Scotland at the World Cup LIVE as referee for Haiti clash confirmed

Scotland warned against Haiti speedster

Scotland have been told to watch out for Haiti speedster Duke Lacroix in their World Cup Group C opener.

The versatile full back currently turns out for Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in the US second tier and was previously a teammate of Inverness hero Nick Ross at Sacramento Republic.

And the 2015 Scottish Cup winner says the 32-year-old has pace in abundance.

Speaking to The Press and Journal, he said:

I’m good friends with Duke. We were room-mates for a good while at Sacramento and we still keep in touch, including my wife and Duke’s fiancée. We speak often. I’m so happy for him to get this chance to play in the World Cup.

It is such an amazing achievement for their country to get to the World Cup. He played a big part in their qualifying campaign, which was amazing to see.

Every time I think about it, I can’t get my head around that Duke will be playing in the World Cup, but I’m delighted for him. It’s a tough group. Haiti are not well known for their football, but I think he’s just going to go there and enjoy the experience.

I told him I hope they get smashed by Scotland in the first game, but after that I will be cheering him on.

I was going to be following him anyway, but now he’s playing in Scotland’s group it’s great.

He’ll also get the chance to play against Brazil, which is a dream. You can’t get better than playing against Brazil at the World Cup. He’s really excited. Although it’s a tough group, anything can happen at a World Cup.

Duke is really athletic, quick, strong and very tidy on the ball. Duke is a left-sided wing-back or full-back, who can also play centre-back.

He’s really athletic, quick and strong. He’s not particularly tall, but he’s a very good athlete, who is very tidy on the ball. From what I saw from Haiti’s qualifiers, he was more of an attacking full-back. He got a few assists in big games.

He’s just got pure speed and he’s a big asset to his club and Haiti sides.

80 years ago in Massachusetts

By Mark Walker

Scotland will play in Boston for the first time in their history this weekend when they kick off their World Cup campaign against Haiti.

But it's not the first time they have played in the state of Massachusetts.

And their previous visit saw their captain Sammy Cox of Rangers pull out of the game because he broke his toe playing a baseball match.

Tens of thousands of Tartan Army fans will invade the American state for Scotland's opening game.

It will be the first time Scotland have played in Massachusetts since 1949.

Back then, just four years after the war, a Scotland select went on an eight-match tour to North America and won seven of the games.

They visited Massachusetts to play a New England All Stars XI in the city of Falls River and a crowd of 4,100 turned up.

The Scotland side included the likes of Lawrie Reilly of Hibs and George Young of Rangers and won 3-1 thanks to a double from Rangers' Willie Thornton and a goal from Derby County's Willie Steel.

The touring squad was captained by Ibrox legend Sammy Cox, but he was unable to play after fracturing his toe playing in a baseball match with the squad.

He returned for Scotland's next match four days later where they thrashed the USA national team 4-0 in New York in front of 20,000 fans.

Scotland's only defeat on the tour was against Belfast Celtic, who were touring the USA at the same time, in a 2-0 loss at Kearney, New Jersey.

'Scotland fans, beware of sharks'

By Mark Walker

Scotland fans have been handed an unusual World Cup warning....beware of SHARKS.

Tens of thousands of Tartan Army members will be in the USA for Scotland's first World Cup appearance for 28 years, which kicks off in the early hours of Sunday morning against Haiti.

They will be based all over the New England area and the Atlantic peninsula of Cape Cod is one of the most popular places to visit for visitors from Boston, with Scotland fans having six days in between their first and second games in the group stages.

However, while Scotland fans may recognise 'Jaws' as the nickname for legendary striker Joe Jordan, who scored in three consecutive World Cups, they have been advised to take special care because of a migration of great white sharks at present, who have been spotted near beaches.

The Cape Cod National Seashore service stated: "We welcome our extra visitors this week who are the area for the World Cup matches.

"Nothing is more important to us than visitor safety. To help reduce risk when recreating in wild habitats, the park will continue to explore ways to educate the public about sharks.

"It is rare for a great white shark to bite a human, but it can happen.

"Cape Cod’s waters are part of a natural and wild marine ecosystem with a rich diversity of sea life. This wild area includes sharks, which have existed for more than 400 million years.

"If you choose to recreate in white shark habitat, be aware that sharks hunt for seals in shallow water. Stay close to shore where rescuers can reach you.

“Don’t isolate yourself. Swim, paddle, kayak, and surf in groups. Avoid areas where seals are present. Avoid areas where schools of fish are visible and avoid murky or low-visibility water."

