This all proved rather difficult to evaluate as the dust settled. Scotland’s fifth win at a World Cup finals should have been a cause for epic celebration. Victory over Haiti meant this is a team not guaranteed to receive a bloody nose against lesser nations after all. More than 10,000 days after limping out of the World Cup in France, Scotland returned to the biggest stage in football and claimed three points. They top Group C.
Yet in the Boston Stadium, the counter narrative was more than a feeling. With Morocco and Brazil to come, this single goal success may prove insufficient as Scotland look to emerge from the group phase for the first time. This regressed into an unconvincing display from Steve Clarke’s team. Haiti lacked the composure to punish that. Still, those who would blindly celebrate Scotland’s win are probably ignoring a bigger picture that should matter. John McGinn’s goal, a sclaff in Scottish terminology, summed up much that was to come thereafter. Scotland must now cling on in their next two outings.
The opening half was as curious as it was entertaining. Scotland looked impressive in moments moving forward but left gaps for Haiti to attack, which they did. Haiti carried menace without seriously looking like scoring. Yet it felt unwise for Scotland to offer their opponents such hope. Clarke had branded Haiti “dynamic” on Friday. Erratic looked a more appropriate description.
A pre-match prediction had been that Haitians would outnumber Scots in the crowd. Boston and surrounding areas have a large population from Haiti. Perhaps a number of them sold tickets to Scottish fans. So visible in their pink away shirts – which must be a record seller – Scotland supporters were comfortably in the majority, just as they had been while swarming streets in central Boston. Unsurprisingly, the Tartan Army provided a wonderfully vibrant atmosphere. “Loch Lomond” had already been belted out in emphatic style by the time Scotland won the anthem game. This was, however, all fluff; Scotland came to the United States to make tournament impact rather than receive platitudes for providing colour and noise.
Scott McTominay came within the width of a post of sending Scotland ahead after 16 minutes. The Napoli man collected a pass from Ben Gannon-Doak, whose attacking influence was crucial to Scotland. Wilson Isidor’s subsequent claim for a penalty was rightly waved away after Grant Hanley did little more than ruffle the Sunderland man’s hair.
Archie Gemmill’s iconic goal for Scotland against the Netherlands has featured a lot in pre-tournament coverage. It was even shown on the screen here before the teams were read out. McGinn’s opener could barely have been more contrasting in style. Did the Scottish contingent care? Don’t be ridiculous.
Hanley launched a fine long ball to Che Adams. The Torino striker played wide to Gannon-Doak. Adams thought he had scored from Gannon-Doak’s low cross but Johny Placide produced a fine save. On hand to connect with the rebound was McGinn, whose scuffed shot had already taken one deflection by the time it flicked off the outstretched foot of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. Perhaps there was something in the water; this goal arrived in the spell immediately after the first hydration break of the game, during which the Scots were noticeably sharp. Haiti jabbed back. Angus Gunn saved low from Ruben Providence before the same player was halted by a superb Aaron Hickey tackle.
Harum-scarum football continued in the early stages of the second half. Gunn was not troubled in that window. Neither was Placide, albeit Lawrence Shankland came within inches of connecting with a terrific Andy Robertson cross from the left.
By the start of the fourth quarter (the extent to which the flow of matches would be altered seemed to be ignored before this World Cup) the scoreline did not particularly suit either team. Haiti would have targeted this fixture for some form of points reward. Scotland’s hopes of reaching the last 32 on three points – a perfectly sensible ambition – surely needed better by way of a goal difference position.
McGinn almost improved it, instead screwing wide after latching onto a Hickey header. Haiti’s finest opening of the second half belonged to the lively Providence – Scotland should not have been tempting it – as he curled wide. Frantzdy Pierrot headed just beyond Gunn’s right-hand post. As the clock ticked down, Scotland were scatty. Haiti huffed and puffed, without really looking like capitalising on that.
One oddity of the Scotland performance was the ineffectual nature of McTominay’s involvement. Clarke can rightly take solace from the fact his talisman can and should be better against Morocco and Brazil. He will need to be. Scotland will need to be.