Does it matter if Scotland lose and still make history?

Image source, PA Media Image caption, Steve Clarke and his squad are preparing for a potentially historic game By Tom English BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Published 8 hours ago In a World Cup where the boffins with their big brainy heads and their super computers are working overtime on who might play who in the last 32, there are other calculations worth conjuring with. As Steve Clarke's squad prepare to head for Miami to face Brazil on Wednesday, potentially the biggest day in the history of Scotland's national team, they travel having had no shot on target in their last game and a half and only two overall. Che Adams, the principal striker, has had three touches of the ball in the opposition box in 146 minutes. One goal has been scored - a double deflection less than half an hour into the opening game. Despite all their endeavour, all the heat they put on Morocco late on and a few big decisions that went against them, Scotland failed to register a shot on target on Friday, the first time that's happened to them on this stage since the 1986 World Cup. They wanted to be a bazooka, but so far they're positively popgun. Taking the last Euros into account, Scotland have had five shots on target in their last five tournament matches. Their three goals across those five contests have come from two deflected shots and one own goal. And yet, if the football data experts are to be believed, the chances of them progressing are high. The mad psychology is that win, lose, or draw, this might be the most glorious week in the long story of the national team, the moment they finally make it out of a group and into the nirvana of the knockout rounds. Scots 'won't go gung-ho', but Naismith believes they can 'get job done' Published 10 hours ago Scotland trio not part of training group Published 13 hours ago Miami heat could mean a repeat of 1982 against Brazil - Vickery Published 14 hours ago A first-ever win over Brazil would do the job beautifully. Cue a Tartan Army carnival in Miami to wipe the floor with anything that's seen in Rio. A draw would spark the same merry chaos. The avoidance of defeat would need to be a hell of a Scotland performance, one that would merit a place in the last 32. Where the mentality gets interesting and, perhaps to some, complicated, is if Scotland lose by a goal or two, or even three, and still make it into the next round. They could be utterly brilliant and progress and they could be utterly unthreatening and progress. They could play to keep the score down, pack the midfield, hoof everything downfield and never venture a shot on Brazil's goal and still make it through. A strange kind of glory? Or, when you've lost out on goal difference so many times before, does it actually matter a damn? Is the bottom line everything? Does the end justify the means? Never mind the quality, just rejoice in the qualification? Would a win over Haiti followed by two defeats be acclaimed as a riotous success if it's enough to scrape into th