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 a 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.