Scotland Women’s National Team: A Team on theRise by Ciara McCormack For anyone that has been following European women’s soccer in the last decade, Scotland is a team that has been knocking on the door, inching painfully closer to inclusion in its first major international tournament. On Oct. 24, 2012, Scotland played Spain for the final spot in the UEFA EURO 2013, which will be held in Sweden next year. photo courtesy of Glasgow City FC For Scottish players, it would have been a way to eliminate memories of losing on away goals in a playoff to Russia for a EURO 2009 spot. Yet with Scotland moments away from going through on away goals, and the score tied 2-2 in Spain, after a 1-1 draw in Scotland, Spain scored a goal with seconds left in extra time. They left the Scots shattered on the field, so close to such a major accomplishment after overcoming so many challenges. But Scotland’s players had little time to dwell. “We played Spain on Wednesday night in Madrid and suffered the most heartbreaking loss of not only my career but all of ours,” said Scotland Captain and starting goalkeeper Gemma Rachel Corsie and Fay. “Thirty-six hours later, we were back at work and school. Leanne Ross lift the Cup “In that last game we played against Spain in the EURO 2013 playoff, nine of the starting 11 were either full-time students or in full-time employment. At least two of the players were taking unpaid leave to be there as they had used up all their annual leave for the year, and the rest were using their last few days of their annual leave,” Fay said. With only 4,000 females registered to play soccer in Scotland, the team coming so close to inclusion in a major championship is all the more stunning. The team’s recent ranking of No. 22 in the world, down from its highest-ever ranking of 21 in March 2012, is impressive. With such a miniscule number of female players to draw from, in comparison to the countries that they Andy Buist are competing against, the team and association is doing a Emma Mitchell and formidable job. In comparison, the team’s lowest-ever ranking Camilla Mogensen was 31st in the world, in March 2004. 12 Rise 13 History The women’s program has for talented Scottish female soccer Tying in with Scotland’s drastically changed in the last players, who were quickly thrown ascension in the world rankings decade. The team initially was into the international mix, finding was the appointment of Sweden’s run, not by the Scottish Football themselves on the field against Anna Signeul as the new head Association (SFA), which was the senior international players that coach in March 2005. Signeul was overall governing body in Scotland, they idolized. invited into a few Swedish national but by an association called the “I grew, developed, and made team camps as a player, although Scottish Women’s FA, an affiliated my mistakes in international she was never capped at the senior body that sat outside the SFA. At international level for her home that point, in the mid 90s, the head Andy Buist country. Signeul showed a high coach of the Scotland Women’s capacity for coaching from a young National Team (SWNT) was a age, starting her coaching career at physical education teacher who led age 21, while still playing. She later the team whenever there was an led Sweden’s youth teams to a third- international match. The team had place finish at the UEFA EURO to pay to travel to matches, and had U-18 Championships, before one set of tracksuits and uniforms following that up with the UEFA that had to be used for the U-16, U-18 title in 1999. U-20, and senior women’s teams. According to backup goalkeeper The big change happened when the Shannon Lynn, Signeul has SFA took over the team during the played a large role in the squad’s 1997/1998 season, and the team development. had its first professional coach, Vera “We have a national team coach Pauw of Holland. and a national coaching staff that “When I started, a group called devotes so much time into trying to the Scotland’s Women operated do everything in their power to get a senior, U-20, and U-16 (youth us better,” she said. activities were about once a year) Jane Ross After taking the helm of Scotland’s team,” Fay said. “The process of women, Signeul steadily began being selected was based on an games, when I should have had the developing a player group that at invite to a trial where a team was opportunity to do that at a domestic first was recognized internationally selected. If you had a bad day, then level,” said Fay, who debuted for primarily through world-class you weren’t in, and this was the case Scotland in goal at the tender age striker Julie Fleeting, who played for for me. I got invited to trial for the of 16. “My role models were not teams such as the San Diego Spirit in U-16 team in 1997, didn’t play well, Scottish but other international the now defunct WUSA (Women’s and never made the team that year. keepers such as Silke Rottenberg United Soccer Association), along The following year I did, and within (Germany) and Briana Scurry with Arsenal Ladies Football Club the year I had made my debut for (United States), players that I had in England. Fleeting was one of the the U-16, U-20, and senior national to compete against. My motivation most prolific scorers in the world, teams. From that moment on, I was was to set a new level for myself with an average of about a goal pretty much the starting goalkeeper and to continually try to surpass my a game at the international level. for the SWNT.” best performance, however there She had her final cap with Scotland A lacking development structure were many periods when I found against Wales in the fall of 2011. led to a unique playing experience this difficult.” 14 Current Development Pathway Today in Scotland, women’s medical treatment, given nutritional soccer is a far different reality to advice and have their living costs the one that Fay described as her supported, which has allowed for own. There are now regional teams players to be of a much higher of Scotland’s home-based players that operate weekly, where the best quality, and at a level to be able taking the field for Glasgow City youth players can come and access to compete with some of the top FC, a team that has won six straight top performance coaching. Regional nations in the world,” said Fay. Scottish league titles. Because of academies have also been set up Scotland’s youth national teams this accomplishment, Glasgow across Scotland, where players are are currently competing at the U-15, City FC earned the right to play in able to train in the mornings and U-17, and U-19 levels, as well as at the UEFA Women’s Champions have strength and conditioning the UEFA Euro Championships for League, most recently falling out sessions three times a week before U-17 and U-19. Instead of trying in the round of 32 against Fortuna they go to school or work. to cope at the senior international Hjørring of Denmark. Additionally, the most talented level with no experience under their “The club teams have had to youth players now go to a National belt, players are now seasoned with increase their number of training Academy based out of Stirling experience once they arrive to the nights a week to make things more University, where they are able senior team, which in Fay’s words, professional,” said Lynn, who is one to train four times a week in the “is invaluable.” of two SWNT players on Scottish morning and have strength and Scotland’s national women’s club side Hibernian, along with conditioning sessions as well. league, the Scottish Women’s defender Frankie Brown. “Finances are not an issue, as Premier League (SWPL), has also at Stirling, the players have their allowed for other players to gain tuition paid, are able to access valuable experience, with a majority Andy Buist Scotland line-up vs Spain 15 Scotland: A New Brand of Player As Scotland began to rise in the ranks of Europe and Despite the struggle to balance it all, Lynn gives the the world, new players in the squad began to emerge, recipe for what has allowed Scotland to succeed, “It is including Jennifer Beattie and Kim Little, who debuted passion. Time. Commitment. Love. Hard work.” for Scotland at the age of 17 (Little in 2007, and Beattie With their heartbreak in Madrid laying a further in 2008). They both were scooped up by Arsenal Ladies resolve to breakthrough to the top level in Europe, in the following years and have played important roles coupled with a system that seems to have found the for their English club. recipe to produce world class players, the future holds Ifeoma Dieke, a defender and American-born player promise of world recognition sooner rather than later who moved back to Scotland at the age of three, has for the ladies of Scotland. emerged to lead the Scottish backline. She is one of the few players in the world that has played in WUSA (Atlanta Beat) and WPS (Chicago Red Stars, Boston Breakers), before heading to arguably the best league in the world, with her emergence in the Damallsvenskan SCOTLAND WOMEN’S for Vittsjo in 2012.