Pat Nevin: Scotland will not complain whatever the World Cup outcome - but fans deserve another bite at cherry

Sometimes when you are so tired and stressed by heat you can make mistakes but even so, that was no excuse for some of the glaring errors made by Scotland against a world-class Brazilian side. This is the downside of being brave, playing out from the back under a little pressure. You can get caught out if you are not totally sharp and on the ball, because the opponent will be. It is about decision-making at this level in football and at the back, there were too many bad ones by Scotland.

Scott McKenna was first, in a cringeworthy moment that handed one of the best players in the world a virtual tap in. It was the stuff of nightmares, again. At that point the concern was about the team’s confidence crashing, not unlike it did for 25 minutes after Morocco’s early goal. But they didn’t, they picked themselves up again and were brave on the ball again, without being exactly spectacular going forward.

Then it happened again. This time Jack Hendry dallied too long as the last man and was dispossessed. Fortunately a foul was given and it certainly was one, but it was only a foul by millimetres. This is the kind of chance you don’t take as the last man against any side and certainly not against the whippet-like players Brazil have up front.

Surely that was the error show over but no, it became a horror show when Andy Robertson of all people passed loosely to Bruno Guimaraes. His mistake was compounded when Angus Gunn came for the cross and completely missed it. There is a keeper’s rule: if you come for it and you aren’t impeded and you still miss it, then it’s on you.

At this point the implosion looked certain but again no, even after Gunn came for another similar cross and totally missed that one too, the team recomposed themselves and went at it again in the second half.

A question did however hang in the heavy humid air at half time. There had been two big centre-half mistakes in this game and another one, this time from Grant Hanley cost us the points against Morocco. There was a reason why Scotland were once wedded to three at the back - it was because we simply weren’t good enough with just two back there at the this exalted level.

Using three centre backs has become a bête noire for many Scotland followers in the stands and in the media. I simply do not understand this. There are many sides that play this system for specific games in world football and done well, it has its uses. We now seem frightened of using it, even when we are haemorrhaging goals as a back four, with only two centre backs.

Things did however improve markedly in the second half for Scotland, the possession stats were tidy, even if we weren’t tearing them apart with intricate plays. Then again, why should we go intricate when we look much more dangerous getting it wide and putting it in the mixer.

The crosses from the left, particularly from Keiran Tierney in the second half, were far from aimless balls lumped into the middle. These were often quality deliveries and there were plenty of them. The Brazil defence was rarely shaken, but they were often stirred and rightly so. There were a few headers towards goal, notably from Scott McTominay, but Alisson was equal to them all, usually with some ease.

The goal that could kill Scotland

The Scotland fans behind the goal seemed generally positive up to a degree, almost certainly because they understood the effort the players were making in the circumstances. Tierney again sped down the wing only for Danilo to wipe him out inches from the penalty area, he accepted the yellow card but it should have been red a short while later when Danilo then cynically took out John McGinn as he broke into space. That might have helped the Scots - it certainly wouldn’t have hindered them - but minnows rarely get those decisions against the big fish in football.

The rest of the world cares little about Scotland’s progress and even less as Neymar came out to warm up. A living legend of Brazilian football was going to be given a ceremonial run out but not before they were 3-0 up and totally secure. Matheus Cunha made absolutely sure with a comfortable finish after Kenny McLean was muscled off the ball by Bruno Guimaraes.

The specific sinking feeling for all Scots in the stadium and beyond was the same, that could be the goal that kills us in the end. Three points and a narrow defeat in Miami looked likely to be enough, a three goal loss and it is now hanging by a thread. When we hang by threads, history tells us they tend to snap.

Could Scotland have a grabbed a late goal by making better, quicker substitutions? You can’t know, but certainly Steve Clarke tried to give Che Adams a bit more time, alongside Findlay Curtis, but the ball infuriatingly wouldn’t go out for about seven minutes. Even so, it was still going to be a long shot and to be honest it was more probable that Brazil given a chance, would score again and finally finish off our chances.

The harsh reality is that Brazil appeared to have more gears if they needed them, whereas Scotland were at full throttle all the time and still couldn’t score.

Will Scotland go through is a question soon to be answered but for me, the more pertinent question is, do we deserve to go through? From a negative perspective, we had one win against a side ranked 46 places below us and to be brutally honest Haiti were the better side over the 90 minutes. In terms of quality we really wouldn’t be expected to beat Brazil or Morocco and we didn’t, even if we ran the Africans close at the end.

Finishing third and sneaking through is allowed in the rules, but it is very much a case of arriving through the back door. A part of me does think the group deserves it for the spirited battling in the second halves of the second and third games. They are also a group of players who appear utterly selfless and likeable, players who embody the spirit that is often lacking at the top of a selfish and self-indulgent sport.

It isn’t however something we could argue for confidently. Scotland gave their all and we are where we should be on the brink. If that means we are sent homewards to think again I don’t think we can complain too much.

Having said that, if we get another bite at this particularly juicy cherry we will not complain at all. If we are not absolutely sure the team deserves it, I am totally convinced the fans out here do and in the end I am proud of the players this time, because each gave their all and you cannot do any more than that.