Scotland defeated Israel in the Euro 2020 playoffs, with a 5-3 in a penalty shootout.
Although both teams played poorly, the teams and fans can learn a valuable lesson that would impact their future.
UEFA’s decision to change the playoff format for Euro 2020 did not pass without criticism. Teams that would probably have no chance to even glimpse at qualifying now had the opportunity to reach the tournament via the UEFA Nations League. That was the situation for both Scotland and Israel.
Euro 2020 System and Its Fruits
Two years ago, both teams were drawn together to the same group alongside Albania. In the last match, Scotland hosted Israel, won 3-2, and secured a playoff berth as the first-placed team. Israel waited for more than a year until they confirmed their place in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the teams made a disastrous campaign in the Euro 2020 qualifiers. Scotland finished third in their group, thrashed by Kazakhstan and hardly defeated Cyprus. Israel finished in the fifth place and became the only team to reach the playoffs from well below the fourth place. With such a bad record, there was no doubt that the match between Scotland and Israel had the potential to be one of the worst playoffs matches.
This potential was realized. Scotland and Israel played each other in Hampden Park for the third time in two years. The last one was a month ago, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. But this time, both teams not only failed to score - they could barely find the target. According to UEFA official statistics, there was only one attempt on target in 120 minutes. After a goalless draw, Scotland managed to score 5 out of 5 penalties. Israel missed the first shot, taken by the team's top scorer, Eran Zahavi. In the end, a 5-3 win for Scotland.
Scotland will Face Serbia, Israel has to reinvent itself
Both teams will have a lot to think about after this match.
Scotland will have to think about whether they are good enough to qualify for the Euro. They will play in the final against Serbia in Belgrade. The Serbs qualified to the final after a sensational win against Norway and their young star, Erling Haaland. If Scotland doesn't play better next month, they have a decent chance to be thrashed by Dušan Tadić, Aleksandar Mitrović, and Luka Jović.
On the other hand, Israel's future is not looking bright, to say the least. Their current manager, Willi Ruttensteiner, was appointed as a caretaker after the previous manager, Andreas Herzog, decided to leave. The Israeli FA has already decided to sack Ruttensteiner, but he was appointed to the current role due to budget limits. Israel will have to look for a new manager quickly - and a hasty signing could lead to appointing Eyal Berkovic, who has no managerial experience but was previously mentioned as a candidate. Without any real plan for the next year, Israel's playoff appearance could be occasional, just like their previous playoff participation in the Euro 2000 qualifiers.
Look What It Means to Them
While the Israeli and Scottish fans have little to rejoice in, the other matches have shown us how important the Euro playoffs format is, giving more teams a chance to qualify. Serbia and Scotland will play for a berth in the tournament after more than 20 years of absence. Georgia and North Macedonia will have a chance to qualify, a debut tournament for both teams if they make it.
The idea to let teams play against opponents at the same level has been proved useful. Those who are reaching the tournament are having the experience of getting closer to the high levels. The former AFC Challenge Cup helped the lower-ranked teams in Asia in their development, and the CONCACAF Nations League showed a similar concept.
Don't be afraid of those "weak" teams to be part of the tournaments. More often than not, they bring colour and excitement to the game - and who knows, we could end up watching the next stars of the game while they are still unknown.
