Apologies for posting this in the main forum ...

Ryan Christie, Ryan Christie, Ryan Christie ... there we go, now its ICT related 😄

Do users want a separate sub forum for the World Cup (and by extension the Euros in a couple of years time hopefully) or should we simply stick with the "Other Football" category? A separate forum would allow us to keep it all in place and not get lost with other stuff, keeping it in the general football category could also be done if we just prefix every world cup thread with a tag of "world cup".

I am not bothered either way as neither is a huge task.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to be delighted at only being 1-0 down at HT! Looked somewhat out of our depth initially, but had a much better 2nd half and competed well. I fear only scoring 1 v Haiti will be our downfall in terms of qualifying, but you never know.

Man - what a shitty ref! 2 penalty claims that could and perhaps should have been given and a clear last man challenge early on. Seemed to let a lot go but then not consistent. Definitely favoured Morocco. VAR ref I notices was also one of the worst refs in MLS so I knew we would get no benefit or consistency there either.

On the plus side, Gannon-Doak was good when he came on and I thought Christie also had a good game. Might have preferred Shankland to Dykes.

Definitely robbed of at one pen. Never really in the game until the last 20 mins or so. Hopefully you'll get an unlikely point against Brazil who seem to be turning on the style right now...even it was Haiti.

As it stands right now, 3 points might be enough. There's a spreadsheet someone created that works it all out in real-time.
https://hermann-baum.de/excel/WorldCup/en/

Scotland sitting 2nd in the 3rd place team table after last night's results. Calculations show a predicted last 32 game against Germany in Boston although results in all the other games will likely change that situation.

As one of the sides to play their 3rd game early, Scotland are at a bit of a disadvantage. Teams in the later stages will have a better idea of what is needed to get through. For instance, a team playing later on having, like Scotland, won one and lost one, might see that some teams finishing 3rd had less than 3 points and will know the goal difference of those finishing with 3 points. They will know whether they need to get at least a draw or whether a 1 or 2 goal defeat would still see them through. Scotland won't have that luxury. If they concede to Brazil, they will be in a dilemma of whether or not they push hard for an equaliser at the risk of conceding again and making their goal difference worse.

It's simple, we just have to beat Brazil

What a shambles up to half time.

Why the *%(£ are we playing the ball back and across our own box constantly.

It's an absolute horror show.

Sadly outclassed tonight, and how the BBC commentator thinks we still have a chance of qualifying, goodness knows.

We can’t gift rap goals like we did on Friday and tonight.

If Scotland was a dog you would have it put down to end its suffering.

Please god don't let us proceed any further in this competition with this farce of a team.

Plenty of effort but not enough quality and too many mistakes. Not good enough.

1 hour ago, Yngwie said:

Plenty of effort but not enough quality and too many mistakes.

I think that just about summed it up. Scotland certianly gave it more apparent effort than England did on Tuesday night, but then I suppose Brazil didn't just park the bus.

I do hope that the other results mean Scotland can get through. It's still eminently possible, but equally results could go the wrong way (who'd have thought South Africa would beat South Korea) and there are too many variables to predict at the moment.

It is absurd that Scotland might not know whether they are through or not until the early hours of Sunday morning when Austria and Algeria will play, knowing that a tame draw will see them both safely through. Meanwhile, the team will have to train assuming that they will qualify whilst fans continue to pay money hand over fist to continue staying in the USA in order to support their team in the event of results going their way.

I think Scotland will go through. Four of the teams above them still have games to play and could drop below them with defeats, although probably by a couple of goals or more. And realistically, I can only see Belgium and Congo moving above them. In Belgium's group, if they beat New Zealand and Egypt beat Iran, then Iran would go 3rd with just 2 points.

It looks like a nervy 3 days.

Don’t forget that when teams in 3rd lose, the team currently 4th may well overtake them! We are going home and deservedly so.

