in Soccer

Steve Clarke believes Scotland WILL recover from World Cup disappointment and qualify for Euro 2024

129 Views


STEVE CLARKE vowed Scotland will recover from last night’s World Cup agony and qualify for Euro 2024.

Ukraine’s 3-1 victory at Hampden saw them win through to Sunday’s Qatar play-off final with Wales.

Steve Clarke and the Scotland players leave the pitch at Hampden dejectedCredit: Getty

It was a crushing defeat for Clarke and his men.

But he promised the gutted Tartan Army they’ll reach the next major tournament in Germany in two years.

Clarke said: “The first thing you have to do is suffer together. 

“I’m suffering, the coaching staff is suffering and more than anybody, the players are suffering. 

“We’ll have 24 hours our where we’ll feel sorry for ourselves. 

“Then we’ll get back on the horse and go again. 

“What we shouldn’t forget is the progress we’ve made over the last three years.

“We came into this game in really good shape but it just wasn’t our night.

.css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}

.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}

.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}

.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}

.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}

Most read in Football

.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}

.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}

.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}

“But I am convinced there is optimism for the future. 

“That’s why it is important we don’t forget how far we have come over the last three years. 

“We have to qualify for Euro 2024 and beyond that we have to get to the next World Cup in 2026. 

“This group of players will have more caps, more experience and should be better.”

“When I first came into the job there were some very low moments but we have left those days behind I think, I really do. 

“We have improved a lot. 

“I am sad, I am sad for the players because we wanted to go to the World Cup together. 

“We can’t do that, but we can’t feel too sorry for ourselves. 

“We are work in progress, we want to get better and hopefully they don’t make me out to be a liar and we do qualify for another tournament. Which I am sure we will.”

Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk fired Ukraine into a two-goal lead.

Callum McGregor pulled a goal back for Scotland.

But deep into stoppage time substitute Artem Dovbyk sealed the victory.

Ukraine coach Oleksandr Petrakov saluted his players and dedicated the victory to the people of war-torn Ukraine.

He said: “This victory was not for me, it was not for the team. It was for our country.

“This is a huge win for Ukraine.

“It was a team effort, a team victory. They did everything for the people they play for. For people watching back home. For members of our armed forces, in trenches, in hospitals.

“They will say thank-you to us and we send our gratitude to them.

“We played for those fighting for our country with their last drop of blood. 

“You have to bear in mind what the Ukrainians are going through – our women and children being killed by the Russians on a daily basis, our women being gang-raped by the orcs, as we call the Russian invaders.

“We now have the Wales game in front of us but we will aim to make Ukrainians proud.

“In this difficult time I also want to extent our gratitude to the people of Scotland, to this great hospitable place. I was out walking early on Tuesday morning and people were wishing us all the best.

“Thank you Scotland. We will never forget this.”

Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk

Tagcloud: Football

Kerr, Miedema and Hemp nominated for Women’s PFA Player of the Year gong but Arsenal star Mead not on shortlist

Scotland fans belt out Ukrainian national anthem in solidarity at World Cup qualifier