THE thing about it? That’s the bar been set.
From Scotland, that was the performance we’ve waited for since the soul-destroying anti-climax against Italy at Hampden seven years ago.
The Germany game was a fixture where we played to our strengths, went out and competed, and delivered a performance to relish. Against the world champions, no less.
And we lost 2-1.
Ultimately, it will go down among our glorious failures, a term wheeled out on Facebook within seconds of the final whistle in Dortmund.
Such as the aforementioned game against Italy, losing 1-0 at home to the Netherlands with a late winner, being beaten 3-2 at home by Spain having fought back from 2-0 down.
But it’s only been one game in the group. Decent teams deliver displays like that every now and then.
Good teams produce them consistently.
That’s now going to be where next month’s double header, at home to Georgia and then away to Poland, will be won or…not.
I didn’t use the word ‘lost’ at the end of that previous sentence because it shouldn’t be in our vocabulary. Not if Gordon Strachan’s players do what they did against Germany, especially in the second half.
It wasn’t exactly in the territory where a stranger walking into the stadium would have had trouble working out which team were the world champions. But we were right in that game.
The first half passed by with Scotland occasionally threatening in attack. They just didn’t have the break of the ball going for them.
Then it did after the restart. And we looked like a threat.
Steven Naismith – who played the lone striker role as well as any Scottish international has done for years – could have equalised with a shot which brushed against the post.
Ikechi Anya did level. As the winger bore down on goal, at no time did you feel he was going to pass up the chance.
Because by that point, the confidence was flowing. On the pitch, in the stands and in front of TV screens back home.
From 1 to 11, and substitutes, Scotland can take so much pride from their efforts in Germany. It was just unfortunate that the game was decided by a scrappy and avoidable goal.
But then, those are the fine margins of football.
And we’ve just ensured that a game where 95 per cent of people didn’t give us a hope has come to such a small difference.
Now it’s on to Georgia and Poland next month. We have absolutely nothing to fear…if we can be consistent.
Did we kick on from any of those close calls in previous campaigns? The Spain game, in 2010, was our last competitive one for 11 months. When we returned to action, we drew 2-2 with the Czech Republic in the next group match. It wasn’t enough. So that’s a no.
Netherlands 2009? Last game in the group. Next two games – lost friendlies in Japan and then Wales. George Burley handed his ticket. Nope.
The Italy match, of course, also finished our qualifying section, for Euro 2008. When we returned to competitive action under Burley, it took us six and a half group games to show how well we could play. Enough said.
We haven’t left it that late this time. We may have no points on the board, and are not in what will be a position to qualify come the end of the group.
But boy, have we hit the ground running. It’s hard to remember the previous competitive Scotland game, which did not end in victory, where you’ve come away thinking: ‘I actually enjoyed that.’
Now we want to think that after we play Georgia and Poland. Two games where the target should be victory.
And if the performance in Dortmund is replicated, it surely will be hit.
The Dumbarton Terrace 