We’re two days away from the start of the biggest World Cup ever. Football correspondent Ewan Murray is in North Carolina with the Scotland team ahead of their game against Haiti this weekend.
Ewan is answering your questions now on Scotland’s chances and all other World Cup-related queries
DeJongandtherestless asks: Ewan, do you anticipate that the issue between Norway and Scotland will develop into a full-scale war at some point?
A wonderful story, largely because it is so utterly trivial. Norway are right to be irked about the late cancellation of a training game and the Scotland explanation doesn’t exactly tally. After all, Billy Gilmour was injured a week before they postponed the bounce game. However, the existence of the fixture wasn’t known publicly at all until the Norwegians made it that way. I also fail to see how it can significantly impact their build up.
There may be lingering Norwegian animosity of course. Scotland stole a late win in Oslo, which was key to qualification for the last Euros.
Those who look at modelling suggest that will indeed be the borderline scenario. It’s a strange World Cup for Scotland in that it is so heavily based on game one. Without a win over Haiti – and I would argue a win by a couple of goals – the whole thing could fall flat within 90 minutes. I don’t fancy Morocco in game two after, I assume, they lose to Brazil. So I think Scotland have to win with a little to spare against Haiti then cling on for dear life.
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