The hopes of Scotland's World Cup campaign hung by a thread as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Brazil in a heart-wrenching encounter that left the entire stadium stunned. The Tartan Army, who had created an electric atmosphere with their tens of thousands-strong presence, watched in despair as defensive lapses proved costly against the South American giants.
The match got off to a nightmare start for Scotland when Scott McKenna was dispossessed in the penalty area just seven minutes in, allowing Rayan to tee up Vinícius Júnior for the opening goal. Despite VAR controversy surrounding another Brazilian goal being denied due to a dodgy decision, Vinícius Júnior doubled Brazil's lead deep into injury time, heading home after Angus Gunn's fumbled clearance and scramble.
A dejected John McGinn summed up the team's feelings: "We're gutted, we just fell short on quality but gave it our all." He added, "The lads are empty now. It's unlikely [that we qualify] but we'll wait and see what happens next." Manager Steve Clarke was equally sombre, stating, "I think we're going home" – despite the statistical possibility of qualification still being alive.
Scotland had started their tournament with a 1-0 win over Haiti, but that solitary strike against African champions Morocco in just 70 seconds showed the unpredictable nature of this global competition. While the team has struggled on the pitch, the travelling Scottish fans have been praised for their infectious enthusiasm and humour, turning cities like Boston into a sea of blue and white complete with bagpipes and Irn-Bru promotions.
A remote chance still exists for Scotland to scrape into the last 32. With one goal scored and three points accumulated, a specific combination of results from other matches could – against all odds – keep their World Cup dream alive for a few more days. But the harsh reality suggests that the team's journey is almost over.