Key events
Paul MacInnes is also in Miami. He’s been mingling with the Tartan Army, and here’s his report on an all-new American pastime: no Scotsmaxxing, no party!
A reminder of Fifa’s weather protocol. If thunder rumbles and lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius of Miami Stadium, the players will be sent to their dressing rooms, and a 30-minute countdown will begin. Should no other strike be detected during it, the teams will come back out for a 15-minute warm-up after which the game will restart. But if there’s another strike during the countdown, the 30-minute clock resets. And if there’s another … etc., and so on, and so forth. We’ve been here before, with play between France and Iraq suspended for two hours a couple of evenings ago, so it could be a long night.
Ewan Murray is at the Hard Rock Stadium (rebadged Miami Stadium under the yoke of Fifa and formerly known as Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Land Shark Stadium, and Sun Life Stadium). Here’s his up-to-the-minute dispatch, which may well not be his last this evening, if what he’s saying about the weather comes to pass.
I just shared a lift at Miami Stadium with Denilson. He has particularly small feet.
On matters less personal… black clouds are not far in the distance, raising the possibility of a storm delay at some point in this game. Scotland hope the weather is the only threat to their hopes for a smooth evening. Wishful thinking, I fear.
Expect Ben Gannon-Doak to return to the Scotland team. Raphinha misses out for Brazil, with the key intrigue surrounding whether or not Carlo Ancelotti deploys Neymar from the start.
Preamble
Scotland’s record against Brazil is not good – P10, W0, D2, L8 – and yet despite what those bare numbers seem to say, it’s not exactly that bad, either. The countries first met in a Hampden friendly just before the 1966 World Cup: with less than a minute on the clock, Jim Baxter’s cute pass found Stevie Chalmers, who flicked gracefully into the top left. Servilio equalised soon after, but Billy Bremner marked Pelé out of the game, while Baxter ran the show against the still-reigning world champions. “Baxter frequently had the Brazilians bemused as he spread the play or cleverly sent them the wrong way with a body swerve,” reported this newspaper. “Scotland captured almost everything but the victory their play so richly deserved.” Olé Ola!
The countries first competitive match ended in a draw as well. The aforementioned Bremner missed from a couple of yards at the 1974 World Cup, the game ended goalless, and it’s not exactly a spoiler to say the Scots went out at the group stage, albeit undefeated. Since then, there have been three more meetings on the biggest stage, and Brazil have won them all. Scotland were genuinely unfortunate in 1990 (Jim Leighton’s late fumble that allowed Müller to score, Claudio Taffarel’s last-ditch point-bank save from Mo Johnston) and 1998 (Tom Boyd’s excruciating own-goal ricochet) though the 4-1 defeat in Seville in 1982, the Seleção in full sexy samba soccer mode, was a proper gubbing. And even then …
All of which possibly tempts fate tonight. This may not be the best crop of talent Brazil have brought to a World Cup, but they’ve still got Vinícius Júnior, Matheus Cunha, Rayan and Neymar. They’re still Brazil. Scotland meanwhile need Scott McTominay and John McGinn to finally spark into life if there’s to be any hope of a surprise. But then hope is a nebulous concept tonight, because Scotland don’t need to win; they don’t even necessarily need the draw that would almost guarantee making it to the knockouts for the first time in their history; and they could even get through after another Seville-style shellacking, should results in the other 11 groups go their way. So fingers crossed a point at least is coming down the road for Steve Clark and his brave boys … but let’s remember all will not yet be lost, whatever happens tonight.* Kick-off is at 11pm BST. It’s on!
* Catastrophising too much? I can’t help it. It comes with the territory.
