Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has a selection headache to ponder after his side swept Bolivia aside 4-0 in their World Cup warm-up in New Jersey.
Clarke was characteristically upbeat after the result, telling BBC Scotland: “For once, I got everything I asked for – no injuries, a performance and a good result.”
The victory at the Sports Illustrated Stadium was as complete as the scoreline suggests, with Scotland dominant throughout the opening 45 minutes in the sweltering New Jersey heat.
Clarke acknowledged the decisions now pressing down on him, saying: “I’ve got some decisions to make. The starting XI becomes a fixation, but this is a tournament for your finishing XI.”
Between the posts, the choice between Angus Gunn and Craig Gordon remains one of the most intriguing puzzles ahead of Sunday’s opener against Haiti.
Gunn, confirmed as Scotland’s number one when the squad list was finalised earlier in the week, played the full 90 minutes against Bolivia and produced one memorable save, though he had relatively little else to do.
Gordon, who will be the oldest player at the World Cup at 43, appeared to receive a second career send-off at Hampden against Curacao before being replaced by Liam Kelly after 77 minutes.
There is a feeling within the camp that Gordon deserves the opportunity to feature at a major tournament after brutally missing out on Euro 2024, despite carrying a shoulder injury through the second half of that season.
In defence, Clarke was fulsome in his praise, saying: “Me being me, I was really happy with the defensive work they did, the way they dropped down, kept the team compact and didn’t allow Bolivia to play through us.”
Full-backs Aaron Hickey and Andy Robertson appear certain starters, while Grant Hanley and Jack Hendry made strong cases for the two central defensive berths with composed performances.
Hendry, who has spent the past three years playing in Saudi Arabia for Al Ettifaq, arguably looked the most accustomed to the conditions, commanding the backline and organising those around him throughout.
John Souttar and Scott McKenna started against Curacao, with McKenna caught under the ball for Tahith Chong’s goal, which has seemingly done little to strengthen their case for Boston.
The midfield selection is perhaps the most difficult call of all, given that the four-goal first-half performance against Bolivia came without John McGinn even being involved.
Scott McTominay was at his commanding best, while Lewis Ferguson, who captain Robertson said “turned into a man” during the qualification campaign, again impressed with his composure and authority in central midfield.
The outstanding performers down the wings were Bournemouth pair Ben Doak and Ryan Christie, with Clarke noting: “Ben did himself the power of good today. We know what he can give us.”
Christie was lively down the left throughout, showing the versatility and instinct Clarke values, making it difficult to argue against either man starting despite growing calls for Findlay Curtis to be handed another opportunity.
Up front, Lawrence Shankland added to his two goals against Curacao with the opener against Bolivia, yet remained characteristically modest post-match, saying only: “I can be pleased with my work for the two games.”
Che Adams complemented him superbly, scoring twice himself and combining with Shankland in a manner that impressed Clarke, who noted that “the two strikers complemented each other well.”
Lyndon Dykes had pushed for inclusion with a solid cameo against Curacao, but the Shankland and Adams partnership now appears to hold the upper hand heading into Sunday’s opening fixture.
Clarke has a welcome array of decisions to make from Scotland’s base camp in Charlotte, but with the feel-good factor firmly established, the mood within the squad has rarely been higher.
