Scotland Men's Football Team

We asked for your views after Scotland began the World Cup with a nervy 1-0 win over Haiti to sit top of Group C.

Here are some of your comments:

David: Important win but a really poor performance against one of the poorest teams at the World Cup. Worrying how we were unable to dictate play or have any real periods of superiority. Scoring only one goal might cost us a chance of progressing. Huge improvement required for Morocco game.

Andy: Poor game but the result was what mattered. I only hope the lack of goals doesn't come back to bite us just like in '74.

Sally: It was not pretty to watch and fans will have shorter fingernails today. Morocco and Brazil will definitely be sterner tests. Great to see young Findlay Curtis being involved and he did not look overawed. Hopefully the team will relax and play better against Morocco.

Jim: A win, yes, but I am not getting carried away as we fell far short of what we are capable of. We gave the ball away far too often, Angus Gunn looked very shaky in goal and we will need a confident man between the posts for our next two matches otherwise it could be a disastrous outcome. Haiti are not a top team but they made us look very ordinary. I hope this will be our worst performance and the next two matches show us in much better form.

Gerry: Predictable, too slow in the build-up, didn't take care of the ball enough, ponderous. But how many times have we been the hard luck story when playing better? Delighted and I'll take it - really need to up it for the next two group games.

Opta have updated their predictions for Scotland's World Cup campaign after Steve Clarke's side went top of Group C with a 1-0 win over Haiti.

According to Opta, it is very likely Scotland will advance to their first ever World Cup knockout stage.

Their chance of winning that historic first knockout game and reaching the last 16? 29.06%.

Then what about the rest of the tournament? Here's what Opta thinks:

• Quarter-final: 10.25%

• Semi-final: 3.12%

• Final: 1.04%

• Champions? 0.3%

What does 1-0 win mean for Scotland's chances of qualification?

• Scotland won their opening match at the World Cup for the third time (also 1974 and 1982). All three times they won their first match they were top of the group after one matchday with all three groups also featuring Brazil.

• This was Scotland's fifth World Cup win, their first since a 2-1 victory over Sweden in 1990 – also their first ever with only one goal scored in the tournament.

• Scotland have kept a clean sheet for the fourth time in a World Cup match (W2 D2) – three of them were against opponents from the Americas, including this 1-0 win over Haiti and 0-0 draws against Uruguay in 1986 and Brazil in 1974.

• Angus Gunn is the third Scottish goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet at the World Cup, following David Harvey (twice in 1974) and Jim Leighton (1986).

• Haiti recorded their best defensive performance in goals conceded (1), shots faced (9), shots on target faced (2) and expected goals conceded (1.05) in their four-match history in the World Cup.

• At 31 years, 238 days old, John McGinn is the oldest player to score for Scotland at the World Cup, surpassing Kenny Dalglish (31y 103d) v New Zealand in 1982.

• Scotland had more possession (59% to 41%) and total attempts (6 to 3) until McGinn opened the scoring. However, after the 29th minute, Haiti dominated possession (60% to 40%) and had more total shots (12 to 3).

• Andy Robertson led Scotland in touches (68), passes in the final third (18) and line-breaking passes in the final third (6). He also had Scotland's joint-most chances created (2).

Image source, PA Media

Scott Brown on BBC One

It's emotional. For the lads to win their first World Cup game since 1990.

We're top of the group. It wasn't the best performance but we had to grind it out and get three points.

We did what we had to do.

Willie Miller on BBC Sportsound

Result, first and foremost, is what you were looking for. But when you look back and analyse the game, the performance was really poor. It was backs to the wall in the second half and Haiti actually gave us a bit of a doing in terms of the football they played.

If they had quality in the final third that result would have been different. They don't have that quality and that's why Scotland survived.

Steve Clarke will be delighted with the three points but against better quality in that final third they're not going to survive the way they did.

It wasn't the performance I was expecting, it wasn't the performance the players were talking about but they got the win and the fans are happy.

I was not expecting us to be dominated by a team that are 83rd in the world ranking the way they dominated us.

Perhaps we could surprise everybody in the world by doing something against Brazil and Morocco.

Pat Nevin on BBC Sportsound

We have never, ever missed Billy Gilmour more than we did tonight. A player who can get the ball, hold the ball, play passes, take it in difficult areas and be the metronome we know he can be.

On top of that, we were playing 4-4-2 and were outnumbered in the middle of the park. The 4-4-2 system is not a good system for Scotland unless we are playing minnows. We thought we were playing minnows tonight.

We will not play that system again like that in this World Cup but I understand why it was done.

We know understand that, see all that stuff Billy Gilmour does for us? It's really special.

I don't think anybody is going to be quaking in their boots to play Scotland but what they don't know is we can do a lot better than that, and that's maybe our secret weapon.

James McFadden on BBC One

Winning games at major tournaments isn't something Scotland do regularly.

Haiti caused problems, but the resilience shown - that's what has been forged in this group.

The next two games are going to be tough, but they have dealt with the pressure of this game.

It wasn't enjoyable but I would have taken an ugly 1-0 win before the game.

Rachel Corsie on BBC One

The work of the midfielders was superb and defensively, we were tough to break down.

Enormous result - brilliant.

Image source, PA Media

Scotland match-winner John McGinn: "It's crazy. It wasn't my best of goals but who cares. Haiti are a decent team by the way. We had to work hard for it.

"Could we play a bit better? Aye. But it was a must-win game and we won.

"A generation of supporters haven't seen this. Hopefully when kids get up tomorrow they'll be beaming with pride. It sets things up for Friday [against Morocco]."

Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland: "That's why you put the graft in all your life.

"There was pressure on us to win. In competition football it's about winning and we got the job done.

"We've got the three points - we can be happy."

Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson: "The scenes at the end - these fans have waited so long for that. It was pretty special and nice to take it all in.

"They are a good side. Three points and we move onto the next.

"There was a lot of pressure on us and we put pressure on ourselves to win the game.

"We can play better, but we came here to do a job and we've done that.

"My job in this team is to be really disciplined, defend the back four, and I tried to do that today. I tried to stop passes going into their strikers.

"We defended pretty well, but we can be better and we will be better."

Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn: "It was difficult.

"I think it's good that we started with three points and experienced the atmosphere here. Our next game is here, I think that helps us. That's the first one out the way and hopefully we can play the next one a bit more relaxed.

"It was a very proud moment for me, all my family are here and I nearly cried when I saw them at the end."

John McGinn repaid head coach Steve Clarke's faith in him by firing Scotland to their first World Cup win in 36 years as they edged past Haiti on their return to the men's tournament after a 28-year absence.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game

Image source, Reuters

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke

"The supporters were unbelievable at the end. We defended really well, could have been better with the ball but everyone told us it was a must-win game and we won it. It was a good night for the fans and not too many big chances against us.

"I told the players you have to be ready to help the team whenever you're called on.

"The shape of the team was ok, nothing really happened at the start. It became pretty obvious to me early on that it was going to be a one goal game, thankfully it was us who got the goal.

"If you defend well you normally give yourself a bigger chance to win the game. We defended well tonight and got a bit of break for the goal but this team work every so hard to get those breaks.

"Not many Scottish teams win when it comes to the World Cup, that's victory number five in a World Cup final I think, my boys are alright."