Every Scotland fan would have hoped for – but would not have expected – a relatively stress-free return to the biggest stage, a handy 2-0 or 3-0 that wasn’t an assault on the senses.
What they got was a nerve-shredding night, a 90-minute rollercoaster ride, an evening to bring on a migraine.
They survived. That’s the bottom line. Three points are on the board. A nightmare was averted. They can be, and have to be, better.
McGinn said that they have more gears to go up and he’s right.
Goalkeeper Angus Gunn spoke later and sounded glum. He tried to accentuate the positive but it was a battle. “When we look back, we won’t be happy, but we’ve just won a game at the World Cup, so…”
Those contrasting feelings summed it up. Three points, but… A first win at a World Cup in close to three decades, but…
Billy Gilmour’s composure was missed. So, too, the brilliance of McTominay and the authority of McGinn. Neither was a major presence, McTominay’s shot off a post and McGinn’s goal aside. Scotland’s best player was Ben Gannon-Doak, who was a double handful.
Later on Sunday, these players will return to base camp in Charlotte as tired men. But as winners, too. So much has to improve before they face Morocco back in Boston in a week’s time.
This was a win that sparked huge celebrations among the fans but those celebrations were as much about relief than joy. “Everybody told us that it was a must-win game and we’ve won it,” said Clarke. That cut to the heart of it.
Exhausting, laborious, oppressive, but three points and hope. The best of it was those lads hanging out the windows of the school bus, the sheer excitement, the undiluted happiness, the mighty buzz of just being here.
Many of them will be back again for more against Morocco. Another night of pressure and angst is guaranteed, but there’s nowhere else on earth these people would rather be.