SCOTLAND: Scotland: Goram, Boyd, Calderwood, Hendry, McCall, McCoist (Spencer 83), McAllister, Collins, T. McKinlay (Booth 59), Durie, Burley
Other Subs: Leighton, McKimmie, Whyte, Jess, B. McKinlay, Gallacher, Jackson, Gemmill, Walker. Booked: Calderwood, McCall, Collins.
Scorer: McCoist (37)
SWITZERLAND: Pascolo, Hottiger, Quentin, Henchoz, Sforza, Chapuisat (Fournier 45), Turkyilmaz, Vega, Koller (Wicky 45), Vogel, Bonvin.
Other Subs: Geiger, Lehmann, Jeanneret, Rothenbuhler, Sesa, Comisetti, Corminboeuf, Sylvestre. Booked: Vega, Vogel, Wicky, Fournier.
Referee: Vaclav Krondl (Czech Republic).
Match Report
Despair found yet one more route into Scotland's experience last night, but this may have been the most tormenting occasion of all for a country that has already undergone far too many excruciating disappointments.
The drab fact of Group A states that Holland are runners-up, finishing ahead of Craig Brown's team by virtue of having scored the greater number of goals. The statistic, however, reveals nothing of Scotland's convoluted pain. For 16 minutes, it seemed that the team would, for once, be beneficiaries rather than victims of freak events. In that period they led Switzerland 1-0 at Villa Park while England were winning 4-0 at Wembley.
For those moments Scotland, ahead of Holland on goal difference, appeared certain, for the very first time, to be advancing beyond the opening round of a tournament, to meet France on Saturday in the quarter-finals of this European championship. It took Kluivert's goal against England to turn a fixture that was all but confirmed back into a mirage.
Scotland will eventually have to accept, however, that there is just the merest trace of justice in their misfortune. A second goal against Switzerland was all they required to reach the last eight. The team's entire performance was saturated with pride and their approach work was often accomplished. Nevertheless, clear opportunities inside the penalty area proved elusive in the second half. As Scotland toiled unavailingly to break down the Switzerland defence, thoughts inevitably turned back to the tantalising opening to this match.
It was in that period, when Switzerland seemed astonished and vulnerable in the face of Scotland's accuracy and passion, that opportunities to score proliferated. For Ally McCoist, this will be one of the most perplexing matches of his career. To him goes the credit for victory achieved in the 36th minute with a handsome 20-yard shot but he will also be haunted by the chances that he had missed earlier.
Scotland began the game ruthlessly exploiting the manifest weaknesses of Switzerland at full back. Before Artur Jorge's side could adapt, Scotland had manufactured the clearest openings. In the fifth minute Collins's corner was touched on by Durie, but McCoist's attempt from close range rose too high, allowing Pascolo, the goalkeeper, to push the ball on to the bar.
McCoist, 33, was left still seeking his first goal in a leading tournament and, almost immediately, suffered more dismay. Burley knocked down McKinlay's cross and the forward drove against the body of the advancing goalkeeper. In the opening quarter of an hour McCoist worked tirelessly at opening up space for others as well as pursuing his own personal targets.
One move saw him combine with McKinlay to leave Burley free on the right of goal, but his effort was misdirected. It says much for McCoist's resilience that he should go on to give Scotland the lead with his majestic strike.
As news from Wembley grew ever more encouraging, suddenly making the virtually impossible look likely, there was euphoria in the crowd to urge on a Scotland team that had been tenacious and disciplined from the start. Until the late stages, when players had to be pitched forward in search of a breakthrough and Türkyilmaz was thwarted by Goram, Switzerland were permitted little involvement in the game.
The pain of the circumstances that removed Scotland from this tournament did not prevent emotional scenes at full time as supporters and players acclaimed one another. Nobility in the face of disappointment, however, is a virtue that Scotland have practised for far too long.