Scotland juniors among Europe`s elite

VOLVO EUROPEAN JUNIOR NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIPS – DEN BOSCH
(NED)  –  26 AUGUST TO 01 SEPTEMBER 2012

Graham Moodie, Scotland`s under 21 coach, has a baptism
of fire ahead of him when he leads his young squad to the Volvo
European Junior Nations Championships in Den Bosch against the
Continent`s cream.

Moodie is well aware of the task facing his relatively
inexperienced squad.    “No Scottish team has
retained their place in the top division since 2002, so we`re under
no illusions as to how difficult this will be.”

In the initial part of the tournament the Scots will compete in
a pool competition involving top sides Germany, Spain and
Belgium.   “We`re excited at the challenge of playing
these teams and we know if we can play to our potential we will be
able to cause them problems,” said Moodie.  

The Scots youngsters have already experienced the strength of
the Spanish side, last month they played three test matches in
Terrassa and lost 7-2, 4-0 and 5-0, Glynhill Kelburne striker Alan
Forsyth getting the only goals.

But Moodie is a realist.    “Our main focus,
however, is on the relegation pool and our last two matches. 
It would be disrespectful to three of the top team in Europe and
the world to think any other way.”

Should the Scots find themselves in the relegation pool in the
later stages of the tournament, likely opponents could be Wales and
France.   The incentive here is to finish fifth or sixth,
not only to avoid the drop, but the top six will automatically
qualify for the 2013 Junior World Cup.  The omens here are
encouraging, in the recent Celtic Cup the young Scots beat Wales
4-2, the Grange pair Matt Connor and Fraser Sands sharing all the
goals.

Although some of the results in warm-up matches have not been
very encouraging, Moodie is nonetheless pleased with the squad`s
development.   “We have made a huge amount of progress
over the summer, the squad have worked extremely hard, and if we
play to our potential in this tournament we will give ourselves a
great chance of achieving our goal.”

On the strengths of the squad, Moodie remarked:  “We have
some very strong individual players including Alan Forsyth and
Michael Bremner, but our biggest strength will be our team work
rate and discipline.   We are a fit, well organised team
and very capable of creating opportunities.”

Forsyth and Bremner were in the 2010 under 21 side that swept to
promotion in Vienna by winning every game, scoring 35 goals in five
games, and beating Wales 9-0 in the final.   

“For a number of our players, this is their first taste of elite
European competition,” admitted Moodie.   That is
certainly true of 16 year old Fettes College schoolboy Hamish
Imrie, now a regular in the Grange strike force, and under 18 squad
players Ed Greaves and Lee Morton, both from Glynhill Kelburne.

On Sunday the Scots open their campaign against Germany, bronze
medallists two years ago, and anything from that game would be a
real bonus for Moodie.

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