Scotland: Scots chase place in last four  x3
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| Scotland |
August 31, 2005 
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom
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By Mike Stanger
Despite an impressive 4-2 victory over England on Tuesday night, there was no euphoria in the Scottish camp - just stark realism about their prospects of reaching the semi-finals of the European Championships for the first time, should they win - or even draw - this morning's final pool match against Belgium.
Scotland manager Eugene Connolly reflected on the structure of these European competitions: "If we make a mess against Belgium, we could still finish in eighth place, facing relegation."
England coach Jason Lee may be counting the cost of underestimating the Scots, but Scotland's German-born national coach Mathias Ahrens is certainly not complacent.
"Our plan is to go out and win, to make sure of our semi-final place. But we must guard against the lethal Belgian penalty corner routine, and also not presume that Germany will beat England. Our destiny is in our own hands."
If the Scots defeat Belgium, they will earn the chance, against either Spain or Holland on Saturday, to reach the final and win European gold or silver.
They would also gain automatic entry to next year's World Cup qualifier in China. And, of course, they would retain their place among the elite for the next European Cup in two years' time - which, ironically, England have just offered to stage in Manchester.
England must beat Germany today if they are to reach the semi-finals and avoid a nerve-racking relegation contest.
The defeat by Scotland could have ramifications that reach as far as the Beijing Olympics. Two teams will be relegated at the conclusion here - if England were to be one of them, England miss the 2006 World Cup qualifier.
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