Scotland Women's Football Team

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Pedro Martinez Losa says Rachel Corsie is a "special player" for Scotland.

The captain - who made her debut in 2009 - could make her 150th appearance for the national team when they face Slovakia on Tuesday.

"To achieve one cap is unbelievable at a high level in sport," Martinez Losa said.

"Having Rachel reaching 150 is a special achievement from a special player and special character.

"We speak about her level as a player and also as a human and what she represents as a player and for her country so I'm very proud to have her on board, very proud to have her in the team and hopefully we can win the game so she can have a good experience on the pitch."

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Scotland boss Pedro Martinez Losa has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to face Slovakia as part of their Euro 2025 qualification journey.

Here are his main points:

• Martinez Losa says they knew how tough the game against Serbia would be but feels it's important they take the positives from it.

• The Scotland boss knows how important it is to put on a good performance in front of the home fans at Hampden and wants his side to feel more connected to the supporters.

• He added that his side need to create enough chances, and convert those chances, if they are going to win games.

• Says the morale in the group is high and the energy in training has been really positive.

• Captain Rachel Corsie could grab her 150th cap tomorrow and Martinez Losa was full of praise for the defender who he says is a "special player".

• The Scotland boss also insisted their current winless run is "irrelevant" to the Slovakia game.

• Sandy MacIver is out of the squad having picked up an injury against Serbia, and has been replaced by Eartha Cumings.

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Kirsty Smith says achieving 50 Scotland caps is a "dream come true".

The defender grabbed her 50th appearance for the Scots in Friday night's 0-0 draw with Serbia.

"It's a really proud moment for me and I'm so happy to have achieved that," she told team media, external.

"I've always dreamed about it and now that it's come it is a dream come true.

"It's been a great week of training. It's always great to be part of this team and there's so much more to come.

"There were a lot of positives in the game, we had chances and kept a clean sheet. We will implement a few things, we've worked hard in training and we'll continue to do that.

"We had a good defence and it's always great to keep a clean sheet but we've still got things we can improve on. We want to keep picking up those points and hopefully we can continue from here."

Scotland's Christy Grimshaw reveals she's facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after tearing her ACL during her 99th game for AC Milan last weekend.

The midfielder had to withdraw the squad for the current Scotland Euro qualifying campaign and says she's "devastated" to not be able to help her club or country in the coming months.

Taking to social media, external, Grimshaw said she hopes to be back on the pitch as soon as possible.

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Defender Sophie Howard says Scotland showed "great character" against Serbia.

The Scots picked up a point in a goalless draw as they kicked of their Euro 2025 qualifying campaing.

"I think we are disappointed not to get more but in the end it was a deserved point for both teams," she said.

"I think we could have given the game away at the end but we showed great character to hold on, put bodies on the line and just disappointed not to get more.

"I think they are a very difficult team to play because they are so physical. We got the point, we move on do our analysis and go again on Tuesday.

"I think the majority of the game we had a lot of time on the ball but when they were countering it was very busy. Towards the end especially we had to defend the box often, I think we did that really well but it was a challenging part of the game.

"We really were creating chances but I think in the end our execution let us down. We had some spells of really good football but it was the final pass that let us down.

"You get the chance to go again in a couple of days. It is important now that we recover but we are ready to battle again."

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Pedro Martinez Losa says Friday night's 0-0 draw against Serbia is a "positive result" for his Scotland side.

The goalless draw continues Scotland's winless run that stretches back to October 2022 but Martinez Losa had plenty of positives to take from the match in Serbia.

"I think it was a game of two different phases, we had good moments on the ball, opportunities in the final third," he said.

"I think the second half the opponent had a good level in the final third and we had moments where we made sure we didn’t lose the game and we also had moments where we could have won the game but we didn’t take advantage.

"I think the last 10 minutes it was about getting a positive result from this game, that is what international football is.

"When things happen against you, you can see the character of the players fighting until the end, going for every duel, that is one of our strengths as a team. We saw that from the players, the staff, the players that came in as well.

"This result can be good if we can get the three points on Tuesday or if we beat Serbia at home.

"They were not only physical but also really talented. The individual capabilities to beat our players and we were aware of that and I think we did really well to minimise that.

"We could damage them in the transition and saw there was space to play in some moments but we didn’t’ take advantage on that.

"I think this is about the campaign. We picked up a point away form home against the most difficult opponent, everything else is relevant. I see this as a positive result playing against the toughest opponent in the group.

