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Hampden Park has hosted numerous unforgettable events over its rich history dating back to 1903. Remember this game to the annals. Scotland's extended drought has ended. Steve Clarke, Andy Robertson, Scott McTominay, the playmaker; they will be at the World Cup. So too Kieran Tierney, whose swerving effort from distance looked like it had sealed the win by the odd goal in five until the substitute executed an even more breathtaking final goal.

Nearly 27 years of disappointment, during which the Scottish men's team have observed the World Cup from the sidelines, were erased as the Danish team fell to a loss in added time. Grown men in traditional dress shed tears. Denmark's qualification in the next event hinges on qualifiers. The coach and a now jubilant Scottish football community can start making solid arrangements.

PhD students could produce papers on how on earth the team accomplished this. They appeared down and out at moments, just days before Saturday when falling to a loss in Athens. It was as though fate had decreed the Scottish team had waited long enough for a return to the World Cup. The contributions of the defender and McLean were extraordinary.

The Night Begins

The match had supposedly opened in tough circumstances for the home side. John Souttar, who had been due to partner Scott McKenna in the back line, was injured in the warmup. His replacement took his place. All setback was banished in the first few minutes.

This was some of the most spectacular finishes produced at Hampden in modern history.

The winger dribbled and dodged on the right. The Bournemouth winger’s lofted pass should have been challenging for the midfielder to handle. He was facing away from goal, for starters. Instead, he catapulted himself into the sky and executed an scissor kick beyond the reach of the goalkeeper. This historic old place erupted, not only in acknowledgment of the first goal but the remarkable context in which it arrived. Wow.

Game Struggle

The Scottish midfielder was performing like a player inspired. Gannon-Doak looked explosive. The home team's offense resonated in going on the offensive too ferociously; Craig Gordon blocked from Rasmus Højlund after the opposition striker was sent clean through. The assistant's flag was up but he may well have survived a further inspection if needed. As Mikkel Damsgaard sent a ball across the Scotland area and the defender blocked effectively from another attacker, the home side were in a battle to keep their advantage.

The winger had rattled the Danes with his speed. It felt a big setback to Clarke, at that point, as the player strained when attempting to stop a cross. He left the pitch on a stretcher after only the first half.

Højlund soon had the goal in the net but was penalised for a foul on the defender. By the 30-minute mark, the team were living far too on the edge, a fact underscored as the defender turned a midfielder drive just off target. Yet Scotland made it to the halftime still ahead. They were even denied of a golden opportunity of a two-goal lead, Rasmus Kristensen smartly taking out the midfielder, receiving a yellow card, after the player capitalised on opposition mistakes.

Final Period Drama

Højlund made the keeper into a sharp, down save within a minute and a half of the second half. If Scotland were going to do this, the remainder would seem like the decades since the tournament. Given the visitors only required a draw, the flow of traffic from the start of the half felt threatening for the home team. They were succeeding – partially – in breaking up Danish attacks but immediately handing the possession back to the players in the away kit.

When the equaliser came, it came with the whiff of cordite attached.

The official initially noticed no infringement with the captain's tackle on Gustav Isaksen on the angle of the box. Indeed, it seemed the player dived into the ground. After being instructed to review by the VAR, the referee awarded the penalty spot. Højlund blasted home. On the overall play, parity was the least Denmark merited but the hosts had reason to be sore about the circumstances.

Final Heroics

All this action-packed match was missing was a dismissal. It came on the 60-minute mark, Kristensen second foul of the match on a marauding midfielder earning a second caution. Now Clarke twisted by bringing on the strikers one substitute and Che Adams.

This decision was to prove effective. The Danish defending of an curling Lewis Ferguson corner was disorganized, letting the striker to score. The substitute, introduced for his goal-scoring ability, demonstrated exactly that. The Danish head coach Brian Riemer, however, had reason to be upset at how easy it was.

The home team had no time to build on their lead. In three minutes, Patrick Dorgu stroked into the net after Andreas Christensen passed into his path inside the box from goal. This time the defense were too generous.

The striker flicked a header wide. The midfielder's curling shot narrowly went past the upright. Enter Tierney and a moment capable of deciding the contest. The substitute added gloss: from the center circle, at that.