Those Scotland supporters who want to see manager Steve Clarke adopt a far more attacking game plan in the national team’s final World Cup group game against Brazil in Miami on Wednesday evening, and that is pretty much everybody in the country, should consider one thing.
Namely, the considerable threat that Vinicius Jnr poses.
The South Americans, who Andy Robertson and his compatriots need to draw with or beat in the Miami Stadium in Florida in midweek to secure a place in the knockout rounds of a major tournament for the first time in their history, may not be the side they were in years gone by.
Striker Matheus Cunha is not Ronaldo, right-winger Rayan is not Garrincha, right-back Danilo is not Cafu and left-back Douglas Santos is not his namesake Nilton.
Read more:
- Lou Macari on helping people escape the 'hell' of homelessness and World Cup untruths
- The Tartan Army have shown fans of Scottish football clubs how to conduct themselves
- It will be sorted: Celtic tipped to agree deal with manager-in-waiting Shaun Maloney
Yet, in Vinicius Jnr, the Real Madrid wide man who is appearing in his second consecutive finals over in the United States, they have a uniquely gifted footballer who is quite capable of making as much of an impact as any of his revered predecessors.
Brazil’s comfortable 3-0 triumph over Haiti in their second Group C outing in the Philadelphia Stadium in Pennsylvania in the early hours of Saturday morning underlined just how devastating he can be.
The 51-times capped 25-year-old, who had bailed his country out in their opener against Morocco in New Jersey six days earlier by netting a brilliant equaliser which ultimately secured a 1-1 draw, was involved in all three goals.
It was his shot, which goalkeeper Johnny Placide could only palm clear, which led to Cunha breaking the deadlock. The No 7 supplied the Manchester United forward with the assist for the second shortly after that. And in added on time at the end of the first half he pitched with a third that effectively wrapped up a one-sided victory.
Vinicius Jnr eclipsed the achievements of Romario and Ronaldinho, who were among the 68,324-strong crowd, with his inspired individual display.
He has now been involved in six goals in just six World Cup matches. Romario managed six in eight while Ronaldinho recorded five in 10. Only three Brazil players this century, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Neymar, have contributed more goals and assists at the tournament.
The former Flamengo youth has, despite his undoubted ability, not always convinced for his country. Supporters of the five-time champions, who are not easily impressed, have had justifiable complaints about his contribution to their cause since he made his debut as a baby-faced teenager seven years ago.
For many of them, he has not been unable to transfer his devastating club form to the international stage on a consistent basis. His unwillingness to improvise has been a persistent criticism. The arrival of Carlo Ancelotti last year, though, has helped him enormously. Slowly but surely, he has become more influential under the man who was his mentor at Real for four seasons.
Italian manager Ancelotti, like his counterpart Clarke, favours a pragmatic approach. But he has made maximising the strengths of “Vini” his top priority since replacing Dorival Junior. His shrewd strategy is paying dividends.
Brazil do not, incredibly for a country which has produced icons like Pele, Zico, Rivaldo, Ronadinho and Neymar over the decades, have a world-class attacking midfielder at the moment. But Don Carlo has filled the void by encouraging his precociously talented protégé to move inside more.
Read more:
- Rangers urged to spend potential Nico Raskin transfer cash on World Cup player
- Rival fans' goading has created siege mentality at Hearts that will help new manager
- Lewis Ferguson: Scotland's Renaissance man on living out his World Cup dream
“We were able to use him a little more centrally, allowing Douglas Santos to provide the width, and it worked very well,” he said after the Haiti game. “He is dangerous not only in one-on-one situations but also when attacking the space behind the defence.
“When he attacks that space through central areas, he becomes even more dangerous. He scored a goal and came up with an assist. He can change position, and the other players can adapt around him.”
Vinicius Jnr, who picked up his second straight Man of the Match award in Philadelphia, has enjoyed his new role and is determined to build on his standout showings against Scotland on Wednesday night and beyond. He has heady ambitions.
“I’ve always felt at home here with the national team,” he said. “But before, things just weren’t happening for me. I was playing well, but the ball just wouldn’t go in, and that can affect your confidence.
“I came into this World Cup fully focused on playing my game. Fortunately, the goals have arrived, and now it’s about continuing to improve. I’m focused on achieving great things. I want to keep contributing with goals and assists, but my biggest objective is to win the World Cup with Brazil.”
Scotland competed well with Morocco, the Qatar 2022 semi-finalists, the African Cup of Nations champions and the sixth-placed side in the current FIFA World Rankings, for long spells on Friday night after conceding a criminally soft goal after just 71 seconds.
But lone striker Che Adams was completely ineffectual up front and midfielders John McGinn and Scott McTominay, who have both pitched in with important goals in big games in the past, also struggled to make their presence felt in the final third due in no small part to Clarke’s ultra-cautious game plan.
McTominay came into things far more in the closing stages after Lyndon Dykes had replaced Adams. But it was far too little, far too late. The national team still failed to register a single shot on target during the course of the 90 minutes and their toothlessness in attack has not gone down well among their support.
The Tartan Army would like to see much more positivity against Brazil, possibly even a change from the 4-4-1-1 formation that was deployed against Morocco to the 4-4-2 line-up which was favoured against Haiti, and the shackles to be thrown off a little against opponents who showed during a underwhelming qualifying campaign that they are fallible at the back and in midfield.
But centre-half Grant Hanley, who has had an indifferent, injury-blighted season with Hibernian, looked foolish when Ismael Saibari netted on Friday night, and right-back Nathan Patterson, who has played four minutes of competitive football with Everton this year, failed to justify his selection.
How are they and their countrymen going to fare against a fit, firing and on-form Vinicius Jnr in the Brazil match in the unlikely event their manager Steve Clarke bows to the wishes of supporters?
