Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta insists the squad do not feel burdened by missing out on previous major finals and have created a “perfect storm” to move forward in their quest to reach next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Scots lead their qualifying group on goal difference from Belgium, who they meet in Leuven on Saturday.
The teams shared a 1-1 draw at Easter Road on Tuesday thanks to Kathleen McGovern’s stoppage-time strike.
As they seek a first major tournament spot since 2019, Andreatta is adamant her players have what it takes to move forward without fear of failure.
“No, the burden doesn’t exist within this group,” she told BBC Scotland.
“There’s a respect for what’s happened in the past and I want to learn from it and do everything that we can to avoid that occurring again, but it’s not a burden for us.
“We’re excited for the challenge, we’re embracing it and together with some of the new faces and energy that’s within the team, there’s a great mix of that experience and energy that’s created this perfect storm of power, confidence, strength and bravery that is going to move us closer towards the type of performances that earn you the right to be at those major tournaments.”
