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Why Haiti v Scotland was antidote to the ills of world football
TL;DR
Scotland secured their first World Cup win in 36 years with a 1-0 victory over Haiti. Fans celebrated the journey to the match despite the traffic delays.
Key points
- Scotland won their first World Cup match in 36 years
- The match ended with a score of 1-0 against Haiti
- Fans celebrated despite traffic delays on the way to the game
- Scotland had not participated in World Cups for 28 years
Figure caption,
McGinn fires Scotland to first World Cup win for 36 years
After 28 years of watching World Cups from football's wilderness, there was never much danger of the Tartan Army getting antsy about the gridlock on the road to Foxborough.
On the contrary, in the hours leading up to what turned into a surreally stressful evening as Scotland ground their way to a 1-0 win over Haiti, fans revelled in the traffic delays, inch by inch, yard by yard.
Oblivious to the anxiety they were going to experience later on, a convoy of yellow school buses stuttered their way down the I-95 four hours before kick-off and Scots hung out the windows of every one of them, singing their songs, waving their flags, partying at a pace of a mile an hour.
The sense of anticipation and joy was so palpable you could have reached out and touched it. These Scotland supporters are remarkable. Vast waves of them. Clusters on every street corner in Boston. An occupying army.
Seven minutes before 9pm local time, Scotland entered the most extraordinary arena, the Boston Stadium. A riot of colour and noise, a football stadium, yes, but a theatre, too. A place for gladiators.
If you have to miss out on World Cups for nearly 30 years then this was the way to mark your return.
Giant screens behind both goals picking out every human emotion among the fans. Shivers up the spine, heart beating out the chest, Flower of Scotland belted out with gusto, its power almost greater on a foreign field than it is at home.
The scene was an antidote to all that is wrong in world football; the rampant greed, the unrelenting bombast. This was raw, powerful and emotional.
Figure caption,
Scotland sing with pride on World Cup return
'Scotland under cosh against 83rd best team in world'
Scotland began well and then slowly faded. Haiti were no great shakes but they were getting on top. Wasteful, but better than their heavily-fancied opponents.
Approaching the half-hour, a familiar cry went up in a small corner of the stadium, a song to stir their favourite son. The Tartan Army started calling on John McGinn to do something. Beseeching him, almost.
Two minutes later, the Aston Villa man delivered. It was hardly the sweetest strike, but nobody cared. It wasn't particularly pretty, not that it mattered. It only found its way into the Haiti net by way of a double deflection but that was completely irrelevant.
It was a Scottish goal in their first World Cup in a generation. By definition, it was a thing of absolute beauty. The winner. Scotland's total of victories at the finals rises from four to five. These things are rare.
Everybody in the Scotland ranks would have imagined that they'd kick on after that, but they didn't.
Q&A
How long has it been since Scotland last won a World Cup match?
Scotland last won a World Cup match 36 years ago.
What was the score of the Scotland vs Haiti World Cup match?
Scotland won the match against Haiti with a score of 1-0.
What were the fans doing while stuck in traffic on the way to the match?
Fans were singing, waving flags, and partying in a convoy of yellow school buses.
What significance does Scotland's win over Haiti hold for football fans?
The win represents a long-awaited success for Scotland, ending a 28-year absence from World Cups.
