A flutter on Scotland reaching the semis?
asks: Well, I’ve put £50 on us at 28-1 to reach the semifinals, and I never gamble. Do you think the excitement at qualifying may have overexcited the nation?
"That has ebbed and flowed. People were hugely excited at qualification. That mood dampened a little but noticeably in the following months. Yet the comeback to win against Curaçao and the 4-0 victory over Bolivia on Saturday has, I sense, boosted the mood again. You will lose your £50 but I think the last-32 is a legitimate, proper target."
Will Norway-Scotland friction escalate?
asks: Ewan, do you anticipate that the will develop into a full-scale war at some point?
"A wonderful story, largely because it is so utterly trivial. Norway are right to be irked about the late cancellation of a training game and the Scotland explanation doesn’t exactly tally. After all, Billy Gilmour was injured a week before they postponed the bounce game. However, the existence of the fixture wasn’t known publicly at all until the Norwegians made it that way. I also fail to see how it can significantly impact their build up.
There may be lingering Norwegian animosity of course. Scotland stole a late win in Oslo, which was key to qualification for the last Euros.
What do Scotland need to progress?
asks: What do you think Scotland need to progress from the group - the minimum? I’m thinking 3 points and even a -2 GD might just scrape through.
"Those who look at modelling suggest that will indeed be the borderline scenario. It’s a strange World Cup for Scotland in that it is so heavily based on game one. Without a win over Haiti – and I would argue a win by a couple of goals – the whole thing could fall flat within 90 minutes. I don’t fancy Morocco in game two after, I assume, they lose to Brazil. So I think Scotland have to win with a little to spare against Haiti then cling on for dear life."
Welcome to the Conversation
Hello, and welcome to the first Q&A. Ewan Murray is one of our newly expanded team of football correspondents scattered across North America to cover all 104 games.
Ewan is now here live from Charlotte, North Carolina where Scotland on Monday, to answer any questions you might have about the World Cup as a whole and, specifically, Scotland’s chances in group C alongside Haiti and France 98 group rivals Brazil and Morocco. Post your comments and questions below the line and Ewan will answer as many as he can.
Here’s some reading/watching/listening in the meantime:
