Scotland (National Football)

Ukraine is one win away from qualifying for the 2022 World Cup after a 3-1 win over Scotland in Wednesday's playoff semifinal.

After winning in a road environment in Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, Ukraine will now travel to face Wales in Cardiff on Saturday with the winner earning a ticket to Qatar.

The UEFA qualifying playoff was initially scheduled to take place in March, but it was postponed because of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. The national team didn't return to the pitch until participating in a friendly in May.

Ukraine came out strong against Scotland and earned a win thanks to goals from Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk.

The visiting team came out with a lot of energy and created several quality attempts before finally breaking through in the 33rd minute. Yarmolenko beat the back line and came through with an outstanding finish to give his side the 1-0 advantage:

Early in the second half, Ukraine doubled the lead on a header from Yaremchuk:

Though Scotland has a roster featuring several Premier League players, the squad was thoroughly outplayed for much of the match.

Ukraine controlled 58 percent of possession and had eight shots on goal, compared to just four for Scotland.

There was still drama late as Scotland finally got on the scoresheet in the 79th minute. Callum McGregor took advantage of a mistake from goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan to cut the margin to 2-1.

Scotland still couldn't find the equalizer, and Ukraine finally sealed it in the 95th minute:

The squad will try to keep the momentum for four more days with Wales looming in the final round of the playoff.

Wales defeated Austria in the previous round behind two goals from Gareth Bale.    

Liverpool's Andy Robertson and Manchester United's Scott McTominay have both withdrawn from Scotland's squad for their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against Cyprus and Kazakhstan. 

Per BBC Sport, Scotland captain Robertson, who played 90 minutes for Liverpool in their 3-1 win over Manchester City on Sunday, will not travel to Cyprus for Saturday's Group I match, but he will stay with the squad in the build-up.

McTominay, meanwhile, has looked a doubt for Scotland's double-header since injuring himself at Old Trafford late in United's 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday:

Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer explained after the victory what had happened to the in-form midfielder, per Charlotte Duncker of the Manchester Evening News:

"He went over on his ankle, it's a painful one sometimes that's. ... I've had one, I was out for eight weeks, but then again sometimes you have one and you're back in two weeks. I don't know, he's in for a scan tomorrow and then we'll have to see, with the ice there. But it looked painful, Scotty's not one for rolling around."

Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser has also pulled out of the squad.

Steve Clarke's Scotland side cannot qualify for Euro 2020 even if they win both their matches in the coming week.

A perfect return of six points against Cyprus and Kazakhstan would only move them onto 15 points in Group I, and Belgium and Russia already have 24 and 21 points, respectively.

Clarke will want two good performances, though, to finish off the campaign, which has largely been a disappointment.

Scotland have lost four of their last five matches in qualifying, with their only win of that run coming against San Marino in October.

The absence of Robertson, McTominay and Fraser will impact Scotland's chances of beating Cyprus and Kazakhstan given their importance to the team.

But it will potentially give Clarke a chance to experiment with his squad ahead of Scotland's play-off semi-final in March, which they have qualified for after topping their group in the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League. 

Alex McLeish has reportedly agreed a two-year deal to become Scotland manager, with the 59-year-old set to take charge of the national side for the second time in his career. 

Scotland have been without a manager since Gordon Strachan left the post in October 2017 after failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

McLeish now looks set to step into the hot seat until 2020, according to Sky Sports News:

The Scottish Football Association appears to have turned to McLeish after missing out on Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill, who turned the job down, per Stephen Halliday at The Scotsman.

Walter Smith was also a candidate, but the 69-year-old "ruled himself out of the running" to replace Strachan, according to Chris McLaughlin at BBC Scotland.

That appears to have led the SFA to McLeish, who has been out of work since being sacked by Egyptian Premier League side Zamalek in May 2016 after just 65 days in charge.

The announcement is due to be made official on Friday, according to Stephen McGowan at the Scottish Daily Mail:

McLeish previously took charge of Scotland in 2007 and under his stewardship they narrowly missed out on a place at the 2008 UEFA European Championship. The Scots were eliminated after a 2-1 defeat to Italy in their final qualifier, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Christian Panucci.

