Scotland vs. Chile (Men) 2026 Summer Test Series
Written by; Tao MacLeod
Results & Match Information
Venue; Peffermill Playing Fields, Edinburgh Scotland
Saturday 01.08.2026
Scotland 3 – 0 Chile
Goalscorers
Scotland
Jamie Golden 4th minute (Penalty Corner)
Andrew McConnell 57th minute (Field Goal)
Ali Douglas 59th minute (Field Goal)
Sunday 02.08.2026
Scotland 1 – 0 Chile
Goalscorer
Tommy Orr 52nd minute (Penalty Corner)
Tuesday 04.08.2026
Scotland 4 – 0 Chile
Goalscorers
Jamie Golden 44th minute (Penalty Corner)
Keir Robb 46th minute (Field Goal)
Test Series Report
In this three game series of test matches, the first didn’t go down as an official fixture, therefore any stats taken from it weren’t recorded with the FIH. This fashion within many national governing bodies for practice games without the risk of losing ranking points is something that is mildly annoying for this writer. However it has its pros and cons in terms of allowing younger players to be given experience at this level in order to hit the ground running, but does have the potential to take away a sense of jeopardy. This wasn’t the case in this situation.
The first game on Saturday the first of August was largely even and competitive. Both teams looked to win and had created chances at either end. Chile looked to attack quickly after a turn over, without wanting to cheaply waste possession. Their captain José Maldonado acted as their deep-lying playmaker within the defensive line, with Alexei de Witt showing some nice skills in midfield. Raimundo Valenzuela also showed some quick and ambitious movements upfront. They were good at moving the ball forward, without creating many clear cut opportunities. It was Scotland though who went into half-time with a one goal lead through a Jamie Golden short corner. It took the hosts a rather long time to secure their victory, with their second and third goals coming in the final three minutes, with field goals through Andrew McConnell and Ali Douglas.
The fixture was repeated the following day, this time officially recognised as an international test match. This represented a milestone for Scotland’s exciting young set-piece specialist Jamie Golden, as he won his 50th cap for his country. It was a hotly contested and physical match with three green cards and a five minute yellow handed out to players across both teams. Chile often deployed a half court press/low block, that looked to deny their hosts space going forward. Their style of play wasn’t so much based upon individuals, but how the components add up to the whole. Both sides created chances, however Scotland dominated the stats, creating a number of clear cut opportunities in open play. The Scots also won nine short corners to Chile’s two. It was from one of these that saw the only goal of the game, with Tommy Orr scoring a rebound from a shot initially taken by Jamie Golden.
The teams returned for a third game on the following Tuesday, after having a days rest. Scotland’s Great Britain international Lee Morton continued to boss things in the middle of the pitch, before unfortunately pulling up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury in the second quarter. The Scots had been deploying a man-to-man defensive style over the three games, that looked to apply pressure to Chile as they tried to come out of their own circle. Chile continued with their low block, but weren’t afraid to step out collectively if one of the forwards felt they could knick the ball off of an opponent’s stick higher up the pitch. They were rather quick in their transitions between defence and attack, as well as attack to defence. Every player seemed willing to put in a shift. Alexei de Witt continued to help move things forward from his midfield role, with Nils Strabucchi also acting as a strong target player upfront.
The first quarter was mostly Scotland in terms of playing hockey, with the second 15 minute period saw Chile dominate possession in attacking areas. However, neither team created many clear cut chances. After half-time Scotland flashed a couple of cross-come-shots across the face of the Chilean goal, from right to left in the third quarter, but couldn’t convert. With two minutes left of the quarter Scotland opted for a short corner variation, involving a slip from Andrew McConnell that allowed Jamie Golden to roof a drag flick past the goalkeeper to open the scoring. The game was secured within the first 40 seconds of the fourth quarter a lovely sweeping move down the right that allowed Keir Robb score a deflection as he slid in at the back post to double Scotland’s tally.
This is the first time that I’ve seen the Scottish men’s team play at home for a while. Scotland used many younger players, who are relatively new to the senior squad. It will be interesting to see how they develop over the next few years, with the FIH Nations Cup providing useful opportunities for development. In 2027 the EuroHockey Championships will be hosted by England Hockey in London. Hopefully we can see some good tartan hockey played there next summer.
