Scotland have won hearts of Boston - now it's about winning a place in World Cup history
Might of Morocco cannot be dismissed as Clarke ponders his Tierney decision
Traditionally the most important day in the Scottish football calendar, publication of the new season’s fixtures has barely registered. Not in the United States at least, where Scotland supporters are more likely to have been checking who the Boston Red Sox have got next.
Steve Clarke’s side stand on the cusp of history. Domestic football, the be-all and end-all just a few short weeks ago, can wait.
Immortality is a word being bandied about. The significance of it all hits you like the heat, although it was a lot cooler in Massachusetts on Thursday.
It might be too much to hope that this remains the case for the next biggest game in the international team’s history, against Morocco on Friday night. A point is almost certainly all that is needed against a team Clarke believes are every bit as good as Brazil, if not better.
For those Americans who still can’t get their heads around the concept of a draw in a sporting context, reasoning there must always be a winner and a loser, the Tartan Army will be able to explain should Scotland hold the African champions. Of course, a win is the target and would present a surreal opportunity of qualifying as group winners. But a stalemate would also be celebrated like lifting the World Cup itself.
Rather than coming home before the postcards, Scotland could be safely into the knockout stage while countries like England are still doing their warm-down exercises following their opening games. It would be a novel turn of events.
On all six occasions when they qualified between 1974 and 1998, Scotland have had their dreams of qualifying quashed in the final match. They haven’t won an opening game in the tournament since beating New Zealand in 1982.
On that occasion, ambitions of winning a second successive match were never realistic given the identity of the team lying in wait, although Scotland did of course take the lead against Brazil. David Narey’s opening goal was said to have poked the bear. A vintage Brazilian side, including the likes of Eder, Zico and Socrates, went on to win 4-1.
This is a strong Morocco side
The hope is that Morocco do not administer the mother of all rude awakenings. The fear is they are entirely capable of doing so. Ranked 11th in the world when they destroyed Scotland’s hopes at France 98, they are now as high as sixth. The Scots were at 41 when the teams faced each other in St Etienne. Now they are at 37.
Maybe it’s just as well the France '98 re-match - Clarke said he couldn't remember where he was when that was played - is coming so soon. Every time you look at the rankings, Morocco appear to have shot up a place. They are just one place below Brazil.
Scotland need to continue to be focused. They cannot allow themselves to be carried away by the hullabaloo occurring in Boston, where it seems Scotland are making a tilt for the best fans at the World Cup award.
Despite having just left Liverpool, skipper Andy Robertson is clearly still on speaking terms with the club’s owners, the Fenway Sports Group, who also own the Boston Red Sox. “One of them sent a nice message to me, the fans carried themselves so well,” Robertson reported, with reference to Sunday night’s Tartan takeover of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.
Asked for the specifics of the message from the unnamed executive, he added: “He was just saying that basically the Red Sox game had turned into a Tartan Army party. I think he was just happy to hear different songs getting sung, and about all the kilts there and so many Scotland shirts about the place.”
If our supporters are the best in the world, the argument runs, then they deserve a team that will make history by qualifying for the second round for the first time. However, it doesn’t necessarily work out that way, as we know only too well.
The paeans of praise rightly heaped on the Tartan Army by all and sundry must be put to one side. There’s a job to do. A pervading “wha’s like us?” mentality is not necessarily helpful in the white heat of a World Cup. The bravado that Scotland somehow deserve something because they have been cleaning up after themselves in fan parks around the city is the worst of wishful thinking. Clarke more than anyone will not allow himself to be lulled into such a way of thinking, although he has been enjoying the scenes like everyone else.
Scotland’s record in the second game of major tournaments under Clarke offers some optimism. These middle matches have produced the best performances – against England at Euro 2020 and then Switzerland two years ago. Clarke’s response was typical: they could not have been much worse.
“We messed up the first game in both of them!” he said. “We knew to give ourselves a chance going into third game of the tournament we had to get some kind of result, which we managed to do in both games – both draws.
“It gave us some hope going into the last game. If we can repeat those middle-game performances against Morocco, then we’re all a bit happy.” A bit happy is an understatement, though again very on point with Clarke.
He has some major decisions to make. Kieran Tierney’s introduction in a back three is a possibility that has begun to gain traction. Clarke was spotted in deep discussion with the player at training on Wednesday back in Charlotte. It would make sense to double up on Achraf Hakimi, perhaps the finest full-back in the world.
A reporter from Boston took the microphone at the pre-match press conference. “The city of Boston has fallen in love with your team,” he told Clarke. “They are impressed with their dedication and ability to have a good time while maintaining respect and decorum.” What, the journalist then wondered, do these fans mean to the team?
“Everything, if I am being honest,” the manager replied. Now would seem a good time to pay them back.
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