However, the campaign was also notable for a 1-0 win over France at the Parc des Princes. A solitary goal from James McFadden ensured Scotland did the double over Les Bleus and secured a memorable win.

McLeish left his Scotland post for Championship side Birmingham City in 2007 and won promotion to the Premier League. Blues also pulled off a shock by beating Arsenal in the League Cup final in 2011.

The Scot left Birmingham after they were relegated in June 2011 and went on to have disappointing spells with Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Genk before his ill-fated move to Egypt.

Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam, who was given his first international call-up by McLeish, welcomed his former boss back to the international fold:

However, the decision to appoint McLeish was not met with universal approval. Journalist Tom Freeman explained why some supporters will not be too impressed with the decision to go for the former Aberdeen defender:

Scotland are in need of a boost after failing to qualify for the World Cup as they finished third in Group F behind England and Slovakia.

The Scots are next in action in March when they face international friendlies against Costa Rica and Hungary, before further friendlies in May and June against Peru and Mexico.

Ryan Hardie scored twice, including netting the winner from the penalty spot, as Scotland came from behind to beat Indonesia 2-1 at the Jules Ladoumegue Stadium in Vitrolles, France, at the 2017 Toulon Tournament on Tuesday.

Hanis Saghara Putra had put Indonesia into a shock lead before the Rangers forward's brace gave a changed Scotland team a vital win. The result means Scotland are on six points in Group C, level with leaders Czech Republic, who face Brazil later today.

Scotland surprisingly left skipper and diminutive playmaker Oliver Burke on the bench, per the Scottish FA:

Scotland's two biggest clubs were well represented in the starting XI, with Glasgow Rangers wishing luck to precocious academy talents Hardie and Ross McCrorie:

Meanwhile, Rangers' greatest rivals, Celtic, noted how many of their fledglings represented the country:

Indonesia were led by quality goalkeeper Muhammad Riyandi, per the tournament's official Twitter account:

Scotland were rocked when Putra gave Indonesia the lead on 24 minutes. The striker blasted a long-range drive from outside the box that took a slight deflection on its way to the back of the net.

Despite being unnerved by the goal, it took the Scots less than 10 minutes to equalise. They drew level when Hardie turned in on 33 minutes.

McCrorie had stabilised things at the back after the rocky start, as Scotland maintained the stalemate until half-time.

Scotland looked to Hardie again when they were awarded a penalty on 64 minutes. The 20-year-old attacker duly obliged, making no mistake from the spot to put his nation ahead.

Winger Craig Wighton went close to making it three with a deft header, but Riyandi made a fine, acrobatic save.

Scotland didn't need the third, though, as they held on to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Scotland will look to build on their first win at the 2017 Toulon Tournament by beating winless Indonesia in Group C on Tuesday. The Scots are coming off an impressive 1-0 win over Brazil on Saturday, which saw captain and midfield maestro Oliver Burke running the show.

It was a first win for Scotland at 2017's tournament, and Chelsea midfielder Ruben Sammut duly celebrated on social media while also looking ahead to this match:

While Scotland enjoyed a much-deserved victory, Indonesia are yet to win. They lost 1-0 to Brazil in their opening match and slipped to another defeat on Saturday, a 2-0 loss to group leaders Czech Republic.

Before a preview and a prediction, here are the schedule and live-streaming details:

Date: Tuesday, June 6

Time: 4 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. ET

Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect (U.S.), fuboTV (U.S.)

Preview

Burke was imperious against Brazil, and Indonesia must pay close attention to him. The 20-year-old glided effortlessly between the lines and kept things ticking over with some artful touches, intelligence and vision.

It was Burke's pass for overlapping left-back Greg Taylor that created Scotland's lone goal on Saturday. Taylor was key to the way the Scots established width and stretched the pitch out of their 4-2-3-1 formation.

However, it is Burke who carries the team. The RB Leipzig schemer has been showing his class so far at this tournament, and Indonesia may struggle to track him.

