June 19th 2024.
Scott McTominay made a crucial contribution to Scotland's 1-1 draw against Switzerland at Euro 2024, but it left commentator Paul Merson scratching his head. The game, which took place in Cologne on Wednesday night, was a tense and thrilling affair with both teams playing their hearts out. McTominay's goal, which came in the 13th minute thanks to a deflected shot, gave the Tartan Army an early lead.
But their joy was short-lived as Xherdan Shaqiri capitalized on a mistake made by Anthony Ralston to equalize for Switzerland. The game continued to be a back-and-forth battle, resulting in a draw and leaving Scotland in a precarious position. With one game remaining in Group A, they will need to beat Hungary on Sunday in order to secure a spot in the knockout stage.
Despite the disappointing draw, it was a night and day difference from their previous game against Germany, where they were humiliated 5-1 in the Euro opener. McTominay, in particular, stood out as the star of the show. In addition to his goal, the Manchester United midfielder was a force to be reckoned with on the pitch, taking four shots, completing three crosses, making three clearances, and winning two aerial duels.
However, Merson could not wrap his head around one aspect of McTominay's performance – why, at 6ft 4in, was he taking corners instead of being in the box? The former Arsenal and England player took to Twitter to express his confusion, posting, "6ft 4 Scott McTominay taking a corner with 5ft 7 Billy Gilmour in the middle," accompanied by a confused face emoji.
It's worth noting that Scotland has plenty of players who are known for their set-piece abilities, such as Brighton's Gilmour, Liverpool's Andy Robertson, and Aston Villa's John McGinn. Gilmour, who was surprisingly benched for the Germany game, showed no signs of resentment and put on a stellar performance in the midfield.
After the game, Gilmour spoke about the team's effort, saying, "We gave everything out there. We knew we had to bounce back after the last performance and it puts us in a good place. We're a good team and we know our strengths. Tonight was more like a typical Scotland performance – getting after the ball, playing with passion, and giving it our all."
The draw, combined with Germany's 2-0 win over Hungary earlier in the day, leaves Scotland in third place in their group. However, it seems likely that only a win against Hungary in their final game will be enough for them to advance to the knockout stage for the first time ever. It will be a challenging task, but if they continue to play with the same determination and heart they showed against Switzerland, it is certainly within their reach.
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