Screaming Kids

Scotland 0-1 Japan (Friendly)

I’ve cut short my enjoyment at Albion Rovers to beat the traffic and head down the M73 and M74 towards Hampden Park from Coatbridge, I’m wanting to get there a couple of hours ahead of kick off so I can park up in a little spot I know which has a decent exit strategy for getting back home to England 'more' quickly.

My last viewing of Scotland was ‘that match’ against Denmark. I said to myself the journey was too long to keep doing but the money is good, and I do rather enjoy my road trips, made better by having at least a couple of games (like I have had this weekend) to watch.

Japan I’ve only ever seen during a friendly ahead of the London Olympics when their U23’s played Mexico at the City Ground in front of about 300 people on a Friday afternoon in 2012. Hajime Moriyasu’s team are World Cup veterans these days and have a few familiar players, Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma perhaps the best known on these shores? Daichi Kamada of Crystal Palace and Ao Tanaka of Leeds United also well known to Premier League audiences whilst Celtic fans will be fond to see Daizen Maeda in action.

I’ve pulled up on King’s Park Avenue which is about a ten minute walk or so to the stadium, the weather has been changeable today so I wait for the rain to stop and a break in the clouds before making my way, across the Aikenhead Road and through the housing estate down Kinghorn Drive to the main entrance of this magnificent long auld home of Scottish football.

The Venue

From the outside it appears only just above the rooftops in this hilly district of south Glasgow. It seems all the football grounds in Scotland I visit are on the side of a hill, as I walk down towards the Main Entrance and through a car park, Lesser Hampden to the left has some sort of fan park blearing out music, I’m up the steps not through main reception, but a glass door besides it which is the media entrance, where thankfully my lanyard is saved to one side and waiting for me.

I’ve got a real head cold today so can’t stop sneezing as I walk into the press lounge to potentially grab a drink and some food, it’s packed in here, I’ve never seen it so busy with quite a few in from Japan, I pour myself a coffee and sit for a while before my nose starts twitching, I really don’t want to be making too much of a show of myself in sniffling and sneezing, so I get upstairs for some fresh air, with still an hour to go until kick off.

From the top looking down underneath blue skies by now the pitch looks fabulous, red and blue seating add colour to the backdrop, as the stadium slowly fills, I love that you can see the roofs of the houses in the background, it holds 51,000 does Hampden, it’s a huge bowl like authentic stadium but doesn’t look intimidatingly big from inside or out, but a proper football ground it feels, and I know from experience, a cauldron when full, the big games produce the biggest and best of atmospheres.

The Game

I’m not expecting a big atmosphere today, and in fairness I don’t get it, the two teams come out to warm applause after the pre-match songs that are sung much softer than usual by this largely family based crowd. The posh seats behind me aren’t even full, as James McFadden takes his pew for BBC comms, Shunsuke Nakamura sits in front of me, glowing long dark hair which puts my own receding barnet to shame as at 47 he’s only a year younger than me, there’s plenty of interest for him with Japanese and Scottish fans all trying to get selfies, he of course played four years at Celtic winning three titles along the way, he was Scottish Players Player, Writers Player and SPL Player of the Year in 2006/07. I certainly still remember that stunning free kick he scored against Manchester United, a set play specialist from outside the box.

It’s a soft rendition of Flower of Scotland in comparison to the last time I was here when something was on the game against Denmark, the anthems are all very respectful, Japan bring that calmness and respect as always with them, a dignified nation whose fans singing in the corner are very upbeat and noisy today.

Scotland in a salmon number that takes you back to 1999 press early doors against Japan in white and black shorts, as the sun shines on the green pitch it all feels rather colourful as Scot McTominay darts into the box unmarked and gets on the end of a John McGinn cross only to shoot straight at Suzuki in goal.

Other than that really good chance, most of the first half has Japan keeping the ball and probing against the stern Scottish defence lead by Scott McKenna and Jack Hendry, Kodai Sano comes closest, cracking the top of the crossbar as they often look the better team, all be it playing the match at half tempo, it’s far from classic as little happens in the friendliest and flattest of first halves.