Haiti hit with wild claims

Haiti qualified for their first ever World Cup thanks to a combination of bribery, voodoo, poisoning and intimidation, a Caribbean football legend has revealed.

Scotland face the minnows this weekend in their opening game of the tournament and first for 28 years, in Boston.

It will be Haiti's first appearance in the competition for 52 years and they have been widely praised for qualifying because they were not allowed to play any of their home games in their homeland because of the highly volatile political instability.

But the story of how they reached the World Cup in 1974 remains a bitter controversy to this day, according to Trinidad and Tobago and MLS ace Steve David.

Back then, FIFA decided they would play the CONCACAF qualifying games as a one-off, six-team tournament, with all games being played in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, despite the nation being under the dictatorship of their president, 'Baby Doc' Jean-Claude Duvalier.

It all came down to the final qualifier between the hosts and Trinidad and Tobago.

But in a highly controversial encounter, Trinidad had four goals disallowed, after most of their squad were taken ill with sickness before the game and they lost 2-1.

FIFA later banned referee Jose Roberto Henríquez and linesman James Higuet for life after the game.

We dominated the match and scored four perfectly good goals. But each time the referee disallowed them for no apparent reason. They scored two minutes from the end and their own fans didn't even properly celebrate because it was so obvious what was happening. I've never seen a tournament with so much dark arts going on. Most of the squad played despite having stomach cramps and being sick. We were clearly poisoned too. Haiti had their voodoo bokors and spiritual practitioners put a curse on us. There were rituals near the stadium to try and unsettle us through fear and intimidation. To this day, if you say to anyone in the Caribbean about the 'Haitian Robbery', they know exactly what you are talking about.

Trinidad and Tobago were expected to launch an appeal to FIFA, but curiously decided against it.

Their general secretary was Jack Warner, who later went on to become vice president of FIFA and President of CONCACAF before he was banned for life for corruption in 2015.

Scotland will feel like they are going 'underwater'

Scotland stars will feel like they are 'playing underwater' when they go to Miami, according to US-based former Caley Thistle and Dundee player Nick Ross.

Steve Clarke's side will face extreme conditions for their final match in the group against Brazil in Miami with plenty of warnings already dished out by health authorities to players and fans because of the heat and humidity.

Globetrotting midfielder Ross currently plays for Californian outfit Monterey Bay in the USL Championship and helped Caley Thistle win the 2015 Scottish Cup.

He moved to Dens Park before spells at Sepsi in Romania before playing for three clubs in the USA.

And although the 34-year-old is convinced Scotland will do well, he's admitted conditions could be highly testing.

He said: "Scotland's main strength is that the squad has been together for a long time. All the players are comfortable with each other and understand the expectations of the fans.

"But a potential challenge for the team could be playing in the heat of the USA during the summer.

"I've been playing here for seven years and I still find it difficult to play in the heat.

"Scotland play Brazil in Miami in their final group game and I can't explain how tough those conditions will be for a Scottish player.

"The humidity there makes you feel like you're playing underwater and we Scots are only used to cold and rain.

"I hope we live up to the expectations and don't freeze on the big stage. We will have a huge number of fans who will travel to support the team no matter what happens, so I hope the players give them something to celebrate.

"I am even more excited to watch the games now because my three-year-old son is starting to get a taste for football and it's special to share these moments with him.

"We are based on being a solid and hard-to-beat defensive unit, this comes largely from Steve Clarke. We also have some top players who consistently deliver in big matches and this has been a big factor in our recent success.

"The Denmark game was probably the most beautiful feeling I've ever experienced watching a football match because it's been so long since we've qualified for a World Cup that it's made it even more special to finally get there again."

Previous eight opening games revisited

The 28-year wait is almost over.

Scotland's clash with Haiti is on the horizon and the Tartan Army are praying for a win to kick-off the tournament - and give Steve Clarke's men a real shot at escaping the group stage for the very first time.

But if you are wondering how the national side has fared in opening games at previous tournaments, you've come to the right place.

This year is only the ninth time in 23 editions of the tournament that Scotland will have played in the finals.

Scotland did qualify for the 1950 World Cup but, incredibly, the SFA stuck to its guns that they would only accept an invite from FIFA if Scotland topped the Home Internationals Group - and they finished second.

Four years later, the same situation arose with the Scots finishing second.

But on that occasion the SFA did allow the team to compete and play at their first-ever World Cup.

And with Scotland's latest World Cup finals appearance a matter of days away, here is how they have kicked-off their previous finals appearances.

