Scotland head coach Steve Clarke and captain Andy Robertson fear the country's World Cup journey is over after a chastening 3-0 defeat by Brazil in Miami. The loss leaves Scotland clinging to hope of a spot in the last 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams, with three points and a goal difference of minus three.
Clarke admits defeat
For Clarke, this will likely not be enough to become the first Scotland team to progress to the knockout phase of a major tournament. "I think we're going home," said Clarke. "You see their quality in the final third of the pitch, we didn't have that. We created chances but it wasn't enough. Let's be honest, the best team won."
Clarke urged his players to reflect on their performance. "The first thing they have got to do is go away and compute their performance and why we lost the game in the manner we did. We can worry about the rest later. We gave them the goals. When you look at Brazil's attacking play and ours, really no comparison. We definitely didn't play as we can play."
Robertson's disappointment
Robertson echoed Clarke's sentiments. Scotland will fly back to their training base in Charlotte on Thursday with their tournament fate out of their hands. "As a collective we didn't want to put ourselves in a position of having to watch every game and hope for favours," said Robertson. "If you ask me now, I don't think it's enough, I don't think we've done enough."
"Time will tell, maybe I'll be proved wrong and we'll get another shot, I hope that's the case. The next couple of days will be horrible and long but we have to deal with it." Robertson's teammate John McGinn said it was "unlikely" that Scotland will remain in the tournament.
Ancelotti praises Brazil
While the Scots suffered, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti praised his team for topping Group C. Ancelotti, an Italian, sang the Brazil national anthem, turning heads in the country seeking a sixth World Cup. "I know two national anthems," said Ancelotti. "I learned the Italian one and now I am learning the Brazilian one, which is difficult. I enjoy singing anthems. I enjoy singing in general. I am honoured to be with this national team."
"The squad played a solid game. When we compare to the first match, fewer mistakes and more effectiveness in the front line. We feel very good about this squad. The goal was to come first in this group. Now we must keep our feet on the ground. We are now playing as a team."
Ancelotti deployed Neymar for the closing 14 minutes, marking the 34-year-old's first Brazil appearance since late 2023. "He deserved the opportunity which is why I gave that to him," Ancelotti said. "Because of his quality, I think he can play and help the team."
