Scotland head coach urges team to take their World Cup opportunity.
Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta has urged her players to ignore the rankings when they take on Sweden next month in a crucial qualification playoff for a place in the Women’s World Cup.
The Australian boss saw her side come back twice from behind to secure a 3-2 (5-2 on aggregate) second-leg victory against Czechia at the Marbill Coaches Stadium thanks to goals from Lauren Davidson, Kathleen McGovern and Christy Grimshaw, setting up a huge clash with Sweden in round two of the Women’s World Cup playoffs, who are ranked 15 places above them in the FIFA World Rankings.
However, despite admitting they’ll enter the game as underdogs, Andreatta believes her side have shown they have what it takes to pull off a shock and end their seven-year wait to qualify for a major tournament, and the first under her leadership, since she was appointed little over 18 months ago.
“I have a lot of confidence because these two games set us up well for another tough opponent,” said Andreatta. “We were tested in so many ways. We have a longer camp to prepare even more into that first game especially. So I know we’ll be ready. It’ll be a massive challenge, but once that whistle goes, rankings go aside and what’s happened in the past goes out of the door. It is about what you do in the moment, and going for it. And that’s what we’ll do.”
“I’ll go back, be around my ground before they rush off - if they haven’t already. I’ll take time to assess, have a look at where we are at and what we have to do to be ready [for Sweden]. “I turned around to see my family at the full-time whistle. To have them all there supporting me, after what’s been a really long journey, was really nice. For the players, it's just pride. Pride that they could grind their way back into the game and get a result like that.
Andreatta also praised the strength of the Scotland home support in Paisley, with over 6000 supporters in the stadium throughout as they pushed the team to victory. On a landmark night for Scottish football, the fans were also able to consume alcohol in view of the pitch for the first time since 1981.
Speaking about the bond between supporters and team, plus the introduction of Tennent’s in the stands, Andreatta said: “They were fantastic. It felt close, they were loud when we needed them to be. I hope people go to work in the next morning and say how good it was, then come to the next one.
“We have a unique fandom in the women’s game, and it [drinking alcohol in the stands] added to the fan experience. I’m all for making our matchday unique to us. We’ll build on that and see where it goes, but the atmosphere was perfect. Still that family feel, loud, the DJ was good at half-time I’m told - even though I missed it! I was a little busy. But I think really focussing on what work for us, and what Scotland’s all about, and let’s really make it a fortress against Sweden.”
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