Shankland and Curtis fire Scotland to win in World Cup send-off

Scotland finished its World Cup send-off with a 4-1 win over Curaçao at Barclays Hampden, but the louder message for Steve Clarke was about the next squad, not the final scoreline. Lawrence Shankland and Findlay Curtis both strengthened their cases for a place in Scotland’s attacking plans as Clarke headed toward a summer decision on who carries the load in the United States.

Clarke made numerous changes from the March defeat to Côte d’Ivoire, leaving out John McGinn, Scott McTominay, Che Adams, Lewis Ferguson, Kieran Tierney and Ross Stewart after late finishes to their club seasons. Craig Gordon, Aaron Hickey, Scott McKenna, Ben Gannon-Doak, Kenny McLean and Shankland all came in, giving Scotland a different look from the side that had lost 1-0 in its previous outing.

The first half was uneven. Tahith Chong put Curaçao ahead in the 17th minute, and Scotland then lost Billy Gilmour to injury before half-time, forcing Clarke into an early change. Curtis, brought on in Gilmour’s place, made the most of the moment. He scored his first Scotland goal just before the break, turning in a McLean pass with his left foot and giving Hampden a sharper edge heading into the interval.

Shankland then turned the game in the space of four minutes. The Hearts striker, who had already linked well with Ryan Christie and Andy Robertson, struck in the 59th minute and again in the 64th to put Scotland firmly in control. Christie added the fourth in the 81st minute, completing a scoreline that reflected Scotland’s superior quality once the match opened up after the interval.

For Clarke, the significance of the evening went beyond the result. Shankland’s two goals were the clearest answer of the night from a player who has spent much of his Scotland career on the margins of the starting XI. Curtis, meanwhile, moved from an emergency replacement to a genuine option, and his debut goal gives Clarke another name to weigh in a forward pool already shaped by injuries, club fatigue and competition for places.

Scott McKenna also marked the occasion by winning his 50th Scotland cap, while Luke Graham, Tyler Fletcher and James Wilson were among the substitutes, with Graham and Fletcher in line for their Scotland debuts. Scotland now flies to the USA with a win behind it, but with its attacking hierarchy looking far less settled than it did before kick-off.