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Hampden Park has witnessed many memorable moments throughout its illustrious history dating back to 1903. Include this game to the list. The Scottish protracted drought has concluded. The manager, the captain, the midfielder, the playmaker; they are headed to the tournament. So too the defender, whose bending shot from distance seemed to have secured victory in a high-scoring affair until the substitute produced an still more breathtaking clincher.

Almost three decades of frustration, during which the Scottish men's team have observed men’s World Cups from afar, were erased as Denmark suffered defeat in added time. Supporters in traditional dress shed tears. Denmark's qualification in next summer’s jamboree depends on March playoffs. Clarke and a suddenly ecstatic Scottish football community can begin planning solid arrangements.

PhD students could produce papers on how exactly the team accomplished this. They looked finished at times, just days before Saturday when falling to a loss in Greece. It was as though someone, somewhere had decreed the Scottish team had waited quite enough for a place in the tournament. The contributions of Tierney and the midfielder were remarkable.

The Game Kicks Off

The night had reportedly opened in tough fashion for Scotland. The defender, who had been set to play alongside Scott McKenna in central defence, was injured in the pregame. His replacement stepped in. Any sense of problem was forgotten within the opening moments.

It was among the most spectacular strikes delivered at the stadium in modern history.

The winger dribbled and dodged on the wing. The Bournemouth winger’s lofted pass was expected to be challenging for the midfielder to control. He was facing away from goal, to begin with. Instead, he launched himself into the sky and executed an bicycle kick past the reach of the goalkeeper. This famous old place roared, not only in appreciation of the opening goal but the remarkable context in which it arrived. Incredible.

Midfield Struggle

The Scottish midfielder was playing like a man possessed. The young winger seemed electric. Scottish threat resonated in attacking with great intensity; the goalkeeper saved from the Danish striker after the Denmark forward was sent clean through. The assistant's flag was up but he could have survived a further inspection were it required. As a Danish player sent a cross across the Scottish goal and the defender blocked effectively from Victor Froholdt, the home side were in a battle to keep their advantage.

The winger had unnerved the Danish team with his pace. It felt a major loss to Clarke, at that point, as the Bournemouth man strained when trying to stop a pass. He departed the pitch on a medical cart after just the first half.

The striker shortly had the ball in the net but was penalised for a foul on Aaron Hickey. By the half-hour, Scotland were playing far too recklessly, a fact underscored as the defender turned a Pierre‑Emile Højbjerg shot narrowly off target. But they reached the break still ahead. They were even denied of a excellent chance of a two-goal lead, a Danish defender smartly fouling McGinn, earning a yellow card, after the midfielder took advantage of Danish carelessness.

Final Period Action

The attacker forced Gordon into a sharp, low stop in a minute and a half of the second half. If Scotland were going to do this, the half would seem like the decades since the tournament. Given the visitors only required a draw, the flow of attacks right from the start of the second period felt worrying for the home team. Scotland were managing – partially – in breaking up Danish attacks but promptly handing the ball right back to the players in red.

As the equaliser was scored, it came with the whiff of controversy associated.

The official originally noticed no foul with the captain's challenge on the winger on the angle of the penalty area. Indeed, it seemed Isaksen flung himself into the ground. After being advised to look again by the VAR, Szymon Marciniak awarded the spot. Højlund blasted home. On the balance, parity was the least Denmark earned but the hosts had reason to be sore about the circumstances.

Final Heroics

The only thing thrilling encounter lacked was a red card. It came on the hour, the defender's second foul of the night on a marauding midfielder earning another caution. Then the coach twisted by bringing on the forwards one substitute and Che Adams.

This decision was to pay dividends. Denmark's defending of an inswinging Lewis Ferguson corner was disorganized, letting Shankland to score. The substitute, brought on for his predatory instinct, demonstrated precisely that. The opposition manager the coach, though, had reason to be upset at how simple it was.

The home team had no time to extend their lead. In three minutes, Patrick Dorgu stroked home after a teammate laid into his way 12 yards from goal. On this occasion Scotland were overly generous.

The striker directed a header wide. McGinn curling shot narrowly missed the upright. Enter Tierney and a moment worthy to deciding the contest. McLean sealed it: from the midfield, indeed.