Scotland will face Brazil in final Group C match on Wednesday
Win will guarantee place in Round of 32
Midfield duo Ryan Christie and Lewis Ferguson look ahead to clash
Beaten but not bowed, remain in defiant mood ahead of a titanic showdown with Brazil despite their .
Victory against South American giants in Miami on Wednesday will guarantee a spot in the knockout phase for Steve Clarke’s team.
They would be the first Scotland team to achieve that feat and, when asked what gives the team confidence they can break new ground, midfielder Ryan Christie told FIFA: “The belief, the team spirit we have. I've never been part of something like it. We were desperate to make history (in the Morocco match) and we were going into the game wanting to win it. We’ll go in with the same mentality to the Brazil game.”
Scotland showed admirable resilience after a nightmare start against Morocco. Ismael Saibari rifled the African side into the lead just 71 seconds into the contest, and the Atlas Lions threatened to run riot as they attacked in waves for the opening half-hour.
The Scots dug in, established a foothold in the game, and put an outstanding Morocco team under increasing pressure as the game progressed. “You saw quality we produced against a team that went toe-to-toe with Brazil last week (Morocco drew 1-1 with the Seleção)," said Christie. "We’ll pick ourselves up. We're good at doing that as a group. We’ll go to Miami and look to bounce back.”
Christie’s fellow midfielder, Lewis Ferguson, added: “The desire to get something from the game was incredible. We were up against a top-level side. They're ranked top ten for a reason, and I think we showed our worth. We took the game to them.
“That shows the quality, the desire and the team spirit we have. We'll beat anybody for team spirit in this World Cup. I don't care who's more talented. We'll take a hell of a lot of positives going into the next game.”
Ferguson is convinced Scotland have both the technical ability and mental fortitude to challenge Brazil. The Scots will go into the game third in the group, one point behind both Morocco and the South American giants.
“We've got quality and the belief we can go and hurt these big teams,” said the 26-year-old. "We would be the last ones to give up on anything. That's just the sort of mentality that's within this group.
“We took three points in the first game (against Haiti) when there was a hell of a lot of pressure on us. We managed to get the job done. And I think the performance against Morocco can only give you confidence.”
Scotland’s passionate fans have won hearts and minds across Boston, where their first two World Cup matches were played. The Tartan Army will now travel in their thousands to Miami, and Ferguson saluted their unwavering support.
“When the national anthem gets played, it's incredible stuff,” he said. “It's known worldwide and you see it all over social media. The city of Boston has taken to the Tartan Army so well. It makes you proud to be Scottish.”
Sources: FIFA Official
