Exquisite, it was. A mouthwatering celebration of everything good about Scotland. Warm, satisfying, the kind of affair that simply leaves you wanting more.
Enough, though, about the roll and square sausage that a Japanese journalist in the press box spent much of the first half taking photographs of – and clearly admiring – against the backdrop of Hampden Park before bolting down like a wolfhound eating jelly.
This game, the first of Scotland’s four warm-up fixtures ahead of the World Cup finals, was considerably less appetising. It certainly offered considerably less in the way of comfort.
Scotland simply weren’t very good in front of an atmosphere that felt decidedly flat – something influenced, no doubt, by the action that played out on the field. A lot of it was really rather rubbish, being frank.
Listen, anything Steve Clarke’s side served up was going to be a little ‘after the Lord Mayor’s Show’ in the wake of the madness and magic of the 4-2 win over Denmark last time out at the national stadium in November.
And, yes, it was only a friendly, the kind of fixture the national team has become notoriously bad at. As long as things go all right on the night in Boston and Miami in June, days like this don’t really matter that much.
The Scots trudge off the Hampden pitch after falling to another defeat
It’s just that you expected a little bit more from the occasion. And that is worrying for us killjoys who reflect on the successful qualifying campaign with the view that we were outplayed for the majority of the four games in the section against the Danes and Greece.
We were certainly outplayed yesterday. Japan were more careful in possession from the off. By the end of the game, they’d enjoyed almost 55 per cent of it and put in 18 shots at goal to Scotland’s seven.
Their passing was quicker, sharper and more incisive throughout, and they really should have put themselves in front long before substitute Junyo Ito secured the victory with seven minutes to play thanks to a well worked move that ended with home goalkeeper Angus Gunn making a bit of a mess of things.
Clarke was probably lucky to get away with a one-goal loss in the end. Kodai Sano hit the bar on 38 minutes after testing Gunn a little earlier and, following a brief rally at the start of the second 45 that saw Andy Robertson force a decent save from Zion Suzuki, Japan ran the show.
Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma took a strong grip of things after coming on at the break for Sano and bent a lovely effort just wide after the hour. Gunn then had to deny Ito with a close-range block after Scotland had been sliced wide open.
Kenny McLean kicked one off the line from Mitoma with just over 20 minutes to play, but the goal was coming. Mitoma started the move off with a forward pass and Kento Shiogai laid off Junnosuke Suzuki’s low cross into Ito’s path.
Junya Ito watches on as his effort finds the back of the Scotland net for the winning goal
He stepped clear of Tierney and released a shot that hit off the grounded Gunn’s leg and bobbled over the line. Game over. Justice done.
Clarke had promised pre-match that his team selections against the Japanese and Ivory Coast in Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on Tuesday would raise eyebrows. That he’d be taking these opportunities to give guys a chance to shine.
With that in mind, the starting line-up in this one wasn’t as revolutionary as some of us had maybe anticipated. Kenny McLean was given a start in midfield, but it’s hard to see what you learn there.
McLean has been around the set-up for years. His attributes are well established. When we get to the main business against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil in the summer, the likelihood is that he is going to be on the bench.
Nathan Patterson was given his first start in two years at right-back in the absence of Aaron Hickey. He looks, though, like someone who isn’t playing at club level. Rusty, needing confidence, just not the rampaging attacker who left Rangers for Everton in an £11million deal four years ago.
Lyndon Dykes started at centre-forward. Like McLean, it’s not easy to see what new insights that delivered. He’s handy to have if you want to get the ball in the mixer, but he hardly touched it before making way for George Hirst on 63 minutes. Hirst would have been more interesting as a starter, surely. In one movement on 79 minutes, he offered more than Dykes had – taking a pass from fellow substitute Kieran Tierney, cutting inside to make space and releasing a low drive that went just the wrong side of the near post.
One player worth keeping an eye on was Tommy Conway, back in the squad to pitch a late claim for a seat on the flight to North America. Fielded out left, having been converted to a wide player at Middlesbrough this season, he was given the full 90 minutes to show his worth to the cause.
McTominay sees his effort come up short as Scotland search for a goal
In truth, it’s hard to be too critical. Scotland’s play in the final third was bitty and unconvincing. They played second fiddle to their visitors for most of the game. He was barely given the ball.
Did he do enough, though, to suggest he should make the cut? Not really, truth be told.
If you are looking for bright spots, they came from the usual suspects. Robertson had some moments down the left while Scott McTominay was, predictably, the shining light. The one beacon of hope.
He came so close to opening the scoring on eight minutes when moving onto a John McGinn cross ball and only being denied by Zion Suzuki throwing his left arm out instinctively and diverting it onto his left-hand post – from where, the danger was cleared.
McTominay also had a header from a Patterson cross saved in the closing moments of the first half and sent a free-kick just over during Scotland’s brightest period at the start of the second half.
He couldn’t stem the tide after that, though, and went off for Billy Gilmour with 19 minutes to play. It looked like he might have touched his hamstring before walking off as well, which, it is to be hoped, was only a precautionary exercise.
Few puzzles were solved by this underwhelming displays, though. Except one. Now witnessed under the glare of the lights, the splendid new away kit made especially for the World Cup is most definitely salmon pink rather than the scarlet red the SFA says it is.
The gear certainly looks the part. Shame the same can’t be said of the guys wearing it yesterday.