One of several disappointing aspects of this tournament is that our (supposed) big name stars simply did not shine. Perhaps the only player whose stock went up is Lewis Ferguson who was consistently impressive.

1 hour ago, Yngwie said:

One of several disappointing aspects of this tournament is that our (supposed) big name stars simply did not shine. Perhaps the only player whose stock went up is Lewis Ferguson who was consistently impressive.

I would add Gannon-Doak to that list. Always looked lively.

What's disappointing is that you see Curacao, Cabo Verde, or Haiti, or Panama or other teams fancied to finish 4th and they are clearly putting 100% effort into everything and leaving nothing on the pitch at the end. We, by comparison, looked lethargic in all our games. I am sure they are not, but too many players looked disinterested out there.

If we scrape in, we look to be playing Mexico (currently) but let's be honest, we don't deserve to scrape in.

The big winners here seem to be the Tartan Army who have really been the story more so than the team.

“The big winners here seem to be the Tartan Army who have really been the story more so than the team”!

It looks, for all intended purposes the tartan army has supplanted the Scottish football team as the main feature of any tournament the team manages to qualify for. ie A friendly, colourful, noisy engaging mass of people that party on the whole with the residents of the city or area they base themselves. They have become an extension of presenting and representing our country much better than the Scotland team or any political office.

I did not watch any our the Scottish matches, primarily due to the time they were televised. That said my views on our nation football team, manager and those running our game have been mostly critical as we continue to fail that great support. The SFA appears incapable of having the whereabouts to address the malaise and slow decline that afflicts our game. Maybe I (we) have to accept we are unable to copy equivalent second tier European countries in raising the standard and quality of our national team performance?

We may scrape through by some mathematical formula having dispatched the mighty Haiti, but it would be a hollow success in my mind. We would most certainly loose (possibly badly) against strong opponents.

It would also just plaster over the shortcomings in our game IMO and allow the SFA blazers off the hook, ie they would claim it as some sort of improvement by the first qualifying national team (even though it is easier), and simply continue the status quo.

I do feel for all the small children, mums and youngsters that dressed up sporting the Scottish strip and other garb. Certainly they and the Nation got full behind the team. The tartan army turned out in strength and for the most enjoyed the occasion and presented our nation and people in its best light.

I just wish our team could have given them more to recognise the super level of support they had.

Maybe next time.

bc

Edited Thursday at 07:11 PM1 day by big cherly

On 6/25/2026 at 10:16 AM, DoofersDad said:

I think Scotland will go through. Four of the teams above them still have games to play and could drop below them with defeats, although probably by a couple of goals or more.

At the time you wrote this I would have agreed with you. I know relying on results from other games is never a great position to be in, but those other results have been terrible (and partly unexpected) from a Scottish perspective. It is now highly unlikely that Scotland will progress.

FIFA's "tie-break" rules have had a very detrimental effect on comptetiveness of group games to the end, and the scheduling has certainly worked in the favour of nations playing for a third place spot later in the tournament.

20 hours ago, Scotty said:

I would add Gannon-Doak to that list. Always looked lively.

To my eyes (I didn't watch the Morocco game) Gannon-Doak has been the stand out Scottish player.

16 hours ago, The Hammer said:

At the time you wrote this I would have agreed with you. I know relying on results from other games is never a great position to be in, but those other results have been terrible (and partly unexpected) from a Scottish perspective. It is now highly unlikely that Scotland will progress.

FIFA's "tie-break" rules have had a very detrimental effect on comptetiveness of group games to the end, and the scheduling has certainly worked in the favour of nations playing for a third place spot later in the tournament.

To my eyes (I didn't watch the Morocco game) Gannon-Doak has been the stand out Scottish player.

Last night was horrible for Scotland. Think we went from a 42% chance of qualifying after the Brazil game to 1.4% this morning.

