Scotland’s World Cup campaign hangs by a thread after a 4-0 defeat to Brazil left Steve Clarke’s side sweating on their place in the last 32.
The Tartan Army had charmed their way across the United States, even earning a full-page feature in O Globo, Brazil’s best-selling newspaper, in the days before kick-off.
But that warmth and colour counted for nothing in the stifling Miami humidity as Vinicius Jr tore Scotland apart with a ruthless and commanding display.
The headline in O Globo said it all: “Lacking competitiveness on the pitch, Scotland put on a show with their fans.”
Vini Jr settled the contest inside seven minutes, capitalising on a moment of catastrophic dithering from Scott McKenna, rounding goalkeeper Angus Gunn and tapping into an empty net.
The goal was his fourth of this World Cup, making him only the fifth Brazilian to score in all three group stage matches of a single tournament, joining Jairzinho, Romario, Ronaldo and Rivaldo.
Scotland had never beaten Brazil in ten previous attempts over fifty years, and nothing in Miami suggested that record was about to change in any meaningful way.
A second arrived before half-time when Andy Robertson gifted possession, Bruno Guimaraes dinked a ball to the back post, and Vinicius Jr peeled away from Nathan Patterson to head home unmarked.
Scotland had spent just 47 seconds in Brazil’s final third during the opening half and had not registered a shot on target since John McGinn scored via a double deflection 28 minutes into the Haiti game.
Matheus Cunha added a third after Guimaraes brushed aside Kenny McLean, and the contest was long finished before Neymar arrived off the bench with 14 minutes remaining to a roaring reception inside Miami Stadium.
It had been two and a half years since Neymar last wore the famous yellow jersey, and his return could scarcely have been more comfortable, with Brazil already confirmed as group winners.
Scotland did finally force Alisson into action through Scott McTominay, but the Brazilian goalkeeper barely had to move his feet to deal with the effort.
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s earlier win over Qatar had already dropped Scotland down the standings before Brazil inflicted further damage to their points difference and goal record.
As things stand, Scotland are sweating on a place in the last 32 and frantically monitoring results involving Senegal, Ecuador, Curacao, Cape Verde, and Saudi Arabia among others.
The predictor currently has them facing Mexico on Tuesday, which Clarke and his players will view as either a shot at redemption or another trip to a torture chamber.
Progressing from a group in which they have managed one deflected goal and two defeats would represent the strangest kind of achievement in the history of the Scottish national team.
At the final whistle, four Scotland players collapsed to the turf from a combination of exhaustion and despair, having given everything while delivering almost nothing in the searing conditions.
Scotland head back to Charlotte, North Carolina battered and uncertain, their fate now almost entirely in the hands of other nations across the coming days.
Brazil reign supreme in Group F, while confusion and anxiety rule the Scottish camp as they wait to discover whether their World Cup story has one final chapter remaining.
