Passive Scotland’s World Cup preparations hit by late defeat against Japan

Scotland’s followers have discovered there is a drawback to World Cup qualification after all. Nobody who paid – and handsomely – to sit through the sheer tedium of this fixture could reasonably deny that. Yes, Scotland, you can come to the party; but only after a clutch of international friendlies. It is just about worth the trade-off.

Officially, this marked the start of the tournament buildup for the Scots and Japan. It was a game that involved the going through of motions rather than one from which to draw strong conclusions. Japan were the slicker team, as should be expected for a country which has aspirations of making a proper impact in the summer. Junya Ito ensured the visitors headed towards Wembley – and their friendly against England – in fine fettle, his goal fitting reward for Japan’s enterprising approach. Steve Clarke claimed before the game he enjoyed watching Japan. Scotland’s manager cannot have smiled much during these 93 minutes. Scotland were passive, a point not lost on punters who flooded out and into the night long before full time.