Japan 0-0 Scotland

Scotland battled to a goalless draw against host nation Japan to claim the Kirin Cup.

After starting well, Scotland were on the back foot for much of the game.

Japan went close on a number of occasions, with Akira Kaji striking the post with a vicious drive from distance midway through the first half.

Shinji Ono was denied by Neil Alexander and Mitsuo Ogasawara's shot was cleared off the line by Gary Caldwell as Scotland held on.

Japan showed an early willingness to shoot from well outside the box when Yasuhito Endo let fly from almost 30 yards, though his shot was slightly too high.

Lee McCulloch had Scotland's first opportunity after 18 minutes, but he sent a back-post header wide of goal.

Akira Kaji was next to try his luck from long-range, but fortune was on the Scots' side as his fierce effort rebounded off the post to safety.

Mitsuo Ogasawara tested Neil Alexander twice within a minute, first shooting straight at the keeper and then forcing Alexander into a diving save to his right.

As the half wore on, Japan began to exert more pressure on the Scotland defence and Gary Caldwell did well to divert a Tatsuhiko Kubo shot wide.

Shortly before the interval, Shinji Ono produced a fantastic piece of skill to carve open the Scotland back-line, only to shoot straight at Alexander and the rebound was deflected wide.

Japan's dominance continued after the break and moments after Alexander had spilled a long-range free kick, Caldwell was in the right place to clear the ball off the line after Yasuhito Endo had cut the ball back into Ogasawara's path.

As is customary in such friendly matches, the second half was littered by substitutions and two of Scotland's replacements - Kris Boyd and Gavin Rae - combined for the latter to shoot straight into the keeper's arms.

At the other end, Anderson made a timely interception to deny Keiji Tamada a shot on goal and in the final minute of regulation time Alexander touched Alex's curling free kick round the post.

Japan: Kawaguchi, Miyamoto, Santos, Nakazawa (Tsuboi 50), Kaji, Fukunishi, Ogasawara, Ono, Endo (Sato 72), Kubo (Maki 62), Tamada.
Subs Not Used: Doi, Narazaki, Tanaka, Komano, Moniwa, Motoyama, Abe, Hasebe.
Booked: Miyamoto, Santos.

Scotland: Alexander, Anderson, Gary Caldwell, Murty (McNamee 80), Naysmith (Murray 46), Weir, Fletcher, McCulloch (Lee Miller 70), Severin (Rae 46), Teale (Burke 59), McFadden (Boyd 59).
Subs Not Used: Turner, Smith, Steven Caldwell.
Booked: Gary Caldwell, McFadden, McCulloch, Fletcher, Boyd.

Att: 58,648

Ref: Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez (Spain).

Scotland 5-1 Bulgaria

Rangers duo Kris Boyd and Chris Burke both grabbed two goals on their debuts as Scotland thumped Bulgaria in their opening game of the Kirin Cup in Japan.

Lone striker Boyd put Scotland ahead with a fine strike and although Yordan Todarov levelled with a low finish, Boyd made it 2-1 from close range.

James McFadden added a third with a flicked volley from Gary Teale's cross.

Chris Burke's superb lob put the Scots further ahead and he sealed a fantastic victory when he tapped in late on.

The inexperience of Walter Smith's team rarely showed throughout an impressive 90 minutes against the side who beat World Cup-bound Japan on Tuesday.

Premier League top-scorer Boyd took just 13 minutes to claim his maiden goal with a fine first-time finish as he latched on to Darren Fletcher's perfectly placed pass to lash in an angled drive.

Bulgarian captain Martin Petrov forced Neil Alexander to stretch to claim his curling free-kick from 20 yards out in the 24th minute.

And, two minutes later, the Bulgarians were level when Valeri Domovchiyski clipped the ball to Svetoslav Todorov and the Portsmouth striker's lay-off to his namesake set up the 24-year-old to slot home from close range.

Boyd, however, put his side back in front two minutes before the break when he was first to react after Stoyan Kolev spilled Russell Anderson's shot following a well-placed cross by Teale.

McFadden replaced Boyd early in the second half and, after hitting the crossbar with a clever free kick, increased Scotland's advantage with 21 minutes to go.

Again Teale was involved, searing down the right wing and sending in a low cross that the Everton striker glanced past Kolev with a deft touch.

Burke came on for Teale in the 75th minute and with his second touch of the ball had also claimed a debut goal for Scotland.

The winger's first touch in international football came when he chested Gary Naysmith's cross into the penalty area and the second saw him lob substitute goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov, whose fingertip effort was not strong enough to keep the ball out.

It was to get better for Burke with two minutes remaining when he stabbed the ball home from close range to claim his second and Scotland's fifth.

Scotland face Japan on Saturday and Smith's patchwork squad will be brimming with confidence.

Scotland: Alexander, Murty, Anderson, Weir, Gary Caldwell, Naysmith, Fletcher, Severin, McCulloch, Teale, Boyd. Subs: Turner, Smith, Steven Caldwell, McNamee, Burke, Murray, Rae, McFadden, Miller.

Bulgaria: Kolev, Angelov, Topuzakov, Kirilov, Karaslavov, Wagner, Petrov, Telkiyski, Todarov, Todorov, Domovchiyski. Subs: Mihaylov, Valentin Iliev, Milanov, Georgi Iliev, Genkov, Yanev.

Referee: T Tamikawa (Japan)

Attendance: 5,780

Kirin Cup Matches

May 09, 2006 - TBD, Japan Kirin Cup: Japan vs. Bulgaria

Thursday 11 May 2006 - kick off 19.20
Bulgaria v Scotland
Kobe Wing Stadium, Hyogo

Match 2 Saturday 13 May 2006 - kick off 19.20
Japan v Scotland
Saitama Stadium, Saitama

http://www.kirin.co.jp

21 May 1995 - Japan 0 - Scotland 0
Big Arch Stadium Hiroshima
Attendance 25,000
Team
Jim Leighton
Alan McLaren
Rob McKinnon
Brian Martin
Colin Calderwood (Whyte, 81)
Paul Lambert (Robertson, 58)
Billy McKinlay
John Spencer
Scot Gemmill (Bernard, 77)
Darren Jackson
Craig Burley

Playing Substitutes Paul Bernard (Gemmill, 77)
Derek Whyte (Calderwood, 81)
John Robertson (Lambert, 58)

Manager Craig Brown

24 May 1995 - Ecuador 1 - Scotland 2
Toyama Park Stadium Toyama
Attendance 5,669
Scotland goalscorers - John Robertson, Stephen Crawford
Team
Jim Leighton
Alan McLaren
Brian Martin
Colin Calderwood
Paul Bernard
Billy McKinlay
Scot Gemmill
Darren Jackson (Crawford, 62)
Derek Whyte (Lambert, 76)
John Robertson 14 (75)
Craig Burley 16

Playing Substitutes
Paul Lambert (Whyte, 76)
Stephen Crawford (Jackson, 62)


(Tha sinn duilich nach eil an duilleag seo ri leughadh ach sa Bheurla.)