Keeping Burke under wraps will be difficult for an Indonesia squad that has been workmanlike during its first two matches. There has been plenty of graft but seldom glimpses of quality in forward areas.

The problem has frustrated coach Indra Sjafri. After his side's first defeat to Brazil, Sjafri bemoaned his players' lack of confidence on the ball, per Festival-Foot-Espoirs.com: "The players were supposed to move on by doing short passes. I tell my teams to do that for four years now. But Brazil was better than us today, technically and physically."

Sjafri must coax some more composure in possession from his players, as well as a greater willingness to get forward. Without those things, Burke and Scotland are sure to fashion enough chances to win.

Prediction: Indonesia 0-2 Scotland

Airdrieonians have had the same crest for decades but have been now been told to change it or face prosecution. 

The problem? A law that is 423 years old!

Yes, a Scottish Parliament Act passed in 1592 is causing the issue. Apparently back in the 16th century, having letters or numbers inside a shield was a big no-no. 

As per the Daily Record: 

The League One club were stunned to receive a letter telling them that their crest has been deemed to be an heraldic device.

And the office of Lord Lyon King of Arms warned the Diamonds faced prosecution if they continued to operate with the badge which is illegal as it contains letters within the 'shield'...

...A Scottish Parliament Act passed in 1592 gives the court of the Lord Lyon – which has its own procurator fiscal – responsibility for prosecuting anyone who uses unauthorised arms.

Obviously Airdrie's fans are bemused by the decision, which could cost the club a hefty sum, as they would need to change all their merchandise and equipment that has the "illegal" crest.

Supporters of the Scottish League One side have written to the Scottish Parliament hoping for protection against the ancient law. 

Colin Telford of their Supporters Trust said: 

It's obviously disappointing as the badge is part of our tradition and identity which we would like to maintain.

This has been our badge from at least 1950 and it's a bit of a shame that we're going to lose it.

We're a bit shocked by the absurdity of it all but these are the rules. There is a bigger picture here and we’re trying to not to let emotions cloud that.

[Daily Record]

Bournemouth winger Matt Ritchie was celebrating on Monday after being called up by Scotland for the first time. 

It is an exciting development for Ritchie. He not only gets to play international football but also gets to visit Scotland...for the first time. 

Yes, the 25-year-old has admitted that he has never actually been to the country he is about to represent at international level. 

He told Neil Perrett of the Bournemouth Daily Echo:

My dad was born in Edinburgh and so were my grandparents. My granddad was in the Royal Navy and they moved to England after he had been posted to Portsmouth, which is where I grew up.

I’ve still got relatives in Scotland but my aunties and uncles always seem to come down here to see my nan and granddad so I haven’t actually been to Scotland. I’ve got family there and I’m sure they will come to the games if I’m involved.

Ritchie has been in fine form his season. His 11 goals have helped the Cherries to become unlikely leaders in the Championship.

He has been called up for a friendly against Northern Ireland and a Euro 2016 qualifier against Gibraltar. Both games will take place at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

[Daily Echo]

AC Milan have been a huge name in world football for a number of years, but it is an obscure Scottish outfit, EK Milan, that is attracting the support of some of the world's biggest celebrities.  

The likes of Hulk Hogan, Henry "The Fonz" Winker and Take That lead singer Gary Barlow have all got in touch to offer advice for the Scottish Sunday League team. 

EK Milan are in their first season and have reached a cup final, so they decided to blitz a number of big names for advice on social media. 

Chairman and player Gary Henderson was then left stunned when the replies came in. 

He told the team's local newspaper, the East Kilbride News, as per the Daily Record:

It started off as a bit of a laugh.

Then one morning I woke up to a tweet from Hulk Hogan and it got serious.

We never expected to get to the cup final in our first season so we wanted to get a bit of a buzz around it.

To ride that wave of momentum until the final we decided to get on Facebook and Twitter to see if we could get endorsements from as many celebrities as we could.

Singer Engelbert Humperdinck, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh and golfer Paul Lawrie also sent messages of support. 

EK Milan face Southside Burgh this weekend with the big prize at stake being the Glasgow and District Sunday Football Championships League Cup.

[H/T Daily Record]