Kenny McLean insists no one individual is to blame for Scotland's disappointing defeat to Brazil last night that looks to have all-but ended their first World Cup campaign for 28 years. Individual errors cost Steve Clarke's side dear with Scott McKenna and skipper Andy Robertson gifting the Samba stars possession in the build-up to their first two goals of the 3-0 defeat in Miami that now leaves them clinging on to slim hopes they can finish as one of the best third-placed teams at the tournament to reach next week's knockout stages.
Scotland's costly mistakes
The Scotland boss was left frustrated with his players for giving Brazil "the game they wanted" and conceded "for sure, we are going home" in his post-match interview, after watching Vini Jr twice benefit from Scotland errors to bag a first-half brace, before Matheus Cunha's effort on the hour mark sealed the win.
But McLean says there is no finger-pointing after ending the group stage with just one win and one goal across the games against Haiti, Brazil and Morocco.
"It was disappointing the manner of the result. The fact we gave the goals away makes it even more disappointing," Norwich City skipper McLean told the BBC. "We worked on our structure and the way we wanted to be off the ball, try to control where they had the ball and we did that in large spells. But when you give an opposition opportunities like that, it is going to be tough."
Anxiousness and nervousness
"It happens, unfortunately, and there is no blame attached to any individual. We know we can all do more. Unfortunately the first goal falls to their players when the ball is blocked and then I think there was just that anxiousness and nervousness throughout the team after that. We dug deep, we fought, we gave everything but we came up against a really good team and got punished again."
If Scotland had managed to even pull one goal back in Miami, it would have boosted their qualification hopes significantly. But Scott McTominay twice spurned chances and they found Brazil and Liverpool No.1 Allisson in top form to keep them at bay.
Missed chances
Cambuslang ace McLean added: "We gave everything [to get a goal] and you could see we left everything out there. We tried to go after it. Conditions were tough and the opposition were top. We just couldn't get that goal. A couple [of chances] fell to Scott [McTominay] and the goalkeeper made a couple of saves, but it is just disappointing the way we have lost the game."
"It is going to be really tough because everything is out of our control. We've not done enough ourselves and now we need to rely on others, which is not a nice feeling but it is a position we've put ourselves in. We need to keep our fingers crossed."
Awaiting fate
Scotland will now have to wait on other results across the groups coming in over the next few days and could have to wait until the early hours of Saturday or Sunday morning for their fate to be confirmed.
