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International Friendly: Scores | Fixtures | Tables

International Friendly Scores - Thursday, May 11, 2006

Scotland 5 Final

Bulgaria 1

5

Final - Kobe Wing Stadium Attendance: 30,000

Scotland 5 - 1 Bulgaria

Kris Boyd (12)

Kris Boyd (42)

James McFadden (69)

Chris Burke (78)

Chris Burke (89)

Yordan Todarov (25)

1

Match

Gamecast

Report

Updated: May 11, 2006, 12:00 PM UK

Kirin Cup: Scotland romp in Japan

PA

Kris Boyd had a dream introduction to international football as the Rangers striker scored twice in Scotland's Kirin Cup win over Bulgaria at Kobe Wing Stadium.

Fellow debutant and Rangers team-mate Chris Burke came off the bench to net twice as well while James McFadden put his name on the scoresheet as Scotland notched up a comfortable victory over Hristo Stoichkov's team.

Boyd took just 13 minutes to claim his maiden goal with a fine first-time finish as he latched on to Darren Fletcher's perfectly placed pass to fire over Stoyan Kolev and put Scotland in front.

Two minutes from half-time Boyd, who finished last season as the top scorer in the Scottish Premier League, claimed his and Scotland's second when he was first to react after Kolev spilled Russell Anderson's shot following a well-placed cross by Gary Teale.

The Bulgarians had managed to pull themselves level after Boyd's opener when, in the 26th minute, Yordan Todorov netted after a sustained period of pressure spent on the edge of the Scotland penalty area.

The inexperience of Walter Smith's team rarely showed throughout the 90 minutes, despite the selection of three players - goalkeeper Neil Alexander, Graeme Murty and Teale - who have only a handful of caps between them.

With the vociferous Scotland fans making up for the paltry crowd of 5,780 at the 2002 World Cup venue, Smith's team looked comfortable in the opening exchanges and Boyd's goal was the first real effort in anger.

But as the half wore on, Stoichkov's team impressed themselves more on the game.

Captain Martin Petrov forced Alexander to stretch to claim his curling left-footed free-kick from 20 yards out in the 24th minute and, two minutes later, the Bulgarians were level.

Valeri Domovchiyski held off the Scottish defence before clipping the ball to Svetoslav Todorov and the Portsmouth striker's lay-off to his namesake set up the 24-year-old to slot past Alexander, despite Scotland's appeals for offside.

Boyd, however, put his side back in front two minutes before the break and eight minutes after the restart he departed the scene, leaving his replacement - McFadden - to increase Scotland's advantage with 21 minutes to go.

Again Teale was involved, searing down the right wing before sending in a low cross that the Everton striker glanced past the Bulgarian goalkeeper with a deft touch of his left foot.

Indeed, McFadden's impact on the team was almost immediate, the former Motherwell man taking aim with a long-range effort just a minute after coming on while in the 63rd minute he rattled the woodwork with a free-kick from 25 yards out.

McFadden's influence on the result, though, was not as instant as that of Burke, who came on for Teale in the 75th minute and with his second touch of the ball had also claimed a debut goal for Scotland.

The Rangers winger's first touch in international football came when he chested Gary Naysmith's cross into the penalty area and the second saw him lob substitute goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov, whose finger-tip effort was not strong enough to keep the ball out.

It was to get better for Burke with two minutes to go when he stabbed the ball home from close range to claim his second and Scotland's fifth in what had become a painfully one-sided encounter.

Posted

euro 2008 qualifiers - look out France and Italy. :D

finally we have some younger players coming through who actually have testicles - Boyd, Burke, McFadden, Maloney, Gordon, O'Connor etc. All these players are in their early 20's so maybe the future isn't as gloomy as suspected for Scotland.

still take a while to transform the world ranking Vogts left us with. :o

Posted

0

Final - Saitama Stadium 2002 Attendance: 58,648

Japan 0 - 0 Scotland

Scotland win the Kirin Cup

0

Match

Report

Updated: May 13, 2006, 12:00 PM UK

Draw gives Kirin Cup to Scots

Reuters

Scotland held Japan to a goalless draw at a drizzle-drenched Saitama Stadium to claim the Kirin Cup.

