Ranking Scotland's qualification campaigns 1990-2020

10. 1994 World Cup

Crashing down to earth

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Italy	10	7	2	1	22	7	+15	16
Switzerland	10	6	3	1	23	6	+17	15
Portugal	10	6	2	2	18	5	+13	14
Scotland	10	4	3	3	14	13	+1	11
Malta	10	1	1	8	3	23	−20	3
Estonia	10	0	1	9	1	27	−26	1

Having made it to the previous Euros, as well the previous five World Cups, we looked like a good bet for second spot in this group behind Italy...right up until the first game where we lost 3-1 in Switzerland and Richard Gough got sent off for literally catching the ball. You can't make this up.

It was an uphill struggle from there. A goalless draw at home to the Italians was okay; another one at home to Portugal wasn't. The return game in Lisbon was the nadir; a 5-0 drubbing led by future Celtic striker Jorge Cadete where Ally McCoist broke his leg. Andy Roxburgh finally quit after a draw in Aberdeen against Switzerland, where Bryan Gunn gave away a daft late penalty for the equalizer, finished us off with two games left.

His assistant Craig Brown took over for the last couple of matches...and the next eight years after that. Thankfully this proved to be one of those occasions where promoting the assistant wasn't just the easy, lazy decision.

In hindsight this was a b*****d of a group. Italy reached the World Cup Final. Under Roy Hodgson Switzerland got to the knockout stages. And Portugal were a damn good side too.


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