Scotland and Ukraine put their World Cup hopes on the line Wednesday in a playoff semifinal ripe with storylines.
The winner faces Wales at 11:30am ET Sunday for a berth in this winter’s World Cup.
Scotland hasn’t appeared in a men’s World Cup since its group-stage exit in 1998, the nation’s eighth tournament, but it feels on the upswing following an appearance at EURO 2020.
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Ukraine’s had a much better run at recent tournaments, though the Blue and Yellow has failed to qualify for the World Cup since its lone appearance, a quarterfinal finish in 2006. Ukraine has played at the last three European Championships, finishing in the 2020 quarterfinals.
Performance is far from the front of mind when it comes to this match, though, as the late start to this playoff round is due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We have huge sympathy for the people of Ukraine, of course we do,” says Scotland captain Andrew Robertson. “I think it’s fair to say everyone at the Scottish FA and in this team has stood behind them from the start. What we have seen there is horrendous. For 90 minutes or 120 minutes, we need to separate our thoughts. We want to get to the World Cup, we have to be ready for the challenge and emotion Ukraine will provide.”
Ukraine will be led by West Ham’s Andriy Yarmolenko and Man City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko. Other familiar names may be Everton’s Vitaliy Mykolenko, Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin, and Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovskyi.
Scotland has plenty of Premier League representation, led by Liverpool star Andrew Robertson, Leeds’ Liam Cooper, Aston Villa’s John McGinn, Southampton’s Che Adams and Stuart Armstrong, and Manchester United’s Scott McTominay. Former Celtic goalkeepers Craig Gordon and David Marshall are among those focused on keeping a zero on the board.
How to watch Scotland vs Ukraine live, stream link and start time
Kickoff: 2:30pm ET Wednesday
Stream: Online via ESPN+
TV Channel: ESPN2