'Another hard luck story' - Scotland at Italia 90 World Cup

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Jim Leighton was in goal for both of Scotland's narrow defeats in Italy [SNS]

Luciano Pavarotti provided the most dramatic of soundtracks with the aria Nessun Dorma - which translates to none shall sleep - from Giacomo Puccini's Turandot.

In the opera, suitors of a princess are given three riddles to solve to win her hand. There's a catch, though - failure equals death.

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While not quite vying for a royal bride, the comparisons with the Italia 90 World Cup anthem and Scotland's campaign are clear. The riddles? How to beat Costa Rica in the opening match and how to get enough points from subsequent games against Sweden and Brazil to qualify for the knockout stage.

In a welcome plot twist, even a third-placed finish might be enough. Surely a happy ending would befall the Scots this time?

Act one - 'Stop the world, we want to get off'

Costa Rica were World Cup debutants. Against a Scotland side making their fifth consecutive appearance at the finals, it should have been no contest.

Instead, they made their mark with gusto, Juan Arnoldo Cayasso's goal early in the second half the only one of the game.

"This touches a raw nerve," 1990 Scotland head coach Andy Roxburgh told BBC Scotland.

"Their coach, Bora Milutinovic, has become a good friend of mine. He said to me, 'You hadn't a clue what we would do'. They played a lot of closed-door matches and practised tactics endlessly. He knew everything about us because all our warm-up matches were on public display.

"We could have won 3-1 or 4-1. Maurice Johnston had a couple of chances that normally would have ended up in the back of the net.''

Juan Arnaldo Cayasso chips the ball over Jim Leighton for the only goal of the game [SNS]

Johnston, though, was thwarted by Costa Rica goalkeeper Luis Gabelo Conejo.

Former Scotland midfielder Stuart McCall recalled: "There was an old story that we'd found out that they had a really small goalkeeper, hence we started with big Alan McInally up front and put in loads of high balls. But he was 6ft 3in and outstanding! Plucking balls out of the air in the 18-yard box."

McCall also remembers being showered with Scotland scarves as he left the pitch as Tartan Army ire rained down.

Roxburgh added: "I remember the next day there was a headline somewhere of 'Stop the world, we want to get off' and it was all about how I should be sacked."

Act Two - 'Zeroes to heroes'

Roxburgh acknowledged the pressure was already building on Scotland. It was the same for Sweden, their next opponents, who had started with defeat by Brazil. The game on 16 June in Genoa was key for both teams.

"On the way to the stadium, we saw a big sign, which read, 'Don't worry Andy, your P45 is in the post'. I even laughed myself," he says.

"But I remember standing in the tunnel and seeing the boys standing tall, while the Swedes looked nervous. I thought, 'I'm glad I'm with the team in dark blue'."

McCall agreed, adding: "I've played a couple short of 1,000 competitive matches and I genuinely believe two of those were won in the tunnel. One of them was when I was at Bradford and we beat Wimbledon to stay in the Premiership, the other was that night against Sweden.

"We had Roy Aitken at the front giving it all the Braveheart stuff, Alex McLeish with his red hair and freckles, Jim Leighton and Robert Fleck had their teeth out. You looked across at the Swedes, tanned Adonises. They looked like athletes, we looked like savages the way we were shouting and bawling."

The Scots struck the first blow early, McCall getting on the end of a Dave McPherson flick-on after 11 minutes. "I was always deadly from a few inches," he joked.

Johnston converted from the spot to earn a 2-0 lead and Glenn Stromberg's goal four minutes from time was not enough for Scotland to come unstuck. Pride restored and the hope of qualification hauled back from the realms of a long shot.

Maurice Johnston remains the last striker to score for Scotland men at a World Cup finals [SNS]

Act Three - 'Typical Scotland'

While the Swedes faced Costa Rica, Scotland lined up to play Brazil four days later in Turin. With four of the six third-placed teams making the last 16, a point would be enough. Even defeat may not be fatal.

"Playing for a draw would have shown the wrong attitude," Roxburgh said. "[Aitken] had a header cleared off the line by Branco. Some people say that stirred the Brazilians up - the game had gone flat and then suddenly they realised we wanted to win."

McCall added: "I remember arriving in the stadium and both buses arrived together. The Brazilians were being mobbed by all these dancing beauties and we had the Tartan Army offering us swigs of lager.

"We held our own against them, though; there was nothing in the game."

But, with nine minutes to play and Scotland on track for qualification, substitute Muller nudged in after goalkeeper Jim Leighton parried a shot. Minutes later, the Scots came agonisingly close to a leveller, only to be denied by a moment of brilliance.

Muller's late goal for Brazil was enough to end Scotland's World Cup [SNS]

"I knocked the ball down to wee Mo and he hit it terrifically on the half volley about six or eight yards out," McCall recollected. "But Taffarel made an unbelievable save and tipped it over the bar. It was typical Scotland. Another hard luck story.''

A hard luck story with an epilogue as it turned out.

All was not lost yet. With just two points from three matches, it was still possible the Scots could qualify if results in other groups went their way. That meant an agonising 24-hour wait.

"We'd moved to a quiet town," McCall explained. "We had to kill time going for a walk, having a coffee then watching those games, but none of the results went our way and we were out."

In true operatic style, the metaphorical Fat Lady had sung and, as far as Scotland were concerned, it was the same old song.

Scotland squad

Goalkeepers: Leighton (Aberdeen), Goram (Oldham Athletic), Gunn (Norwich City)

Defenders: McLeish (Aberdeen), Aitken (Newcastle United), Gough (Rangers), Malpas (Dundee United), Gillespie (Liverpool), Levein (Heart of Midlothian), McKimmie (Aberdeen), McPherson (Heart of Midlothian)

Midfielders: McStay (Celtic), Bett (Aberdeen), MacLeod (Borussia Dortmund), McCall (Everton), Collins (Hibernian), McAllister (Leicester City)

Forwards: Johnston (Rangers), McCoist (Rangers), Durie (Chelsea), McInally (Bayern Munich), Fleck (Norwich City)

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