Disaster Index: 7.1 Entry: History Dependent on Improvement Cause: Scotland requiring a result against Brazil to reach the knockout phase for the first time, while carrying the evidence of two matches that do not yet support the belief that this is possible. Category: Structural Evidence: Scotland have not reached a World Cup knockout stage in any previous attempt. The previous two group fixtures have produced output the publication declines to characterise as sufficient. The opponent is Brazil. Historical precedent: Scotland's last match against Brazil at a World Cup was France 1998, Group A, 1–2. Tom Boyd, own goal, minute 38. A previous occasion on which history was being pursued. Affected parties: The squad. The technical staff. The watching country, which has prepared furniture it may need to return. Immediate outlook: The condition is live. Improvement from previous outings is the stated requirement. What improvement looks like remains unspecified.