The Score

Three changes are made by Japan at half time as both sides begin a half of reshuffling and game time giving, for spells Scotland threaten as Andy Robertson goes close, his jinking run ends up with a left foot shot which is pushed wide of the posts by a goalkeeper who I really like the look of.

By now there’s kids screaming excessively behind us, one of the BBC media team (off air) is getting it in the neck “C’mon Scotland” is the scream, not once, but every ten seconds for the next half hour, he’s sitting directly in front and is smiling to himself in anger, I’m sure he wants to punch the kid behind, which I’m sure would be frowned upon by most, but certainly not by me.

As the game closes into what seems to be a scoreless handshake there’s a few scary moments for a by now much changed Scottish eleven as Junya Ito runs through and forces Angus Gunn into some work. Japan are lively late on as their changes provide positivity and they force a clearance off the line before finally they break the deadlock, a neat move, all their moves are neat, finished off by Ito inside the area, bleach blonde haired he takes a touch, before prodding at goal an 84th minute winner which bounces in off the legs of Gunn.

Not much else happens bar the kids in the posh seats continuing to scream at will, as the added time board goes up I’m now feeling sorry for the man on BBC duty, sitting in front of them. On the whistle I tell him “you’ll still have that noise constantly ringing in your ears when you’re in bed tonight”. He says "the screaming was all they could hear on comms through James McFadden's earpiece".

The Stars

A match that was designed for minutes ahead of the World Cup in the summer, meant the score was pretty irrelevant, the performance not totally important, but it did highlight a few issues that Scotland have, and that is questioning ‘do they have enough firepower’ to break down opponents, like Japan, who are good, technical, organised.

Some good, Andy Robertson is world class, so too is Scot McTominay and arguably John McGinn, all will have a big say on how Scotland play in the World Cup, but some bad, I hardly noticed Lyndon Dykes and Tommy Conway in attack, George Hirst looked much better leading the line when he came on for the final half hour.

Japan have some lovely neat footballers, Leeds United’s Tanaka was brilliant, picking the ball up deep in midfield, starting moves, slowly, progressing passes forward, Yuito Suzuki also playing well, they brought on Doan and Junya Ito, in fact ten subs in total, the fresh legs in the end the deciding factor in getting them a deserved win.

The Verdict

I think Japan are a team that are going places, perhaps only lacking a Harry Kane type forward and some real class cutting edge, I wonder for all their neat play, do they have enough in attack, are they indeed nasty enough to compete with the elite? But technically brilliant, well drilled, superbly set up, I believe they can go far into the competition, and wouldn’t rule out a last eight, or even surprise semi final run?

For Scotland, I think hopes will be pinned on finally getting out of the groups, something never achieved in Euros or World Cup finals previously, there might be some questions over their team selection, and even some concern that Steve Clarke’s football is perhaps not attacking or exciting enough, but they do have some star players in their make-up, and with Haiti, Morocco and Brazil to play, and three spaces up for grabs from four, it might seem harder not to qualify for the last 32, than to go out in the first stage again.

The Teams

Scotland: Angus Gunn, Nathan Paterson (Anthony Ralston 81), Andy Robertson (Kieran Tierney 71), Scot McTominay (Billy Gilmour 71), John McGinn (Ryan Christie 63), Lyndon Dykes (George Hirst 63), Jack Hendry, Lewis Ferguson, Tommy Conway (Findlay Curtis 81), Kenny McLean, Paul McKenna.

Japan: Zion Suzuki, Yukinari Sugawara (Ritsu Doan 62), Ayumo Seko (Daiki Hasioka 77), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Shogo Taniguchi 46), Joel Fujita (Kento Shiogai 78), Yuito Suzuki (Junya Ito 63), Daizen Maeda (Keito Nakamura 62), Ao Tanaka (Daichi Kamada 78), Jodai Sano (Kaoru Mitoma 46), Hiroki Ito (Junnosuke Suzuki 46), Keisuke Goto (Ayase Ueda 63).

5:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 28th March 2026, Hampden Park, Glasgow (att 44,644).