Encouraging signs for Scotland under-21s as Spanish training camp ends in draw against experienced USA side

Scotland Under-21s rounded off their Spanish training camp with a 1-1 friendly draw against the United States Under-23 side at Pinatar Arena, as preparations for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers continued.

The Young Scots faced a stern test against an American outfit featuring six players with senior international experience and led by 87-cap former international Steven Cherundolo. The USA were using the fixture as an important step in their preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Tony Docherty's side went into the contest in confident mood following an impressive 4-0 victory over Ukraine earlier in the week, looking to carry that momentum into their final fixture of the year in Murcia.

Scotland under-21s Head Coach Tony Docherty (R) and Assistant Coach Steven Naismith | SNS Group

Their opponents presented a different challenge, bringing greater physical presence and experience to the encounter. However, Scotland proved more than a match for the Stars and Stripes, with St Mirren's Eseosa Sule scoring an 85th-minute equaliser to secure a share of the spoils.

Hearts striker James Wilson, who bagged a double against Ukraine on Thursday, featured in the starting line-up once again, alongside captain Tyler Fletcher, midfielders Lennon Miller and Kyle Ure, Andrew Tod of Dunfermline and Aberdeen full-back Mitchel Frame.

The fixture provided Docherty with another valuable opportunity to assess his much-changed squad as he builds towards the start of next year's qualification campaign. Following a productive week in Spain, Scotland can take plenty of encouragement from two performances against contrasting opposition.

Docherty reflects on productive training camp

Reflecting on the benefits of the training camp, Docherty said: “We were delighted with the performance and the result in the game against Ukraine on Thursday. It is a credit to the players that they have been able to take on board so much information in such a short period of time.

“The game against the USA was another step up in quality for the group. They were taking on a more experienced side, but we wanted to challenge the players, and we wanted to see what they can do on and off the ball in different situations.”