Needed Iraq to beat Senegal today but they got pumped 5-0 here in Toronto but the Spain result keeps that almost extinguished flame still flickering. If Egypt beat Iran tonight and there is a winner in the Belgium/New Zealand game then we are still in the hunt for 8th spot until tomorrow. Think I am right in saying we would need Austria to win 2-0 or better against Algeria tomorrow and for Congo/Uzbekistan to finish as a draw or a win for Uzbekistan. If that happens we are in. We do not want to rely on Ghana putting 3 past Croatia tomorrow night.

Even if everything goes our way, I will say it again, we do not deserve to be there. We flattered to deceive and our so-called bigger names were largely anonymous throughout the three games.

Was working the FIFA fanfest today in Toronto and all my colleagues were giving me condolences on our performance and how we gifted Vini his easiest career goals. They all agree the Tartan Army deserve better.

I feel sorry for those fantastic supporters out there. They've spend their life savings to go to the World Cup and support their team. Unfortunately that team wasn't up for the job. Only scored one goal and that was a scuffed and deflected one. They should have got a hat full against Haiti and at least a draw against Morocco. Such a shame. The fans deserved better.

0.07% chance of qualifying now. It’s gonna be the greatest comeback story of all time when we lift that trophy!

Next country I'm visiting - apart from Eng-er-land where I stay - is Norway, so I'll transfer my allegiance to them. I'll actually be in Norway if they make it to the semis or final, though I doubt they will.

Practising my "Ro!" now....

For those that have not read Soccer Guy's reports from facebook on events at the World Cup. Here is his brilliant report on the Brazil v Scotland encounter...

Brazil Soccer Club go open up a can of awesome juice as the Salsa Guys go hand a super-sized L to the Soccer Nessies in Miami, crushing Scotch hopes of making it outta the little leagues.

The Nessies sucked right from the start, even dumbass deefense allowed Vinnie Shoes Junior to go get the go ahead. The same guy looked to have completed his double insertion a few minutes later only for the denial flag to save Scotch asses - but only for a little while longer, because in overtime at the end of the first quarter, the goaltender miscalculized a cross-pass that he should’ve made finger food, leaving Shoes to head kick into the ball bag.

Matty S. Cuba did another goalshot in the second quarter. Even though Mac Tommy Knee had a couple of head kicks inside the DBZ, Brazil Soccer Club just laughed at how lame they were. Coach Aintchalucky even had time to go bring out Nate Mar - their former MVP who now just goofs around and is always kinda hurt - outta the subshack.

This was a bad day of soccer for the Tarzan Army, like watching an unsuspecting prairie dog walking around sniffing out bugs and stuff when some big-ass eagle comes crashing in on their head, grabs it with its bird claws and carries it on up into the sky, little legs kicking like it’s thinking everything’s probably going to be okay, right up until the moment they realize this bird thing is actually gonna rip it open and start feeding its guts to its eagle babies. By the time the sun begins to dip, the story is already over. The grass keeps swaying. The burrows remain. The colony of prairies dogs carries on. And the only sign that the prairie dog was ever there is a brief shadow passing overhead, moving west with the evening light. Because the prairie doesn’t stop for one prairie dog. The wind still blows. The bugs still buzz. The other animals still wake up the next morning and get on with the business of being alive. And that’s the cruel thing about the World Cup World Championship of the world. It feels like the centre of the universe when your franchise is in it, but the moment they’re gone, it reveals itself for what it really is: an enormous prairie stretching far beyond the horizon. Brazil Soccer Club still roam. USMNT still hunt. The giants still cast their shadows. The tournament keeps rolling on beneath the same sun, indifferent to who got carried away and eaten by an eagle. Scotland Soccer Club’s little patch of dirt may be empty now - we gotta wait and see if they are eliminized - but the prairie barely notices. The show goes on. The eagle circles elsewhere, looking for its next meal.

Pretty accurate assessment of our national team’s performance I thought (Just dirt) ! 😆

bc

Edited 30 minutes ago30 min by big cherly