The 120 days that passed between Scotland opening Euro 2024 and this encounter in Zagreb have been chastening for Steve Clarke. A tame exit from those finals followed by a poor start to the Nations League has seen patience towards the Scotland manager wear thin. One win in 14 became one win in 15 courtesy of this Croatia victory but the circumstances attached were particularly sore for Scotland. With the last kick of the ball, Ché Adams believed he had snatched a point. Enter the video assistant referee, who ruled out the goal for offside. Clarke, briefly jubilant, cut an understandably despondent figure.
Should Scotland’s run continue until the end of this section, there will be questions raised over Clarke’s suitability to lead his country into World Cup qualifying. That may seem unduly harsh – this is a manager not only painfully short on resource but one who has guided Scotland to consecutive European Championships – but is the law of this particular jungle.
If poor form was the overriding concern, illness had also caused unrest in the Scotland camp in the build-up to this game. Clarke could have done without that; he was already without a dozen players because of injuries. Through crisis comes opportunity. Ben Doak, the Liverpool teenager on loan at Middlesbrough, was handed a first Scotland start here. Scottish desperation for emerging talent is such that giddiness has surrounded Doak for some time.
An opening half hour in which Croatia dominated the ball was striking for its lack of opportunity. Luka Sucic cracked a free-kick into the Scotland wall after Grant Hanley had clumsily upended Igor Matanovic. John Souttar blocked well from Andrej Kramaric. In response Billy Gilmour shot straight into the hands of the Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic from long range and Ryan Christie floated a menacing cross from the left that narrowly evaded Lyndon Dykes. It took 30 minutes for the hosts to trouble Craig Gordon, back in the Scotland goal aged 41, with the Hearts keeper able to bat away an angled drive from Kramaric. It would be an exaggeration to say Scotland were the equal of Croatia but they looked reasonably comfortable.
Clarke’s team soon gave themselves something to cling on to. The trouble was, they did that for only four minutes. Doak triggered panic in the Croatia defence with a darting run from the right flank. Scott McTominay flicked on, Josip Sutalo made an almighty mess of his attempted clearance and Christie struck from a tight angle. Duje Caleta-Car’s bid to clear the ball off the line proved in vain. It was the marquee moment of Scotland’s Nations League campaign thus far.
Croatia’s response was almost immediate. Ivan Perisic was the creator, with a wonderful reverse pass that left the Scotland back line flat-footed. Matanovic slammed through Souttar’s legs to leave Gordon helpless. Croatia deserved their interval parity. It was just that Scotland, so in need of momentum, would rue the circumstances by which it arrived. One step forward, one step back.
Acrobatics from Gordon prevented Luka Modric from giving Croatia an early second-half lead. The 39-year-old Modric was in the rare position of being on the field alongside someone, Gordon, who was older than him. This was cap No 181 for the Real Madrid midfielder. Gordon’s 76th came four months after his international career appeared over. Both players are extraordinary in their own way.
McTominay was unable to untangle his feet as he sought to meet a Dykes knock-down. Croatia’s wobbly defence was increasing Scottish hope. With half an hour to play, Scotland had been far more obstinate than at most points in the past 12 months. The concession of soft goals has undermined Clarke’s hopes of progress time and again. Modric almost undid the visitors with the spectacular, shooting narrowly wide after dancing past McTominay.
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Croatia then took a lead they just about deserved. Perisic found Borna Sosa with a deep cross, and the midfielder’s volley was excellently saved by Gordon. But from there the ball floated into the air and across goal. Kramaric had the simplest of tasks to head in from two yards.
Christie and Adams spurned chances before late drama. Kenny McLean found Adams, who found the net via Kristijan Jakic. Curtailed celebration summed up the current Scotland scene.