Scott McDermott's Letter From America

Record Sport's Scott McDermott files the latest from his American World Cup journey.

Out of the blue, an almighty roar reverberated off the concrete buildings between 6th Avenue and Broadway.

A wall of noise assaulted the senses. It felt like the population of Manhattan - or around Times Square at least - all cheered in unison.

For the small, oblivious group of Scottish journalists heading towards Connolly’s pub for a well-earned pint - it was a shock to the system.

We knew that the New York Knicks were playing the second game of their NBA Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs.

What we didn’t anticipate was being in the heart of the city at the exact second the Knicks sealed a dramatic, last-gasp 105-104 win to go 2-0 up.

As the timer hit zero in Texas, with victory secured, fans in bars and pubs everywhere yelled at once in a state of ecstasy.

What a moment.

Once we’d processed what had gone on and got inside the bar, the party was just getting started.

Frank Sinatra's all-time classic, "New York, New York," blared from the sound system as every basketball fanatic in the place sang their heart out.

In the background, the TV screens were still showing the post-match analysis.

The highlights of that final minute were being played on a loop.

Since the Knicks haven’t won an NBA title since 1973, this was something to savour.

Even though they’re not home and dry yet in the best of seven series, it felt historic.

Eventually, fans young and old spilled on to the streets, most of them wearing Knicks shirts.

The Empire State Building was lit up at the top in the team's blue and orange colours.

They’d been showing the game live at Madison Square Garden just a few blocks up.

There were Police everywhere to try and control the commotion.

On Monday night, the Knicks will attempt to go three-up by winning on home soil at MSG but you can’t get a ticket for love nor money.

It rounded off an exhilarating day in Manhattan for yours truly.

After arriving in New Jersey for Scotland’s friendly against Bolivia, it was a no-brainer to take the transit train into NYC.

For anyone who hasn’t been, try to do it just once in your life. It truly is the city that never sleeps.

That was evident as we struggled later to get a taxi back to Newark before being stuck in a traffic JAM at 2am.

It’s some place. That buzz when you step out of the station at Times Square lives with you forever.

The giant neon-light billboard screens, the smell from the hot-dog stands, the yellow cabs, the steam coming out of the street drains.

Manhattan’s vibrancy must be virtually unmatched anywhere in the world.

An eclectic mix of people come together to create something special.

The best way to describe it is that you constantly feel like you’re on a movie set.

From getting my picture taken with The Rock outside Madame Tussaud’s to bumping into a Naked Cowboy - all he had on was his Stetson and a pair of budgie smugglers - it was surreal.

The whole place is intoxicating.

Latest odds

Scotland are priced up at 8/1 to reach the quarter-finals, according to online bookmaker Betway.

With the team making their first appearance at football’s biggest tournament since France 1998, optimism is building following a morale-boosting 4-0 friendly victory over Bolivia.

Within Steve Clarke’s squad, Scott McTominay is the 11/4 favourite to finish as the team’s top goalscorer at the tournament after emerging as one of Scotland’s most prolific performers in recent years. Lawrence Shankland follows at 5/1, ahead of Che Adams at 6/1 and midfield talisman John McGinn at 8/1.

Beyond the quarter-final, Scotland are 25/1 to reach the semi-finals, while an appearance in the final is priced at 80/1. A first-ever World Cup triumph is a 150/1 outsider.

Lewis Knowles, spokesperson at Betway, said:

Scotland fans have waited almost three decades for another World Cup adventure, and with the FIFA tournament finally here, the ‘No Scotland, No Party’ energy is hitting a fever pitch.

With a national bank holiday already confirmed to mark their historic return to the sport’s biggest stage, Scotland are 8/1 to break new ground and reach the quarter-finals, ending their group stage curse once and for all.

Steve Clarke’s squad will need to deliver big if they’re going to make history, and Scott McTominay has made a habit of scoring important goals in a Scotland shirt. He’s the 11/4 favourite to finish as the nation’s top scorer at the tournament, ahead of proven marksmen Lawrence Shankland (5/1) and Che Adams (6/1).

Whether they bow out in the knockouts or pull off the ultimate sporting miracle to lift the World Cup trophy at 150/1, Scotland isn’t just going along for the ride. And if they secure three points against Haiti this weekend, the ‘Tartan Army’ are going to make themselves heard all across North America.

Meet budding footballer eligible for Scotland and Haiti

Ending a near 30-year wait to appear at a World Cup Finals was a big deal for Scotland.

For opening game opponents Haiti, it's been over half a century.

The Haitian population in Scotland is so small that it's not actually broken down in census records, but Record Sport has managed to track down a footballer with a foot in both camps.

