“Lawrence Shankland opens the scoring with barely five minutes played, giving Scotland an early platform and immediately putting Bolivia on the back foot.”
Pivotal“Scott McTominay doubles Scotland's lead, his goal confirming the pattern of play and making it increasingly difficult for Bolivia to mount any response.”
Pivotal“Ché Adams gets in on the act to make it 3-0, effectively ending the match as a contest with over an hour still to play.”
Pivotal“Adams adds a second just before the break to complete a devastating first-half performance from Scotland, sending the teams into the tunnel with a 4-0 scoreline.”
Pivotal“Bolivia make three immediate half-time substitutions in a clear attempt to stem the tide, while Scotland also rotate, effectively signalling that the match is already decided.”
Bolivia
Scotland
Outstanding performance
Scotland•AttackerScotland were utterly ruthless in the first 45 minutes, tearing Bolivia apart with a relentless attacking display that left the South Americans with nowhere to turn. Lawrence Shankland drew first blood as early as the fifth minute, and Scott McTominay doubled the advantage with a composed finish at the 23rd mark before Ché Adams took over, scoring twice before the break to make it 4-0. Scotland's 20 shots to Bolivia's seven tells the story of a team completely in control, and their four big chances created against Bolivia's none underlines just how one-sided the attacking threat was. Despite Bolivia enjoying marginally more of the ball at 54 percent possession, Scotland's dominance index of 66 to 50 reflected where the real authority lay on the pitch. For Scotland, heading into a World Cup cycle, this was a confidence-boosting statement performance, with Adams and McTominay particularly impressive in a side that looks capable of causing problems for stronger opposition. Bolivia, for their part, will need to reflect on a defensive display that offered almost no resistance, with Carlos Melgar picking up a yellow card in the second half to compound a difficult afternoon for the Bolivians.
How entertaining was this match?
Scotland carry the buzz of their first World Cup qualification since 1998 into this historic first-ever meeting with Bolivia, a Road to 26 friendly at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. With neither side keeping things tight at the back recently, goals look likely as both teams use this fixture to sharpen their preparations ahead of the summer tournament.
