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In the end, nothing could stop Scotland’s place at Euro 2024 from being confirmed. Not the frustrating machinations of VAR. Not the vagaries of the modern offside law. Not the greediness of Alvaro Morata. And not the superstar power of Erling Haaland.
A night of no little confusion inside the Ullevaal Stadium ultimately delivered a victory Spain thoroughly deserved. While they will join Scotland in Germany next summer, it’s a feat surely greeted with more excitement in Glasgow than Girona.
The job being completed with two qualifiers to spare is an outstanding achievement by Steve Clarke and his squad. If it felt a little strange to celebrate qualification without kicking a ball, that in no way diminishes the work done to make it so.
Five straight Group A wins were recorded prior to a gutsy, controversial loss in Seville last Thursday night. This Scotland team deserves every one of the plaudits coming their way. And probably a few more.
After ending a 23-year wait for a major tournament at the last, Covid-impacted Euros, the Tartan Army can now look forward to a summer of beer, bratwurst and buoyant hope in one of Europe’s greatest footballing nations. What a magnificent prospect.
Perhaps it was fitting to be settled in Oslo. After all, this city witnessed the most ecstatic 104 seconds of Scotland’s campaign – when defeat turned astonishingly into victory. Right then, you knew there was no way they would blow it. And they didn’t.
The finale was 90 minutes of tension and occasional moments of sheer agony. Norway needed to win to take it into next month’s final round of qualifiers. In truth, they were done long before the end.
Spain should have gone in front in the first half, only for captain Morata to needlessly knock in what would have been a Stefan Strandberg own goal and spark the first VAR intervention for offside.
While that strike was ruled out, VAR stood by Gavi’s goal not long after the break following a four-minute review. Following last week’s bewildering events in Seville, having qualification further delayed by video officials would have been tough for all Scots to bear.
As it is, Clarke’s men can enjoy Monday night’s friendly against France in Lille as preparation for the kind of quality that could lie in wait next summer. The final two Group A games – away to Georgia and at home to Norway – are effectively further warm-up matches, given the now faint hope of denying Spain top spot in the section.
Haaland had urged all of Norway to get behind the national team in their mission improbable.
As such, passion was evident in the Ullevaal Stadium pre-match. Once the noise of the national anthems faded, however, it was replaced by a far edgier emotion.
Spain were on top. A first real glimpse of threat arose when Dani Carvajal blazed across goal. Scottish and Spanish viewers wished he’d shown a little more composure in his attempt to find Morata.
Norway were toiling to get any kind of foothold in the game. Then, on 20 minutes, came an almighty let-off for Stale Solbakken’s team.
They left space for Carvajal to loft over the top – looking for the run of Ansu Fanti off the left.
A complete breakdown in defensive communication saw Strandberg stick out a foot and make connection, diverting the ball past goalkeeper Orjan Nyland. It was set to roll into the net for an own goal before Morata knocked it over the line to make sure.
Looking subdued in his celebration, Morata’s joy was quelled altogether when German referee Tobias Stieler was summoned to the pitchside monitor.
While Fati was onside throughout, Morata was in an offside position when Carvajal initially played his pass. Because Standberg was stretching and not under control of the ball, his interception was seemingly judged by VAR to not be a ‘deliberate play’ and therefore Morata remained active.
Stieler was called over to give his own take and agreed – no goal. Had Morata simply let the ball go in, however, it would surely have stood. What a blunder.
As fans cursed him and VAR in Spanish and Scottish dialects, Carvajal set about trying to make it irrelevant with a terrific thump just wide off the outside of his right boot.
Morata, though, got it wrong again on 35 minutes. Picked out at the far post by a lovely cross from Ferran Torres, the striker bewilderingly tried to cushion a header down for Fati rather than going for goal.
Briefly, Norway stirred into some kind of attacking life. Spanish centre-back Robin Le Normand was booked for an off-the-ball foul on Haaland before defensive sidekick Aymeric Laporte had to come to the rescue.
Home midfielder Sander Berge drove into the penalty area, playing the ball across goal and causing a panicky clearance from Fran Garcia. It landed right in front of Haaland, but Laporte was also there to make a terrific block.
Four minutes after the restart, though, the visitors had the ball in the net again. And we were exposed to a second VAR sweat. This one felt interminable.
Torres’ drive might have been goal-bound before hit the heels of the ever-irksome Morata inside the six-yard box. Eventually, the ball broke to Gavi for a finish into the corner of the net.
A lengthy VAR review followed. Presumably, the issue was whether Morata had been offside when the ball bounced off him. Whether you were inside the Ullevaal or watching on television, however, no-one was given much information.
Eventually, having listened closely to his VAR compatriots via his ear-piece, Stieler awarded the goal to spark celebrations.
Haaland had a half-chance at the near post but couldn’t beat Unai Simon. Eight minutes of added time extended the wait just a little more. Then, gloriously, it was all over.
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