Defiant Scotland fans have declared 'Bring on Brazil' after the national team suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Morocco in Boston. Around 5,000 ticketless supporters gathered at the city hall fan zone on Friday night to watch the match, hoping for a positive result but leaving gutted after the loss at Gillette Stadium.
Despite the setback, the Tartan Army remains optimistic. Scotland now needs a draw against Brazil to guarantee qualification from Group C. Engineers Hamish Lang and Ryan Beyer, both 27 from Stirling, are confident. Hamish said: 'Never say never. I still think we have enough to get that result on Wednesday and go through. We just have to stay positive. This has been an amazing trip, and we won't let this spoil it.' Ryan added: 'We're heading to Miami now, and I'm still confident. We just need a 0-0 Steve Clarke masterclass to go through.'
Fiona MacDonald, 50, traveled from the Borders with her husband Neil, 49, and children Aidan, 20, Maggie, 17, and Innes, 13. Neil said: 'We're here to enjoy ourselves anyway, so we're not too gutted. Brazil aren't as good as they think they are, so we still have a chance.' Fiona added: 'I was optimistic before the game, but it was disappointing. We're heading to Miami now. It's not over yet.'
Brian Stirling, 38, from Glasgow, watched from the stadium with Jeff Arthur, 62, from Shetland. Jeff said: 'I always thought we had a better chance against Brazil than Morocco. We didn't want it to go to the last day, but we'll still do it.'
In the fan zone, Morocco fans joined the Tartan Army to watch on a huge screen. Fergus Younger, 23, and his brother Liam, 21, from Perth, painted their faces with saltires. Their father Gavin, 57, said: 'We have to go to Miami all guns blazing. Morocco are a good team, so it was always going to be tough. If the team plays well, we can do it.'
Lynn Gordon, 60, a charge nurse, and Diane Boyack, 60, a civil servant, traveled from Dundee. Lynn teared up as she left the fan zone: 'The trip has been amazing. We won't let this get us down. We were in New York for seven days, then here for five, and now off to Miami. The atmosphere has been brilliant. We just need to get that point.'
Ewen Christie, 44, a civil engineer from Milngavie, watched with his children Matthew, 14, Anna, 12, and Alex, 8. He said: 'The trip has been absolutely brilliant. We watched from the fan zone. It's disappointing, but we'll get the result against Brazil. Easy - no bother!'
Paul Alcroft, 39, from Glasgow, and his son Arran, 8, said: 'We've waited 28 years for this, so we're just here to make the most of it. I'm not overly confident now, but we should have enough to get a point. With players like McGinn and McTominay, we still have a chance. We're coming back to Boston on the 28th, so we hope for a game here on the 29th.'
Ethan MacColl, 20, from Aberdeen, and Ewan Chalmers, 20, said: 'We've had amazing days in Boston. We're only 20, so we've never seen Scotland at a World Cup before. We just have to give it our all against Brazil. The heat will be tough, but Steve Clarke can focus on our strengths. Look at how he managed Kilmarnock - they were so difficult to play against. If he can do that, we'll be fine.'
