World Cup qual. - Scotland beat Macedonia

Eurosport - Sun, 06 Sep 10:13:00 2009

Scotland kept their World Cup hopes alive with a 2-0 victory over Macedonia at Hampden Park in their Group 9 contest.

FOOTBALL James McFadden scores for Scotland against Macedonia 2009 - 0

It was Celtic midfielder Scott Brown who got the crucial opening goal as his superb diving header in the 56th minute sparked the Scots into life after previously having been second best.

James McFadden then clinched the points with a wonder solo effort nine minutes from time to send the Tartan Army into raptures.

Scotland will now be guaranteed second spot in the group if they can beat the Netherlands on Wednesday but they must try and win that match without McFadden who got his second yellow card of the campaign in the first-half.

Even if Scotland do finish second they are not guaranteed a play-off spot as the second placed team with the worst record misses out on the one-off knockout round of final qualifiers.

Ultimately Scotland deserved the victory but only after a poor first-half that the visitors bossed.

Macedonia continually broke with purpose and pace and had a number of chances with Lazio striker Goran Pandev proving to be their architect in chief.

The forward twice forced Craig Gordon into smart saves and the makeshift Scottish central defensive partnership of 39-year-old David Weir and Stephen McManus, who was making his first start of the season, looked vulnerable.

At the other end Scotland struggled to get anything going and a couple of efforts from Brown that flashed wide were the best they could muster.

Just on the stroke of half-time Brown infuriated the Macedonian players when he blasted against Igor Mitreski and out for a Scotland corner when the visitors expected him to return the ball back to them after they had put it out of play in order for one of their players to receive treatment.

Ultimately that act of bad sportsmanship did hurt the Scots because it was from the resulting fisticuffs and verbals that McFadden got the yellow card that sees him banned for the Netherlands clash.

Scotland played with much more purpose in the second-half and had a great chance in the 50th minute when McFadden checked back superbly in the box before scuffing a shot high and wide.

Just moments later Macedonia had their best chance as Pandev was slipped clean through. His shot was saved by the feet of Gordon but if the striker had checked the ball back to Aco Stojkov the wide man could have placed it into the empty net.

That rare piece of poor judgement from the Lazio man proved doubly crucial five minutes later when Brown dived superbly to guide Steven Fletcher's cross into the corner of the net for the opening goal.

After going in front Scotland were the more driven side but they were still giving a warning sign in the 63rd minute when Slavco Georgievski blazed a shot over the bar after being found free on the edge of the box by Pandev.

The match was then settled by a moment of brilliance from McFadden in the 81st minute as he picked up the ball in his own half before going on a mazy run. He skipped past three players, putting the ball through the legs of the final defender, before rounding the keeper (pictured) and placing into the empty net.

Shaun Maloney nearly made it three a couple of minutes later but his profligacy did not prove costly as Macedonia were already a beaten side.

The Netherlands on Wednesday will prove a much sterner test for George Burley's side but this result at least means the Tartan Army can still dream about a place in South Africa.

Norway 1-1 Iceland

Norway's hopes of qualifying for next year's World Cup were damaged when they drew 1-1 away to Group 9 bottom team Iceland.

Norway, who last played at a World Cup in 1998 in France, grabbed the lead in the 11th minute when John Arne Riise blasted a 25-metre free kick past keeper Gunnleifur Gunnleifsson who misjudged the ball as it went straight over him into the goal.

An unmarked Eidur Gudjohnsen equalised for the hosts 18 minutes later when he headed in Gretar Steinsson's cross.

Iceland had the better chances in the second half but never managed to find the net.

The draw put the Norwegians in third place on seven points from as many matches.

Seán Fay / Eurosport

Comment 134 - 153 of 153

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. The Macedonian players were a joke. Play acting. The­ cheat who went down when the ball hit him should be­ banned. Well done Scott Brown! If Macedonia stuck to­ playing football they would be pretty good. Scotland 2­ Cheats 0.

    From vturner, on Mon 7 Sep 9:43PM

  2. Christine: Macedonia was divided in 1913 - the Republic­ is one part of Macedonia which has now asserted its­ right to independence. No one takes Greeks seriously,­ you think Turkish coffee is Greek coffee, you think a­ kebab is yeeros, enough said, your notion of self­ importance makes the English look modest.

    As for­ England, couldn't even beat Macedonia at home twice­ if I recall, and as for this game, Scotland hardly­ deserved to win, were outplayed the majority of the­ game, but took their chances unlike MAcedonia, so­ well-done, but as for Brown that unsporting ponce,­ where is the uproar over his unsporting behaviour?­ Seems like the Eduardo fiasco in the Celtic Arsenal­ game was ions ago now.

    England will do nothing in the­ World Cup, and Scotland will not qualify even if they­ get second, without some luck going their way in the­ other groups.

    From ChooseLife, on Mon 7 Sep 5:28AM

  3. WE HAVEN'T LUCK :( ... And the story goes on...­

    Love from MACEDONIA!

