.

There were a few more scares for Scotland as Japan swarmed forward with menace, but the losing finalists at this event in 1999 squandered two good headed chances.

Livingston forward Graham Dorrans fired a 20-yard shot wide after an enterprising run.

But, having survived a series of slick attacks, the Scots conceded a terribly soft goal two minutes before the interval.

Celtic defender Cuthbert swiped at and missed a hopeful long pass and when McNeil advanced from the penalty box to kick the ball clear it was charged down by Morishima, who ran on to shoot into an empty net.

McNeil atoned for his mistake with a fantastic reflex save to keep out a close range shot from Kazuhisa Kawahara.

The second half started with Japan again making all the running and McNeil had to hold on to a dipping strike from the impressive Umesaki.

But the keeper had no answer to Umesaki when Cuthbert backed off the midfielder, capped at senior level, and his terrific strike flew into the bottom corner of the net.

Captain Cuthbert was having a day to forget and he made a terrible mess of a free header from six yards that may have thrown the Scots a lifeline.

McNeil made another fine save to stop a Kawahara shot and the keeper did well to block from Morishima as the striker broke clear.

However, McNeil was left red-faced when he failed to gather an ambitious long range effort from Aoyama, tipping the ball into the net when a catch look easy.

Scotland grabbed a late goal when a loose ball broke to Campbell and his mis-hit shot crawled into the net.

His club-mate Fletcher then blazed a strike inches wide of the post as Scotland left it far too late to pose a threat.

BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | Scotland U20 1-3 Japan U20

We were brutal. Japan played very well.

We have to play much better to have any hope.

[DavidMc]

Watched this game. Was very disappointing. We just never got into it. Japan played well. Im not criticising our keeper, but McNeil has been prone to mistakes at Hibs, and he made a couple against Japan.

Hopefully we can win in the second game. Nerves played a major factor in this game I think aswell. We looked afraid to go forward and a lot of passes were misplaced.

[Huckerbys right foot]

how did Cave-Brown play?

nice to see we are the only english club to have a scottish under 20 player in the squad


he is english by the way!

[LAF]

Obviously not if he plays for us. McGeady has a thick Glasgow accent and was born there but decided to play for Ireland (haha) so I consider the bottler Irish.

I watched 2/3 of the game and all our players were rotten.

[Huckerbys right foot]

Originally Posted by LAF

Obviously not if he plays for us. McGeady has a thick Glasgow accent and was born there but decided to play for Ireland (haha) so I consider the bottler Irish.

I watched 2/3 of the game and all our players were rotten.

i meant Cave-Brown was born in England etc... just plays for Scotland


our Chris Martin would of done the same as his dad is from Glasgow...but he picked England

[DavidMc]

Cave-Brown had a decent game. Looks to be a decent player. Just the team performance was disappointing. Next game against Nigeria is even more important now.

[Doc-Bhoy]

Anyone staying up to watch it?

Hopefully we can progress because the sqaud know they are capable after there european success.

[LAF]

I'm planning on watching the Copa America (I'm not working tomorrow). If I'm up I'll put it on. Doubt it though.

[DavidMc]

would like to watch it. But im up at 7am for work

Hopefully we can take 3 points. But I think the Nigerians will be a good side.

[LAF]

Scotland U20 0-2 Nigeria U20

Ezekiel Bala's double gave Nigeria a deserved victory as Scotland slumped to consecutive defeats at the Under-20 World Cup finals in Canada.
Nigeria goalkeeper Olufemi Thomas did well to thwart Ross Campbell early on.

But it was Scotland's Andrew McNeil who was the busier number one with a couple of fine saves to deny Brown Ideye.

And Bala fired through McNeil's legs after the break and headed in the second before Efe Ambrose was sent off for a tackle on Scotland's Ryan Conroy.

Nigeria will now qualify for the last 16 along with Japan from Group F, leaving Scotland needing a win in their final game against Costa Rica to have a chance of progressing.

Scotland manager Archie Gemmill had made sweeping changes.

But McNeil retained his place despite being at fault for two of the goals in the opening 3-1 defeat by Japan.

Andrew Cave-Brown, Graham Dorrans, Alan Lowing and Ryan Conroy were all dropped.

Ryan O'Leary, Andrew Considine, Robert Snodgrass and Campbell were the players replacing them.

Indeed, only four players, including McNeil, retained the same position as they did against Japan.

However, the reorganised Scots created the first chance.

The ball broke to Campbell inside the box, but Thomas turned wide the striker's effort from a difficult angle.

McNeil once more looked uncertain with his clearances as Nigeria started to dominate possession, but the goalkeeper redeemed himself with a superb save.

Ideye, who scored the only goal of Nigeria's opening win over Costa Rica, was found unmarked 10 yards out only for McNeil to claw the striker's header wide.

Campbell again found space behind the left back but screwed his shot wide of the far post from 16 yards.

A couple of loose passes allowed Ideye and Blessing Okardi to test McNeil again from long range.

He survived those, but Nigeria broke the deadlock three minutes after the break when Kevin Cuthbert failed to clear and Bala drove the ball powerfully through the keeper's legs from 16 yards.

Bala and Ewa Echiejile both fired into the side-netting as Nigeria took control.

But Scotland squandered a great chance when a Cuthbert cross was headed over the crossbar by Adams when Snodgrass was in a better position to score.

It was 2-0 after 78 minutes when McNeil could only parry a Akeem Latifu effort and Bala scored on the rebound.

Scotland at last applied some pressure once Nigeria were reduced to 10 men a few minutes later.

Thomas twice denied Lee Wallace from close range, while substitute Dorrans hooked wide.

And the African side held out for their second win of the tournament.

BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | Scotland U20 0-2 Nigeria U20

[DavidMc]

Very disappointing. Especially as it looked like we might have a decent run in this tournament. Im surprised because some of the better players were kept on the bench.