17-year-old Dashiell Taneus-Miller lives in Edinburgh with his Haitian mum Leilani and English dad Alex.

And while he was planning on supporting whoever qualified between the Caribbean nation or Steve Clarke's men, now he can back both.

Except during the first game.

Scotland kick-off Group C against the Haitians in Boston before taking on Morocco and Brazil in a re-run of France 98.

And there will be no question of split loyalties as far as Dashiell is concerned.

I was born in Brighton, my mum's Haitian and my dad is English. She was living in London and that's where my parents met. She was working as an accountant for a fortune 500 company and then that took her up to Edinburgh.

I have visited Haiti, but only once. I was so glad when they drew Scotland. For Haiti to even qualify is really significant. I'm happy for Scotland as well. I actually said that whichever team got through, I'd be supporting. But now they're both there I've got to go with Haiti!

I've been getting a lot of banter from my teammates since the draw and a lot of them think Scotland have been stitched up, getting Brazil and Morocco as well. It's a hard draw.

I've no set plans for the game yet, but I'll be watching with a big group of people so it'll be good. It's a bit annoying that all the games will be quite late but even at 2am, you've got to stay up.

I remember the previous World Cup I could actually watch the games during my classes and everyone would be celebrating.

Jury delivers verdict

Are Haiti the perfect opening World Cup opponent for Scotland or the latest tournament banana skin we're destined to trip over?

KEITH JACKSON: Let's be honest, had Steve Clarke been allowed to hand pick the Group C fixtures, then this is the order he would have wanted the games to fall. Get three points on the board in the first match, take the momentum from it and then hope for the best. It's not going to be easy but if Scotland play at the level they found against Bolivia an opening win is on the cards.

ANDY NEWPORT: The scar tissue from scrapes against the likes of Peru, Iran and Costa Rica are burned into the Scottish psyche but we all know by now there’s no easy games at this level. Go do a professional job like we did against Bolivia and we can kick-off the tournament with a huge win.

FRASER WILSON: You could hardly ask for a better opening game. Scotland need to get off to a flier and what an opportunity this is. That’s not to say Haiti won’t cause problems but if Scotland don’t get maximum points from this opener with the top level talent in the squad then it will be a major disappointment.

Who gets the nod from Steve Clarke to start in goal for the clash in Boston?

KEITH: That depends on what the manager and his staff are seeing on the training pitch. It was interesting that Angus Gunn was given the entire 90 minutes in New Jersey on Saturday and maybe that's the biggest clue yet.

ANDY: It’s such a hard pick given Gunn nor Craig Gordon has played much football over the past 12 months but I think I’d go with Gunn. He started the qualifying campaign as No1 and only missed out on that magic night against Denmark because of injury.

FRASER: Push comes to shove then I think Angus Gunn proved in qualifying, where he made big saves at key moments, that he is ready to be number one on the big stage, no matter his lack of action at club level. In many ways Craig Gordon would be a better story and is still more than capable. But this is no time for sentiment.

When it comes to our young gunslingers out wide, has Ben Gannon-Doak jumped back ahead of Findlay Curtis?

KEITH: Absolutely. Saturday's performance was exactly what the manager was wanting to see from this maverick of a matchwinner. Gannon-Doak added precision in the final third to his pace and power and on this form, he's impossible to resist.

ANDY: Steve Clarke felt BGD was suffering from rustiness after an injury plagued campaign at Bournemouth.

Well it was well and truly shaken off after a stunning display in New Jersey. Back to his electric best, he’ll start against the Haitians.

FRASER:On the evidence of the Bolivia game then yes. Gannon-Doak was back to his rapid, direct, fearless best. And just as importantly Curtis looked the exact same when he came off the bench. What an exciting double act to share the load over the three group games.

Have Lawrence Shankland and Che Adams established themselves as the front pairing for the tournament?

KEITH: Lyndon Dykes dovetailed very nicely with Shankland at Hampden the other week. But Adams fired himself back up the pecking order with his first half double on Saturday and has always been Clarke's first choice striker in any case. They make a very dangerous double act.

ANDY: Undoubtedly. The opener is a game when Scotland MUST take their chances and there is no better finisher in the squad than Shankland. Crucially, he and Adams seem to have an understanding that should see them create for each other.

FRASER: Surely. Three well taken goals between them against Bolivia was impressive but equally so was the understanding with Shankland dropping off at times to link play and open spaces for Adams. Shankland has to start and certainly against Haiti it looks like Adams should be beside him.

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