Scotland captain Erin Cuthbert celebrated her return to competitive football after a lengthy rehabilitation, helping her team secure a 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Pardubice.
The Chelsea midfielder, 28, had missed the entire season due to a knee injury but was introduced as a substitute in the second leg of the Women’s World Cup play-off. Her return brought visible emotion, with Cuthbert later describing the experience as deeply relieving after a difficult summer spent rebuilding strength and confidence.
“It’s been such a long summer,” Cuthbert told BBC Scotland. “I was in crutches and a brace for the best part of a month. I lost a fair amount of muscle and over the summer I was trying to rebuild all of that again. It’s been a really, really hard journey.”
Scotland took control early thanks to a spectacular strike from captain Caroline Weir, who opened the scoring with a brilliant effort. The scoreline was doubled late in the game by Claire Emslie, who netted her first goal since becoming a mother. Emslie’s son and grandmother traveled to the Czech Republic to watch the match.
Cuthbert praised her teammate’s achievement, stating, “I’m incredibly proud of her. To be a mum and play at the highest level is just so impressive.”
Despite the comfortable margin, the Scots faced a scare when a potential penalty for the Czech Republic was overturned, only for Cuthbert to claim she was flabbergasted when a late challenge on her inside the box went unpunished.
The win gives Scotland a significant advantage heading into the return leg in Paisley on Tuesday, with Sweden likely awaiting the winner. However, Cuthbert urged caution, noting that a two-goal lead can be dangerous and emphasizing the need for defensive solidity.
“The best form of attack is defence,” she said. “We’re a good team and when we play on the front foot, we can hurt teams, but we need to maintain that focus.”
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