Scotland v Haiti LIVE: World Cup line-ups and McTominay news before must-win return

The winger made an enormous distinction for Scotland in World Cup qualifying, injecting a uncooked capability to beat a person out vast right into a crew that’s typically painfully one-paced. That Gannon Doak has barely performed for the reason that win over Denmark resulting from a hamstring damage, and solely returned to motion for Bournemouth shortly earlier than the top of the season, could possibly be a difficulty.

The glow-up since shifting to Napoli has been great. A scudetto-winning legend in Naples, nominated for final season’s Ballon d’Or, McTominay has developed an aura that brings real hope to the Tartan Military.

The overhead kick towards Denmark shall be replayed time and again, however we’ll take a tap-in within the USA. Both means, his capability to reach into the field and produce a decisive second could possibly be essential to getting by way of.

Predict the winner of Scotland’s group stage matches….

Are you all able to occasion prefer it’s 1998? Scotland’s males are making their long-awaited return to a World Cup and the Tartan Military shall be reunited with two of their group stage opponents from 28 years in the past in Brazil and Morocco. Fancy that.

Haiti additionally be part of the enjoyable and shall be making simply their second World Cup look, in addition to their first since 1974. The Caribbean nation are first up for Steve Clark’s aspect, whose hopes of changing into the primary Scotland crew to advance from a bunch stage of a significant match may relaxation on that opening conflict in Foxborough. Ooft.

Group C, in spite of everything, is the one pool at this expanded World Cup to function two top-10 nations in Brazil, the document five-time champions, and Morocco, the (huge asterisk) African champions and World Cup semi-finalists from 4 years in the past. It’s a belter of a bunch.

Scotland returned to full crowds at Euro 2024, with the Tartan Military travelling to Germany of their 1000’s in a memorable match… off the pitch.

On it, Scotland had been dire, maybe the worst aspect on the Euros. Issues received off to a nasty begin once they confronted Germany in Munich, happening to 10 males early on and shedding 5-1 to the hosts.

“Don’t get humped,” Steve Clarke replied when requested what he realized from that one…

The Tartan Military journey properly and, after 28 years since their final World Cup, they’re unsurprisingly out in power within the US.

Boston has grow to be a sea of Saltires, despite the fact that we’re nonetheless seven hours away from kick-off.

Scotland made their return to a significant males’s match once they performed Czech Republic at Hampden of their opening match of Euro 2020, in entrance of a crowd restricted by the after-effects of the Covid pandemic.

And Scotland’s return fell a little bit flat, shedding to the Czechs 2-0. That match is finest remembered by Patrik Schick’s aim from the midway line, which beat the unlucky David Marshall.

Kenny McLean received his personal again just a few years later….

Scotland have been warned that they’ll’t take Haiti evenly earlier than assembly in Boston tonight. Haiti are one of many lowest-ranked sides on the match, however Scotland can hardly afford to be dismissive of anybody…

“It is vital we respect the opposition, be sure that we’re correctly ready, we play to the most effective of our capability and see what the result’s,” Steve Clarke mentioned.

“We have watched Haiti very carefully, we respect their skills on the pitch. Since they’ve certified, they’ve improved the squad.

“We expect we all know how they’re going to play. We expect we all know their system. They’ve very dynamic gamers, particularly the attacking gamers so we’ve got to watch out.”

A few years in the past, the slogan, a minimum of exterior the dressing room, was “No Scotland, no occasion”. Now it’s completely different. The core of Andy Robertson’s message was “no regrets”.

No man has captained Scotland in additional video games, nor led them in three main tournaments. However the first two have supplied disappointment. As an alternative of no regrets, there have been no wins. Two years in the past, Scotland opened Euro 2024, but it surely was a false begin for them, walloped 5-1 by Germany. Performances had been extra respectable in Euro 2020 however the end result was the identical: one level apiece.

Now the target is to go one higher and win a recreation, to do one thing that has eluded each earlier Scotland aspect and attain the knockout phases of a match.

If Steve Clarke goes for 4-4-2, that is seemingly the crew he’ll go for. Angus Gunn has not performed a lot this season however was essential for Scotland in November. Aaron Hickey is again match and his return is welcome. It’s a toss-up between John Souttar and Jack Hendry at centre-back, with captain Andy Robertson at left-back.

Billy Gilmour is out of the World Cup so Lewis Ferguson takes cost of midfeild, together with Scott McTominay. Ben Gannon-Doak brings tempo, and John McGinn can come off the wing. It might imply Ryan Christie misses out from the beginning.

That’s as a result of Lawrence Shankland is in kind and Clarke has found out a approach to play the striker subsequent to Che Adams, who can drop deeper.

Doable Scotland XI: Angus Gunn; Aaron Hickey, John Souttar, Grant Hanley, Andrew Robertson; Ben Gannon-Doak Lewis Ferguson, Scott McTominay, John McGinn; Che Adams, Lawrence Shankland