This may sting Steve Clarke more than Scotland’s humbling at the hands of Germany to open Euro 2024. Events in Zagreb might hurt the Scotland manager more than the insipid loss to Hungary that ended involvement in the same competition.
With the Scots so desperately in need of hope, they believed they had snatched a 95th-minute equaliser in the Croatian capital. Clarke celebrated in a manner far from typical for a man of his stoicism. Enter the video assistant referee, who determined Ché Adams was offside before his shot flicked off Kristijan Jakic and into the net. It was the final act of the game and the latest dent to Clarke’s morale. The extending of a run to one win in 15 would have been gleefully accepted had Adams’s intervention stood. Scotland arguably deserved a draw. All of this felt irrelevant as the bones of another defeat were being picked through. They remain without a point in Group A1 and winless in nine competitive outings.
“You get the high when you think you have a deserved draw then it is taken away from you,” said Clarke. “The performance was really good. We have to believe we are on the right path. At some stage we will get the rub of the green, we will get a break and things will change.”
If poor form was the overriding concern, illness had also beset the Scotland camp in the build-up to this game. Clarke could have done without that; he was already missing a dozen players because of injuries. Through crisis comes opportunity. Ben Doak, the Liverpool teenager currently on loan at Middlesbrough, was handed a first Scotland start here. Scottish desperation for emerging talent is such that giddiness has surrounded Doak for some time. “I love him,” said Clarke afterwards.
An opening half hour in which Croatia dominated the ball was striking for its lack of opportunity. Luka Sucic cracked a free-kick into the Scotland wall after Grant Hanley had clumsily upended Igor Matanovic. John Souttar blocked well from Andrej Kramaric. In response, Billy Gilmour shot straight into the hands of the Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic from long range and Ryan Christie floated a menacing cross from the left which narrowly evaded Lyndon Dykes. It took 30 minutes for the hosts to trouble Craig Gordon, back in the Scotland goal aged 41, with the Hearts keeper able to bat away an angled drive from Kramaric.
Clarke’s team soon gave themselves something to cling to. The trouble was, they did that for a mere 203 seconds. Doak triggered panic in the Croatian defence with a darting run from the right flank. Scott McTominay flicked on, Josip Sutalo made an almighty mess of his attempted clearance and Christie struck from a tight angle. Duje Caleta-Car’s bid to clear the ball off the line proved in vain.
Croatia’s response was immediate. Ivan Perisic was the creator, with a wonderful reverse pass that left the Scotland back line flat-footed. Matanovic slammed through Souttar’s legs to leave Gordon helpless. Croatia were worthy of interval parity. It was just that Scotland, so in need of momentum, would rue the circumstances by which it arrived. One step forward, one step back.
Acrobatics from Gordon prevented Luka Modric from giving Croatia an early second-half lead. Gordon’s presence meant the 39-year-old Modric was in the rare position of being on the field alongside someone older than him. This was cap No 181 for the Real Madrid midfielder. Gordon’s 76th came four months after his international career appeared over.
McTominay was unable to untangle his feet as he sought to meet a Dykes knock-down. Croatia’s wobbly defence was increasing Scottish hope. With half an hour to play, Scotland had been far more obstinate than at most points in the last 12 months. The only Scottish failing was the lack of a killer final pass. Modric almost undid the visitors with the spectacular, shooting narrowly wide after dancing past McTominay.
Life stood still as Croatia claimed a crucial lead. Perisic found Borna Sosa with a deep cross, with the midfielder’s volley excellently saved by Gordon. Scotland’s problem was that from there the ball floated into the air and across goal. Kramaric had the simplest of tasks to head in from two yards. Christie and Adams spurned chances before late drama. Curtailed jubilation epitomised the current Scotland scene.
