Scotland hasn’t been to the World Cup since 1998. That means a whole generation of fans — including the guys in Glasgow punk band Gallus — have zero actual memories of their country playing on the biggest stage. Zero.
So when Eamon and Paul Ewins sat down to talk about this year’s tournament as part of OneFootball’s collaboration with Shoot Music, there was a different kind of energy. Not just desperation for a result. Genuine belief.
“It’s a first for all of us so it’s been incredible,” Eamon said about Scotland’s return to the World Cup. “Watching the Haiti game felt genuinely historic, and getting a win made it all the sweeter. Feeling very proud!”
That 1-0 win over Haiti got Scotland on the board in Group D. Now comes the hard part: Brazil. The five-time champions. The team everyone expects to roll over smaller nations. But the Gallus boys aren’t buying the underdog script.
“I think we can get a result against them,” Eamon said flatly. “We’ve given a good account of ourselves so far. Morocco are a really good team and I think we were unlucky not to get something off them. I just want to see us attack Brazil and play on the front foot.”
He’s not wrong about Morocco. Scotland held their own in a tight match that could have gone either way. A point there, plus the Haiti win, and suddenly qualification is a real conversation. But Brazil is a different animal. The real question is whether Scotland can avoid getting blown out early, then try to nick something late. Eamon thinks they can do more than just survive.
“We’re looking good for qualification so avoid a total doing and we’re fine,” he said. “But we have a chance for a real upset against them.”
Who’s the Key Man for Scotland?
When asked which player could carry Scotland deep into the tournament, Paul didn’t name the obvious stars. He went with Anthony Ralston. The Celtic defender doesn’t get the headlines, but Paul sees him as the squad’s essential grinder.
“Every squad needs an architect,” Paul said. “There are a few who could be the architect behind Scotland’s success. But all architects need builders to do the hard work and graft for them, and the only builder in that squad is our bricky, Anthony Ralston.”
That’s a working-class hero pick if there ever was one. Ralston isn’t flashy. He’s just reliable. And in a tournament where one mistake can end your run, reliability matters.
World Cup Pick: Spain Over Argentina
Paul also offered a surprisingly detailed prediction for the overall winner. He sees Spain and Argentina as the two favorites, with Germany lurking as a dark horse. But he’s going with Spain to take it all — after they knock Scotland out in the semifinals.
“I can’t see much further than Spain and Argentina,” Paul said. “Would be happy with either of them winning it, but Germany do look pretty good too. I’ll say Spain to win it after putting Scotland out in the semis.”
That’s not a bad dream scenario for a first tournament back. Make the semis, lose to the eventual champs. Most Scotland fans would sign up for that right now.
Gallus’s new single ‘Letter From America’ is out now. You can follow them on Instagram at @gallusareaband.
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