Bolivia v Scotland: World Cup 2026 warm-up – live
Key events
The Scotland team
Scotland: Gunn, Hickey, Robertson, McTominay, Hanley, Adams, Christie, Hendry, Gannon-Doak, Ferguson, Shankland. Subs: Kelly, Gordon, Tierney, McGinn, Fletcher, Dykes, Stewart, Souttar, Hyam, Hirst, Patterson, McLean, Ralston, Curtis, McKenna
Ewan also wrote our Scotland preview.
Clarke is pragmatic in approach but it will be a shock if he does not start with two strikers for game one against Haiti. Victory there and Scotland have a genuine chance of progression from the first round for the first time. There is also a lingering reason for Clarke to at least appear bold; he was castigated by supporters for negative tactics in a must-win match against Hungary at the last Euros.
A more defensive style is likely and understandable against Morocco and Brazil, who simply put are better teams than Scotland. Clarke’s team can be useful in such a situation; they are excellently drilled and carry a counterattacking threat.
Ewan Murray is following Scotland at the World Cup, and he will be reporting on this game from New Jersey. All eyes are on Haiti.
Clarke insists he cannot alter plans on account of potential fitness setbacks.
“Do you want to wrap them in cotton wool and [they] don’t train?” Clarke asked. “You need to work. Injuries are part and parcel of football. When it happens, especially when it happens in the circumstances it happened to Billy, it is really disappointing. Everybody has got to take a deep breath and move forward again. That is what we will do.”
Preamble
Harrison, New Jersey hosts this warm-up for Steve Clarke’s Scotland. Expect to see plenty of substitutions, and hope for no more injuries after Billy Gilmour was ruled out last week. This is the final match before Haiti, a week from now, a chance to acclimatise, and get used to the conditions. Bolivia are not one of the 48 finalists, having lost to Iraq in the intercontinental playoffs; they were last at a final in 1994, and it’s been a long time since Erwin “Platini” Sanchez and Marco Etcheverry, the latter a legend of MLS lore. Scotland are back at the World Cup for the first time since 1998, and this is the last step before Haiti.
Kick-off is 9pm Scotland time/4pm Eastern time
