Not even a late goal from super-sub Lana McClelland was enough to get Scotland a point in today’s World Cup group game against Japan.

With two Japanese goals in the first half, it made it very difficult for Scotland to get back into the came and it ended 2-1.

The expectation today was all on Japan. After all, they were finalists in 2015 and were winners of the 2011 competition. But the team is also in a period of transition; they’re a youthful side still finding their way and how they work together. Also, they could only scramble a draw against Argentina so if there was a time for Scotland to maximise, this was it.

Scotland’s coach Shirley Kerr made four changes after their 2-1 defeat to England last Sunday, reasoning that it was because “you need to freshen up the team”.

Before the game even started, it already felt different to the England game in Nice. The location of the stadium in Nice gave a poor match build up, and the atmosphere was lacking. In Rennes (in Brittany) the Tartan Army were out in force. There are around 2,000 travelling fans and they were in their finest Scottish gear.

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