Vinicius Jr stops fun and leaves Scots down... but are they out?

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Vinicius Jr stops fun and leaves Scots down... Figure caption, Scotland hopes on the brink following defeat against BrazilByTom English Scotland's chief sports writer at Miami StadiumPublished1 hour agoGod bless the Tartan Army in all their beery magnificence. God bless them for their noise and colour and all-round cuddliness.

God bless them for charming the good people of Boston and Miami and earning a full page feature in Wednesday's O Globo, Brazil's best-selling newspaper. They tried to lift their team in Miami but a forklift truck couldn't have got Scotland's challenge off the ground - not while they defended as they did early on, not while they only stirred and forced five saves from Alisson in the Brazil goal when they were already 3-0 down. 'Lacking competitiveness on the pitch, Scotland put on a show with their fans' went the O Globo headline.

The Details

Well, the show stopped in Miami, Vinicius Jr bursting into the party, stopping the music and telling everybody to get to their beds. Brazil did what some thought was impossible - they silenced the Tartan Army, they sucked the energy out of people who have gallivanted around this country for weeks low on sleep, high on gargle and stratospheric on positivity. There were a few defiant cries, some shows of belligerence, but this thing was as good as done after seven minutes when Vini Jr scored his first and totally done when he scored his second before the break.

Herds of rampaging wildebeest have looked less awe-inspiring as these fans have for weeks. On Wednesday, in the stifling humidity of Miami, Brazil rounded them up and ran them into a yellow wall. Scotland's World Cup hopes on brink after 3-0 defeat by Brazil 'Think we're going home' - Clarke & McGinn rue Scotland mistakes Published2 hours agoWhat each team need to make World Cup knockouts Published2 hours agoShot at redemption or trip to torture chamber?

From early on, we were looking at the game, yes, but also working out the mad significance of it all. We turned elsewhere to see what all of this meant in the grand scheme of things. Before the games began on Wednesday, Scotland were sitting relatively pretty as second of the best third-placed teams in the tournament.

What Experts Say

Bosnia-Herzegovina's win over Qatar dropped Scotland to third. Brazil's dominance dropped them further. Down and down they went, their buffer all but removed, their obsession about results elsewhere in the coming days multiplying as they went.

Back to Charlotte, North Carolina they'll go on Thursday; battered and dazed, uncertain of their future in this tournament, if they have one. As it stands, the predictor has them playing Mexico on Tuesday - a shot at redemption or another trip to a torture chamber? That might turn on its head, of course.

Other teams in the coming days will have plenty to say about this yet. Scotland are sweating on a place in the last 32.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.