Scotland 2-1 Georgia Glasgow, 24/03/07
Kris Boyd (12), Shota Arveladze (42), Craig Beattie (88)

A late winner from Celtic’s Craig Beattie gave a determined Scotland side victory over Georgia, and saw all-time Unofficial Football World Champions Scotland become current Unofficial Football World Champions for the first time in 40 years. Shota Arveladze had threatened to spoil his former Rangers manager Alex McLeish’s day, equalising Kris Boyd’s opener. But Scotland’s impressive second half display was enough to deprive the Georgians of the title.

Rangers striker Boyd opened the scoring in the 12th minute, heading Gary Teale’s pinpoint cross low past goalkeeper George Lomaia. Georgia created few chances, but Arveladze, now at AZ Alkmaar, stunned the sell-out Hampden Park crowd with a brilliant diving header three minutes before half-time.

The entertaining second half saw chances for both sides, with Kobiashvili and Boyd both going close. Boyd was replaced by Beattie in the 75th minute, and it was the subsitute who was the hero, poking home the winner from a Kenny Miller flick-on with just two minutes left on the clock. The match was also a Euro 2008 qualifier, and the three points keep Scotland at the top of Group B. Scotland are now the current and all-time Unofficial Football World Champions. On Wednesday they will take on official world champions Italy.

Scotland: Gordon, Graham Alexander, Weir, McManus, Naysmith, Teale, Ferguson, Hartley, McCulloch, Miller, Boyd. Subs: McGregor, Murty, Dailly, Severin, Beattie, Maloney, Brown.

Georgia: Lomaia, Khizanishvili, Salukvadze, Shashiashvili, Eliava, Kobiashvili, Menteshashvili, Tskitishvili, Burduli, Arveladze, Demetradze. Subs: Revishvili, Kvirkvelia, Iashvili,Gogua, Mujiri, Ashvetia, Siradze.

Match Reports Georgia, Scotland

Scotland vs Georgia Glasgow, 24/03/07

This exciting Unofficial Football World Championships title match sees current champions Georgia travel to Glasgow’s Hampden Park to take on all-time UFWC champions Scotland. The match is also a vital Euro 2008 qualifier. Scotland currently top Group B with nine points, while Georgia have only three points – but the improving Georgians have proved they will be no pushovers.

The match will be Alex McLeish’s first in charge of the Scottish side, following Walter Smith’s decision to return to club football with Rangers. McLeish will face off against former Bayer Leverkusen boss Klaus Toppmoller, who has vastly improved Georgia’s recent fortunes. Georgia defeated Uruguay and Turkey in their last two games. Scotland lost their last match 2-0 to Ukraine, but had previously beaten France 1-0.

McLeish will be without injured Everton striker James McFadden, suspended Celtic defender Steven Pressley, and Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, who is both injured and suspended. Toppmoller, meanwhile, can recall his three most influential players – AC Milan stopper Kakha Kaladze, who has recovered from a serious head injury, Schalke midfielder Levan Kobiashivili, and AZ Alkmaar striker Shota Arveladze.

Former Rangers striker Arveladze has scored 23 goals this season, and last week helped AZ knock Newcastle United out of the UEFA Cup. Arveladze won seven trophies under Alex McLeish at Rangers. ‘He is a manager – he can manage the team,’ he perceptively said of the new Scotland boss this week. Of Toppmoller, Arveladze said, ‘I’ve been saying for the last ten years that we needed a foreign coach. Toppmoller is an experienced coach, who knows how to organise a team, and knows what he wants. It is still early days, but the signs are positive.’

Georgia are also likely to include former Rangers flop Zurab Khizanishvili, who is currently reviving his career at Blackburn Rovers, and Gogita Gogua, the highly-rated 23-year-old who missed out on a move to Hearts in January when the SFA rejected his work permit appeal. ‘This is a chance for me to prove I was good enough to play in Scotland,’ he says.

Should Scotland win, and become Unofficial Football World Champions, they will defend their title four days later against official world champions Italy. This potential ‘unification’ match between unofficial and official champions could see Italy crowned ‘undisputed champions’.

Seven nations have previously had claim to the title of Undisputed Football World Champions, having held both the official World Cup and unofficial UFWC title simultaneously. Italy were the first side to achieve this feat, winning the World Cup in 1938, and winning the UFWC title in 1939. Italy, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, and France have all been undisputed football world champions twice, and Uruguay and England have both had the honour once.

If Georgia retain their title, they will go on to defend it against the Faroe Islands, and will then play Lithuania.

Match Previews Georgia, Scotland