Scotland head into their crucial Group C finale against Brazil with their World Cup fate very much hanging in the balance.
Steve Clarke’s side have collected three points from their opening two fixtures, courtesy of a 1-0 win over Haiti and a 1-0 defeat against Morocco.
That tally may yet prove sufficient if Scotland avoid a heavy loss against Brazil on Wednesday, with a point almost certain to secure a place in the last 32.
Clarke deployed a 4-4-2 formation in pre-tournament friendlies against Curacao and Bolivia, where Scotland scored eight goals across the two matches and looked sharp.
However, that attacking fluency has been notably absent in Boston, with Scotland recording fewer shots than Haiti and a lower expected goals figure of 1.05 against their opponents’ 1.21 in the opener.
John McGinn’s winner against Haiti came via a deflection, and strikers Lawrence Shankland and Che Adams both struggled to impose themselves on the contest.
Adams was particularly ineffective against Morocco, managing just 11 touches before being substituted for Lyndon Dykes on 71 minutes, with Scotland finishing the game without a single shot on target.
Ben Gannon-Doak offered much-needed dynamism off the bench against Morocco, while teenager Findlay Curtis, 19, showed pace and trickery on his World Cup debut against Haiti and could feature against Brazil.
Defensively, Scotland have been considerably more convincing, with Jack Hendry outstanding across both matches, using his pace and reading of the game to avert danger on multiple occasions.
The sole blemish was Ismael Saibari’s goal after just 70 seconds against Morocco, though Scotland’s back four restricted their high-quality opponents to relatively few chances from that point onwards.
Clarke acknowledged the difficult start against Morocco but was quick to praise his squad’s character, saying: “Terrible start but the reaction to that was good. We had to dig in for five or 10 minutes just to get our feet in the game.”
He added: “This group of players, this squad, have shown that [resilience] in abundance over the years,” which will be vital when facing a formidable Brazil side in Miami.
Goalkeeper Angus Gunn has also vindicated Clarke’s decision to select him ahead of Craig Gordon and Liam Kelly, despite making just one club appearance last season for Nottingham Forest.
The 30-year-old, who joined the club on a free transfer after his Norwich City deal expired and played 45 minutes off the bench in a 1-1 Premier League draw against Crystal Palace, has been assured between the sticks.
Gunn kept a clean sheet against Haiti and produced several fine stops against Morocco, denying Achraf Hakimi, Bilal El Khannouss and Chemsdine Talbi to keep Scotland in the match.
The absence of Billy Gilmour has also been keenly felt, with the Napoli midfielder sidelined by a knee injury sustained in the friendly win over Curacao and replaced in the squad by Manchester United youngster Tyler Fletcher.
Scotland have repeatedly struggled to build attacks through the middle, often recycling the ball at the back before going long towards Adams rather than progressing through the lines in the manner Gilmour enables.
Much has been discussed about Scott McTominay’s quiet start and Lewis Ferguson’s application, but neither player naturally fills the role Gilmour fulfils so effectively in this Scotland system.