"We could have lost in some moments but we also had the opportunity to win the game as well."

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Erin Cuthbert says Scotland are "close" to qualifying for another major tournament.

2019 was the last time the national side featured in a major competition after qualifying for the Women's World Cup.

They take on Serbia, Slovakia and Israel in the first part of their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign and Cuthbert insisted qualifying is a must.

"I feel like the squad is ready," she said. "We are in a good place, we've had a couple of years under Pedro and know the way he wants to play.

"I do feel like we are close, we just have to go and make it happen. I've been there, done it, been through all the youth age groups.

"I know what it means to play for Scotland, to be in a major tournament and it is maybe just about instilling the feeling of winning and what it means to qualify in the other players because it really is a once in a lifetime experience."

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Amy Canavan
BBC Scotland in Leskovac, Serbia

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Pedro Martinez Losa praised the “energy and passion” his players have brought to this camp, and called for them to take that positivity onto the pitch.

Scotland are looking to kick off their Euro 2025 qualification campaign with a win away to Serbia, and to also end their seven-game winless run in competitive matches.

“The dynamic of the team is very good,” he said ahead of Friday night’s game.

“Players that have come in who are not used to being in the national team are coming with energy, with passion, with pride to play for Scotland and the ones who are more experienced who are here know how it expensive it is to be in the team and how much it costs to have the Scotland jersey.

“That is the energy we want, and we want to transform that into the game.

“We have to give full confidence to all the players. When you are called up by the national team, it’s a unique moment in your life, no matter who you are.

“Yes, when the players who are out injured recover we will be very happy but at this moment in time, we are happy with this group.”

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland reporter in Leskovac, Serbia

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Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa caught up with us out here at Dubocica Stadium, where his side will take on Serbia tomorrow night in the opening game of their Euro 2025 qualification campaign.

Here are the key points he made:

• Martinez Losa said his group want to create a "culture of no blame and no excuses," as he highlighted the players missing from this camp due to injury.

• He said his squad are full of energy and passion, and he wants them to take that into tomorrow night's match.

• The Spaniard said "this is probably the most challenging game of the group".

• Serbia are, according to the Scotland head coach, a nation progressing and one who compete well.

• He added that only Hibernian defender Leah Eddie would not make the game tomorrow.

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Captain Rachel Corsie insists Scotland are aiming to top their Euro qualifying group.

Scotland come up against Serbia, Slovakia and Israel in the first round of qualification for Euro 2025.

Corsie knows the pressure is on the Scots to be the best.

"Within our group we want to finish top and I don't think that would change, no matter who was in the group," she said.

"We are in League B, we want to get back to League A and to do that we want to finish top. That has always been our focus.

"There is the external weight of 'Scotland are the highest rank so they have to finish top', but we want that anyway.

"We are in control and that is something we have to take ownership of.

"There are a number of players in the team that know what it's like to play in the big games and some of the younger ones have that energy and excitement that I think fuels some of the older ones too."

Leanne Crichton and Rachel Corsie discuss Erin Cuthbert's importance for club and country

Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa offers support to 17-year-old Partick Thistle goalkeeper Ava Easdon after her performance in the SWPL Cup final drew criticism from Joey Barton.

Scotland international Erin Cuthbert tells the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast she is "buzzing" about playing at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea but insists she's "not just a big-game player".

Scotland boss Pedro Martinez Losa has spoken out in support of Partick Thistle goalkeeper Ava Easdon.

Easdon, 17, was in goals for Thistle's 4-1 SWPL Cup final loss to Rangers but was mocked on social media by Joey Barton amid criticism of the women's game from the former England midfielder.

“We have to have a strong opinion on supporting Ava, obviously,” Martinez Losa said.

“A young player, who is 17 years old, who is competing excellently this season for her club.

“If we want players like her to develop and play in the national team, we have to create a safe environment where they are going to play and make mistakes.

"We have to understand that mistakes are a part of the evolution.

“I just want to show my support from the head coach position of the national team. I want to show my support to a player who is playing exceptionally.

"She is very brave to compete in a final. She has been put in that position, she is dreaming of being a football player, as are many girls in the country. And, by the way, she is playing very well.

“The women’s game’s culture is a totally different scenario where we want that togetherness, we want that atmosphere where girls can attend games, families can attend games. That’s the image we want to provide.

“But also internally we have been working so hard to create these safe environments. The only thing we can do is learn from this process and show the support to the player who is involved.”

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