    From Vlatko, on Sun 6 Sep 2:02PM
  4. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Who cares!!! My boyfriend thinks the same with me. He­ is eight years older than me, lol. We met online at­ __Agemingle @ c o m__a nice and free place for Younger­ Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to­ interact with each other. Maybe you wanna check out

    From melindakay13, on Sun 6 Sep 12:59PM

  5. 170...you're spot-on re Holland being far the­ better team that gr8 day back in 2003, they hit the­ woodwork God knows how many times...and there were­ loadsa finger-tip saves, we got away with absolute­ murder that day...but hey...i won't complain at a­ repeat of that heart-stopping excitement/madness...they­ certainlt got their revenge in the return­ match...i'm not going there...a bad memory indeed­ ;p
    C'mon Scotland!!!!
    Jockney Downunder

    From Brett, on Sun 6 Sep 11:22AM

  6. 187, Anya Podolski? That sounds very much like a polish­ name, did that nation not bow down a few yrs back after­ a matter of wks to the mighty German army, and ur­ telling the jocks to bow down to westminister. That­ mutants release p issed most scottish people off, but­ when does a government ever do what the people want,­ westminister included, look at immigration. U r in the­ UK legally Anya? or are u another foreign benifit­ sponger looking for a career in barwork? Don't make­ a mockery of the 270 people who died in Lockerbie,­ scots included with ur pathetic comments about­ government, get a life. Oh and remember u do have a­ scotsman residing in number 10 or did u not know that.­ Mutant!

    From Bozzer1972, on Sun 6 Sep 10:28AM
  7. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Oi, terrorist releasers,you lot cant be trusted to make­ your own decisions. Close the parliament down & bow­ down to Westminster once more

    From Loz, on Sun 6 Sep 10:15AM

  8. justlovethisgame - your just a sad ignorant piece of­ @#$%. who was the last team England beat when it­ mattered? Scotland - France twice last year. When was­ the last time an english player showed any heart? when­ was the last time your fans supported your team? I bet­ your the standard glory hunting fan, big headed when­ winning but disappear when your team loses?

    I respect­ the English team but there is no real fight, this year­ you have someone that has the basic fundamentals in­ place to manage England and beat so called less­ nations, England have some world class players and i­ believe/should be permorming at much a higher level. In­ England you have this belief your better than everyone­ but since the controversial 1966 world cup you have­ done feck all, and before you say anything i am not­ saying Scotland have done anything great at the world­ cup, but for our population compared to yours i'm­ happy with our situation. That situation is to enjoy­ supporting Scotland, being the underdogs and beating­ these so called big nations. Until its impossible to­ qualify i'll always have this belief that we'll­ get there, if not there is always the Euro's.

    From markcunn, on Sun 6 Sep 9:27AM

  9. rooney cheating diving hypocritical english bast..d

    From charliedog3333, on Sun 6 Sep 9:01AM
  10. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    cheasle should win

    From Fatimot, on Sun 6 Sep 8:34AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    what do you call a scotsman at the world cup finals?­ the referee lol

    From mr smellymop, on Sun 6 Sep 8:12AM

  12. Christine: The Macedonia in Greece is a province. The­ country is a country. Last time I checked, a country­ had the right to name itself whatever it wanted. By the­ same argument over the name of Macedonia, Macedonia­ could insist that the Greeks change the name of the­ province.

    From londonkopite, on Sun 6 Sep 8:05AM

  13. Christine: The Macedonia in Greece is a province. The­ country is a country. Last time I checked, a country­ had the right to name itself whatever it wanted. By the­ same argument over the name of Macedonia, Macedonia­ could insist that the Greeks change the name of the­ province.

    From londonkopite, on Sun 6 Sep 8:05AM

  14. MIGHTY SCOTLAND BETTER THAN little england!

    From DaTrueCutie0, on Sun 6 Sep 7:55AM

  15. if africa wants pure football teams,lets keep england­ away as well(im english fyi lol

    From mr smellymop, on Sun 6 Sep 7:50AM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Why don't the SHORTISH stick to making WHISKEY and­ throwing a HAGGIS around the park, keep away from­ FOOTBALL as you really have no clue!!!!

    From What-a-Load-of-Rubbish-U-Lot, on Sun 6 Sep 6:28AM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I agree whole-heartedly!!! SCHORTLAND are going­ NOWHERE, THE AFRICAN continent only wants footballers,­ not PUFTAS!! GET IT. SHORTLAND for the GRAVEYARD!!!

    From What-a-Load-of-Rubbish-U-Lot, on Sun 6 Sep 6:23AM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Scotland is going nowhere......no world cup for­ Scotland...no way...is such a bad side.........stay­ home....if Scotland go to South Africa they are going­ to be the most ridiculous team, so is better to stay­ home watching the world cup by tele and keep a good­ name for the country.

    From peterpale006, on Sun 6 Sep 5:46AM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    It is FYROM, not Macedonia, Macedonia is Greek

    From Christine, on Sun 6 Sep 4:51AM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    so the jocks beat mighty Macedonia who knows thay might­ beat some one who have a couple of premier leuge­ players in next

    From chris, on Sun 6 Sep 4:43AM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account