Fans watching in Scotland left disappointed by heavy Brazil defeat

By Nick Forbes, Press Association Scotland

Football fans in Scotland have been left disappointed after the national team succumbed to a heavy defeat against Brazil in their final World Cup group game.

The Tartan Army faithful packed into venues across the country to watch as Steve Clarke’s side attempted to make history by making it past a World Cup group stage for the first time.

They were left to rue defensive blunders and Brazil’s class as they watched their team lose 3-0 to the five-time World Cup winners.

Thousands of supporters descended on a fan zone at the Ovo Hydro arena in Glasgow to watch the match on an enormous 20 metre screen – just one of many large venues and pubs which stayed open late to host watch parties for the game in Miami.

There were Scotland tops aplenty, along with flags, face-paint and bucket hats, while some fans sported traffic cone hats, in keeping with the Scottish tradition that has proved such a hit in Boston and Miami.

The atmosphere was whipped up to fever pitch ahead of kick-off, with the hopeful fans treated to live music acts and chants of “no Scotland, no party”.

Joy turned to misery after just seven minutes when Scotland gifted Brazil their first goal, with many fans groaning and burying their heads in their hands.

Spirits rose as Scotland got back into the game in the first half – only for Brazil to silence the fans again with two more goals.

Fans emerging from the watch party in Glasgow were already trying to calculate Scotland’s chances of sneaking into the next round of the World Cup.

Data analyst Dean Allardice was perhaps more qualified than most to make a prediction.

The 27-year-old from Paisley reckoned the odds are slightly better than a 50/50 chance.

“It’s disappointing overall,” he said of the result.

“I think we’re now going to play this game and be mathematicians where we try and work out how we get through to the next stages.

“We’ll wait with bated breath to see. I think we would have been happy with 1-0 or 2-0, but 3-0 is on the shoogly peg – 4-0 and we would have known we were out, so yeah, I think we’ll just see how it goes and hopefully we’ll get through to the knockout rounds.”

Coffee shop manager Alex MacPherson, 27, from Dingwall, was trying to look on the bright side.

“Not great but could be worse,” he said.

“We’ll take it. We’ll just hope for everything to go our way now. We’ve got a 45-50% chance to get through.

“Fingers crossed we get through and then we’ll play Mexico or Germany – either way we’ll batter them.”

Electrical and mechanical manager Mark Whitfield, who travelled to the fan zone from Broxburn, West Lothian, said he was “a wee bit disappointed”.

“There’s no way we were going to beat Brazil, but I think we were maybe hoping to get a draw out of it, that was the least thing we thought we were actually getting,” he said.“And then after a draw we would say a 1-0, and after a 1-0 a 2-0, and then that was it.

“But then we go to 3-0 – you know what, that just took the wind out of our sails.”

The 54-year-old said he remains hopeful Scotland will make it through to the round of 32 as one of the best third-place teams.

“There’s always hope with Scotland. We never give up.

“The 32 would be brilliant, and it’s another night out, it’s another day out, it’s another celebration, it’s another trip away.”

Support worker Angela Cartwright, 44, watched the game at the Glasgow Hydro along with her sisters Jacqueline and Kaitlyn Cartwright.

“We’re a wee bit disappointed, but let’s face it, we’re a wee bit used to it as well because it’s Scotland,” she said.

“We don’t care, we’ll still party.”

She added that it is “disappointing” that Scotland now have to wait on results in other matches – but that it will be “absolutely amazing” if they do manage to get through.

When Scotland came in 2-0 down at half-time, fans had mixed feelings about whether they could get back into the match.

Nicola Milne, who was watching the game with her son Kai Goldie, was confident Scotland could come back into it.

“We tried really hard, they are doing their best, it’s a really difficult game,” the 50-year-old said.

“We just have to continue the enthusiasm, we just got to keep going. I think we can do it”.

Marc Callaghan, 21, was already turning his thoughts to the next tournament.

“It’s a bit poor,” he said.

“But it’s the hope that gets you – it’s the usual with Scotland. There’s always the Euros in two years’ time.”