Scotland now return to their North Carolina training base to wait and wonder if a place in the last 32 of the World Cup might still fall into their lap. On nights like this an early flight home almost feels like an act of mercy.
Despite a draining, debilitating defeat in the Miami heat three points and a goal difference of minus three leaves a window of opportunity open. It could be days before they know and while a 42% chance of progress is still there, another tournament could end now with Scotland bringing nothing to the party.
Group C is the only first round group featuring two nations ranked in the FIFA top ten. For all the talk of Steve Clarke’s tactics Morocco and Brazil have brutally exploited a worrying gulf in technical ability, athleticism and attacking options.
Post Morocco, making it through 70 seconds felt like a moral victory until another awful early error from a central defender was brutally punished for the second game in a row. Human error has presented two world class teams with assistance they barely needed.
Dynamo Zagreb centre back Scott McKenna got in a terrible mess in his own 18 yard box after seven minutes, taking a heavy touch and allowing Rayan to close him down and deflect the ball into the path of Vinicius Junior in front of goal. As soon as the Real Madrid man gathered the gift there was no question over the outcome.
Involved in six goals in his last five games for Brazil Vinicius Junior was bidding to become only the fifth Brazilian to have scored in all three of the nations first round group games at the World Cup. Jairzinho in 1970, Romario in 1994 and Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002 had all done it before.
The result could have been worse. Scotland feared another moment of calamity after 22 minutes when Jack Hendry seemed to fall over the ball facing his own goal. Vinicius Junior picked his pocket and rolled the ball through the legs of Gunn for what looked like a second goal. A VAR found that the number seven had fouled Hendry and Scotland’s blushes were spared. For a time, at least.
Lewis Ferguson cleared a Cunha effort off the line to keep the score at one and, had the Scots kept it to one they might have regrouped and fathered their thoughts. Even that was beyond them.
Three minutes into added time Andrew Robertson won the ball then lost it. Nathan Patterson and Angus Gunn didn’t cover themselves in glory as they allowed Vinicius Junior to drift into space at the back post and nod a Bruno Guimaraes cross into the net for 2-0. Scotland were now in damage limitation territory.
Replacing the captain at left-back at half-time, Kieran Tierney’s cross picked out McTominay for a header on target which lacked conviction. While Alisson gathered comfortably it was an effort on target, Scotland’s in two games.
Brazil’s pace and strength carved out a third goal. Bruno Guimaraes swatted Kenny McLean to one side and rolled the ball into the path of Matheus Cunha for the Manchester United striker to make it 3-0.
Scotland badly needed a goal to improve their chances of a third place finish. While they threatened, Andrew Robertson called Alisson the best keeper in the world and the Liverpool man proved it with two heart breaking stops from a Lewis Ferguson free-kick and a Scott McTominay downward header.
McTominay’s added time opportunity from a Ralston cut back offered a glorious opportunity to improve the goal difference. Yet again Alisson saved.
WAS IT BETTER THAN MOROCCO?
Supporters demanded changes and they got them. Lawrence Shankland was handed a start up front in a game when chances were always likely to be at a premium. If nothing else the move signalled a willingness to have a go.
Ben Gannon-Doak returned to the starting line-up while Kenny McLean was rewarded for his calming influence against Morocco with a start as a fit-again Scott McKenna came in for Grant Hanley in central defence.
As soon as McKenna gave away a goal with another early howler the game plan flew out of the window. Yet again, against a top ten team, Scotland were barely second best. When defenders had the ball midfielders failed to show. Forget tactics or the manager’s cautious attitude; the problem looks more fundamental than that.
DID THE BIG PLAYERS FINALLY TURN UP?
There was a moment after 20 minutes when Scott McTominay strolled forward and simply gave up possession which almost ended in a second goal for Vicinius Junior. Steve Clarke, rightly, made his feelings known.
When the number four gave a meat and drink pass away to a Brazil player in the final third then lost possession moments later his head looked gone. The same head had Scotland’s two best opportunities, both saved by Alisson, before the Napoli man had another close range effort saved by the Liverpool keeper deep into added time.
As with Morocco he improved late in the game. Too little, too late, was the cry.
HISTORY WEIGHED HEAVY ON THE SHOULDERS
How much angst and agony the Scotland team of 1974 could have saved the nation if Billy Bremner had taken that chance against a slightly brutal Brazil team in Germany. The tale of woe since then has incorporated three losses at Spain 82, Italia 90 and France 98.
The last two losses were one goal defeats and the same result would have been an acceptable way to lose here. As soon as the opening goal went in after seven minutes that looked unlikely. For the fourth time in succession Scotland were heading for defeat to Brazil on the biggest stage of all.
TARTAN ARMY OUTNUMBERED
In the opening two games against Haiti and Morocco the Tartan Army easily outnumbered their opponents. Not here.
Approximately 200,000 Brazilian born residents live in Florida, a cosmopolitan cocktail of a city. The state with the second largest Brazilian population in the United States, Miami is a home from home for a nation of 213million people and yellow shirts dominated quarters of the impressive Miami Stadium.
Even then Flower of Scotland sounded twice as loud as the Brazilian national anthem. Once the game started chants of ‘No Scotland, no party’ fell silent. There was precious little to celebrate
SO WHAT NOW?
There is nothing for Scotland to do now but wait. Because there are so many groups it takes five days to complete the final round of matches and finalise the eight best third placed teams. And Steve Clarke’s side could be left hanging around in Charlotte, potentially until around 05:00 BST on Sunday morning when Group J completes, before they discover that they are heading home.
The fact that other nations, completing their groups in the coming days, will know precisely what they have to do to secure third place and progress is inherently unfair. Countries with nothing to play for will naturally field weaker teams in their final game as a result.
There is a scenario where three points and a goal difference of minus three might be enough if the third place teams in four other groups fail to muster three points. On the basis of the last two displays Scotland can have no complaint at all if their tournament is over.
