GOOD OLE UNCLE SAME

Brazil and Morocco just like our last time in 1998

- BLAIR ESSON

LET'S be honest, almost as soon as Rio Ferdinand started bumbling his way through this excruciating face plant of a draw, Scotland's imminent bloody nose was becoming more and more predictable.

So when, one after the other, a succession of African nations dodged the bullet of a place in Group C, we suspected our fate was probably sealed.

Having waited 27 years for this moment to arrive, it transpires we must now step straight back in time all the way to France 98, when we were locked into a nightmarish section with both Brazil and Morocco. And ended up getting our backsides kicked up and down the Champs-Elysees.

And yet, perhaps we should look on the bright side if only for the time being. Steve Clarke and his boys won't have to open up adopting the role of sacrificial lambs as Craig Brown and his team did all those years ago against the original Ronaldo and Co at the Stade de France.

On the contrary, this time we'll start out with a must-win match against the minnows of Haiti in New York or Boston.

That's actually a throwback to Spain 82 when Jock Stein's Scotland kicked off the group campaign with a free hit at New Zealand and duly got the party started with a whopping, historic 5-2 win.

Yes, we then had the misfortune of running into Brazil well, don't we always - and the rot set in from the moment Dave Narey was careless enough to 'toe-poke' us into a 1-0 lead from 30 yards.

At least this time Clarke won't come up against the famous shimmering golden shirts and accompanying samba drums until the final game of the section on Thursday June 24 in Miami or Atlanta.