KoichiKamoshida/GettyImages

Scotland celebrate with the Kirin Cup

In wet and miserable conditions more akin to Tynecastle than Tokyo, the Scots were often second best against a Japan side keen to end their domestic preparations for the World Cup on a high.

Left-back Akira Kaji hit the woodwork in the first half, while Scotland goalkeeper Neil Alexander made a point-blank save from Shinji Ono two minutes before the break.

Japan's superiority continued in the second half as Gary Caldwell was forced to clear Mitsuo Ogasawara's goal-bound effort off the line eight minutes after the restart as the hosts looked the more likely to score.

• Smith hails keeper Alexander

But, try as they might, Japan were unable to find a way through to goal and the draw was enough to guarantee the Scots lifted the trophy.

Scotland boss Walter Smith sent his team into the game with only one change from the 5-1 win over Bulgaria as Kris Boyd failed to shake off the groin strain he picked up on Thursday, meaning James McFadden started up front.

The game began at a pedestrian pace with Scotland having the better of the opening exchanges, but, by midway through the half, the Japanese turned up the intensity and took control.

The Scots survived a scare 24 minutes into the game when Kaji's long-range effort beat the diving Alexander, only for the ball to come back off the Cardiff goalkeeper's post before Tatsuhiko Kubo skied his attempt with the rebound well over the bar.

Kaji's crack at goal came just seconds after the Japanese were forced into some desperate defending at the other end.

Yuji Nakazawa was called into action twice in the space of a minute, first to plant a firm header on Gary Teale's testing cross from the right and then to deny McFadden after Gary Naysmith sent in his centre from the left.

But the momentum was swinging towards Japan as Zico's team finally started to test the Scottish defence.

Ogasawara shot straight at Alexander from the edge of the penalty area in the 29th minute.

But that proved to be a range-finder as, less than a minute later, the Kashima Antlers man forced a fine save out of Alexander, who pushed Ogasawara's left foot drive wide for a corner.

As Scotland dropped back to try to hit the Japanese on the counter-attack, the onus was increasingly on the home side to crack the visitors' back-line.

Kaji came close when his cross from the left evaded the entire Scottish defence to fall at the feet of Kubo, only for the Yokohama F Marinos man to see his shot deflected wide.

With two minutes of the half remaining, Ono should have given Japan the lead when he was put through on goal by a fine piece of skill by Keiji Tamada.

But the former Feyenoord man's shot was blocked by Alexander and Ogasawara's resultant shot from the edge of the area could only find the side-netting.

Japan went close again just eight minutes after the resumption when Ono released Yasuhito Endo into the penalty area and the Gamba Osaka midfielder pulled the ball back to Ogasawara, whose shot was cleared by Caldwell with Alexander well beaten.

With a flurry of substitutions from both sides breaking up the rhythm of the game in the final 30 minutes, chances became scarce, although Gavin Rae - on in place of Scott Severin at half time - should have done better when he was put in on goal.

But his weak shot rolled straight into the arms of Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.

Alexander was then called upon in the dying minutes to push away Alessandro Santos' free-kick as the Scots held on for the draw.

• Smith hails keeper Alexander

Scotland had goalkeeper Neil Alexander and Celtic-bound defender Gary Caldwell to thank as they held on for a 0-0 draw with Japan to capture the Kirin Cup at Saitama Stadium.

'For us it was always going to be a very difficult game because of the circumstances of playing just 48 hours ago,' said Smith.

'We were made to defend for most of the game and only had one or two chances on the break, but fortunately for ourselves good goalkeeping and good defending from the entire team meant that we managed to hold on and get the draw that we got.

'I thought the Japan side played very well,' said Smith. 'We were able to keep a lot of players behind the ball and make it very difficult for them.

'I felt they played well and they'll be disappointed they lacked that little bit of luck you need around the goal.'

The game was Japan's final home game before heading to Europe to complete their World Cup preparations and head coach Zico was disappointed his team was unable to leave with a win behind them.

'It's upsetting because we didn't win,' said the Brazilian. 'Not so much because it was my last game in Japan but because we couldn't win the Kirin Cup.

'The players feel the same way and we could have used the win before travelling to the World Cup.'

Posted

Aye... the boys did well.

Great to see Graeme Murty getting a game....he should be a regular starter in the Scottish side now..especially as he will be a Premiership captain within the next few months

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