Army target Rodri but midfield maestro has the last laugh as Spain down Scotland
The boos came every time Rodri touched the ball. And he had a lot of touches. Showing as much discipline as the Scotland players, the Tartan Army simply refused to relent throughout the first half.
When the noise echoed out inside Estadio La Cartuja, it temporarily swamped the sound of a passionate home crowd. Rodri’s words had not been forgotten.
Over the last seven months, his sour comments after Spain’s Hampden loss in March became an unlikely emblem of Scotland’s outstanding progress through Group A. They were referenced time and again. The Manchester City midfielder was cast as the pantomime villain of a show in which living happily ever after had begun to look inevitable for Steve Clarke’s men.
Come full-time in Seville, however, Rodri was the one left smiling. If anything could have made this loss even more painful - after 72 minutes of heroic defiance by Scotland against all manner of odds - it was found in their decrier thwarting any chance of a comeback.
His moment arrived seven minutes from the end. A long throw-in bounced through an uncertain Spanish defence and landed in front of substitute Stuart Armstrong. The Tartan Army rose to greet an equaliser as Armstrong connected, only for Rodri to produce a superb block that diverted the ball over the bar.
In that moment, the last chance of grasping qualification in Andalusia evaporated. Three minutes later, an unlucky own goal from Ryan Porteous sealed Scotland’s first loss of the campaign and ensured the wait for a ticket to Germany would be extended.
It might only last until Sunday night, when Norway must beat Spain to remain in contention. Even so, this loss still stung. Largely because of how close Scotland had come to the necessary point.
Ultimately, guts did not
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