The mood of the Tartan Army at the final whistle after a 5-1 going over by Germany was grim. Hands on heads, eyes to the sky. An early exit from Euro 2024 felt inevitable.
Fast-forward five days and the Scotland faithful got exactly what they needed – hope.
A valiant draw against the Swiss earned Steve Clarke’s men a precious point that keeps qualification for the last 16 firmly within reach.
The Tartan Army have been a joy. You’ve seen the singing, the dancing, the drinking, the wee old woman being helped along a cobbled street with a brolly over her head.
Munich thought they were marvellous – they drank the Marienplatz dry.
Love was in the air in Cologne. Sven Stolz, the head of Euro 2024 fan engagement for Cologne, said: “The Tartan Army has won our hearts, the video of the fans shielding an elderly Kölner from the rain is the image of the whole tournament, football above everything is about people coming together and this showed Scotland have some of the best”.
And so to Stuttgart. I arrived here on Friday morning to a hotel which is almost as far away from the city centre as Cologne!
And what’s the first thing I see at reception? A Scotland top. We are everywhere. And we’re ready.
This third and final group game against Hungary was always going to be important. We knew it would hinge on this. But now it’s real. Tomorrow is the biggest moment in this Scotland team’s recent history – for now.
It’s simple – win and we’re through to the round of 16 for the first time in Scotland’s history. But you know that, you’ve heard it a million times. And the weight of that history will sit heavy on the shoulders of McGinn, Robbo, Adams et al.
But one thing is for certain – they’ll be backed. If anything can alleviate the burden of expectation, it’s the famous Tartan Army.
Just look what the most spine-tingling rendition of Flower of Scotland did to those players ahead of the swashbuckling performance against the Swiss.
Who will we play if we get through? Which of these ten host cities will it be played in? Can we continue to make history and navigate a European powerhouse like Spain or Italy? Who cares. It’ll come if it comes.
The only thing that matters right now is the Tartan Army aren’t ready to say Auf Wiedersehen to Euro 2024. Let’s see if the boys in dark blue can deliver.
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