When Portugal began its recent rise in world soccer, pundits nicknamed the players that fuelled its re-emergence the Golden Generation.
Scottish FA officials shy away from such labels being attached to their new generation of stars. They are just a group of hard working, lunch-pail kids, insist Scottish coaches and officials. That's what has carried them to Group F in Victoria and what will carry them in the World Cup.
But they doth protest too much, perhaps. The Scots haven't been to a FIFA Under-20 World Cup in two decades.
But led by a truly special group of young players, they placed second to Spain in European qualifying while all round them big-name soccer nations such as England, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands were left in the Scottish wake.
With eight players already experienced in the Bank of Scotland Premier League, there is considerable pro potential on this youthful Scottish side.
Four players from the Edinburgh side Hibernian lead the parade for this Scottish U-20 team -- goalkeeper Andy McNeil, Sean Lynch, Ross Campbell and Steven Fletcher, a dangerous striker who showed so well in March when Scotland split a pair of friendlies against Team ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ in Coquitlam and Victoria. Now it counts for real, and Fletcher will be expected to inflict goal-scoring pain against Japan, Nigeria and Costa Rica.
The other players with Premiership experience include Mark Reynolds of Motherwell, Calum Elliot of Hearts, Andrew Considine of Aberdeen and big Garry Kenneth of Dundee United.
Scotland's undeniable leader is captain Scott Cuthbert, who is tabbed as a future mainstay for the Celtic club.
Call them golden or not, but there is talent in the Scottish camp. Throw in the noted Scottish propensity for hard work and a willingness to muck it out in the trenches, and there is potential for the plucky Scots to make it out of group play and into at least the Sweet Sixteen.
Scotland's best chance is to latch onto second place in Group F behind Nigeria.
That would propel them into a likely Sweet Sixteen matchup in Ottawa against defending champion and Group E favourite Argentina. It's at that stage that the glass slipper would likely fall off because vanquishing a top-tier club seems problematic for the Scots.
But whatever happens, it's been a nice run to just to get back to the U-20 World Cup after two decades.
