Finally, the silence broke. Scotland could breathe again and the Tartan Army instantly resumed party mode.Cue the sight of a man with a saltire shaved into his chest and a woman dressed as the Loch Ness Monster among the hordes savouring a first World Cup victory in 36 years, and a perch looking down on Brazil from the top of Group C.It took a few seconds to absorb the enormity of the 1-0 win over Haiti. Fans waited for confirmation that the referee had blown the full-time whistle that meant the three points were safe. Some grabbed their loved ones and let the tears stream. Others collapsed back into their seats, finally allowing 100 minutes of tension to release.The jubilation spread. Within seconds, Baccara’s Yes, Sir, I Can Boogie had Gillette Stadium rocking. After an impromptu singalong with the entire squad on the pitch, supporters hung around in the hope of an encore, to bask in the glory a little longer.After 28 long summers out in the cold, all was well with the world again.Scotland fans celebrate their 1-0 win over Haiti (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)For much of the preceding 100 minutes, matters had threatened to take a very different course. A creeping dread — that old doomsday sensation — had started to douse the carnival atmosphere. There was a realisation that Haiti were not willing punchbags. They were powerful and their counter-attacks were slicing through Scotland’s lines of defence too often.After a week of joviality in Boston, the 40,000-plus travelling Scots had finally been muzzled, proving that the only act capable of muting the Tartan Army remains actually watching the football.This was a disjointed performance and, had Haiti equalised, Scotland could have had few complaints. But Frantzdy Pierrot sent his 85th-minute header wide and John McGinn’s first-half strike proved to be enough to get the job done. Mission accomplished. No matter how slim the margin, no matter how unglamorous the style in achieving it, just win. Fret about the permutations another day.In this expanded version of the competition, a tally of three points in the group stage could be enough to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. This had almost become akin to a knockout game.This game was akin to a knockout fixture for Scotland (Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)To outsiders not familiar with Scotland’s history, they may look at the hysteria in the stands and wonder what all the fuss is about. This was a game against Haiti, the 83rd-best team in the world. Scotland have Scott McTominay. They did not even play well.But to supporters who crammed into the Boston stadium, this victory was Scotland being a nation again, a healing event that was about restoring pride and regaining confidence in this company. This group is no longer content merely being everyone’s second team.Tens of thousands of the population have been born, learned to drive, graduated, married and had kids of their own since the national side last graced a World Cup 28 years ago.It was George Orwell who said that sports are “war minus the shooting”. Scotland have not even been on the battlefield to give the country an adrenaline rush or common cause around which to rally. It is the type of prolonged disappointment that leaves a dent in the soul, and a difficult reality for such a football-obsessed nation to accept.Scotland is one of a select group of countries in which football dominates. It is close to a monoculture. Yet, for most of this century, the national team served only to bring everyone down, exacerbating the sense of decline in parts of the country. The nadir came when a 600-strong fan contingent travelled 4,000 miles and across four time zones to Kazakhstan in March 2019 only to witness Scotland lose 3-0.The November night that Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 to qualify changed the feeling. The victory against Haiti, although less spectacular, will too. It is why a bank holiday was announced for Monday, even though the game took place in the wee hours of Sunday morning in Scotland — not Monday at all. Rumours of a miscalculation abound, but the nation will need an extra day to recover.While Scotland fans celebrate in the United States, those back home will enjoy a bank holiday on Monday (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)Scotland has slipped on its fair share of banana skins. Iran, Peru, Costa Rica… the failures trip off the tongue. It is why beating Haiti was unlikely to be a cakewalk. The Scots, despite being the forefathers of the passing game and producers of world-class players, have no pedigree at this level. They have never made it beyond the group stage. Not even with Denis Law, Kenny Dalglish or Graeme Souness in their ranks.“We’re Scotland — how confident can you ever be?” said 300 actor Gerard Butler, speaking on the eve of the game at a charity fundraiser aptly named A Scottish Evening in Boston. “In our history, whenever I think we’re going to win a game, it is quite the opposite. We will probably beat Brazil 10-0 and lose to Haiti.”It is this crippling self-doubt that Scotland fans had been attempting to put to the back of their minds. It was about revelling in the moment.“I’ve been waiting on this since I was 14,” added Butler. “Usually, watching Scotland, this is the best time because the hope hasn’t been absolutely driven out of you when the game starts, but this team feels different… it feels like we’re on the verge of something special.”The evening raised over £2million ($2.7m) for Street Soccer Scotland, a charity that uses sport to transform the lives of homeless people. Imagined by David Yarrow, the iconic photographer famed for his portrait of Diego Maradona lifting the World Cup in 1986 (which raised £45,000 alone), the event united 1,000 Scots from across the world.Scotland fans bellow Flower of Scotland before kick-off (Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)It was a repeat of the notorious 1998 World Cup bash in Paris. That evening, Sir Sean Connery famously took his shirt off and partied, Sir Alex Ferguson wore a Viking helmet and Ewan McGregor sang karaoke with former Scotland striker Ally McCoist.The shenanigans were a little more reserved this time. Richard Gadd of Baby Reindeer fame and Britain’s Got Talent’s Susan Boyle were in attendance, as was the First Minister John Swinney. Altered Images singer Clare Grogan performed, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen actor Tony Curran dropped a few too many profanities and too many Billy Connolly stories, while impressionist Rory Bremner channelled his inner Donald Trump, claiming to have discovered America after setting sail with his Scottish mother.Former Leeds United midfielder Gary McAllister gave a rousing team talk and ex-captain Darren Fletcher spoke of how surreal it is to have his 18-year-old son, Tyler, playing at a World Cup.“I might need to look out some medals to get some pride back in my own house,” he joked. “I played 80 times and never got to a major tournament. He played for 45 minutes and got there.”Former British prime minister Gordon Brown brought his sons, honouring a promise he made to them as young kids. He had to wait longer than planned, but many regular fans willingly overstretched their finances to make sure they were in Boston. The exorbitant cost of the trip was outweighed by the fear of missing out by staying at home.Bagpipes outside Boston City Hall on Saturday (Mel Musto/Getty Images)They have been determined to enjoy every penny. Having drunk Munich dry two years ago at Euro 2024, they may well do the same again in Boston, where one pub, in anticipation, even ordered 100kg (220lb) of Tennent’s lager to cater for its new clientele.The salmon pink away shirt has become as ubiquitous as Boston’s green and the bohemian spirit. Police officers have been persuaded into keepy-uppy competitions, a severely inebriated group of bagpipers performed a song while coming down a children’s slide at 6:30am, and, on the afternoon of the game, a group of Rastafarian street performers conducted hundreds of fans to Yes, Sir, I Can Boogie’Dozens of school buses were hired by fans who, despite the heavy traffic on the 90-minute drive from downtown to Foxborough, stuck their heads out the windows and led sing-alongs on the highway.There is a sense of tranquillity about this Scotland squad. Head coach Steve Clarke is cracking jokes. The players are playing Traitors in camp to avoid the mental pressure that suffocated them at the last two European Championships. Things are different this time.Steve Clarke is determined to savour this moment (Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)Clarke allowed himself to enjoy a moment of reflection an hour and a half before the game kicked off when he saw his wife, three children and five grandchildren walk down the stairs and take their seats. It reaffirmed his new vow to savour the moment.“Sometimes I put myself under too much pressure. When you’re in charge of a group of players like this, you have to appreciate what you’ve got,” he said. “They’ve never let me down. They’ve had bad results, but they’ve never let me down. That’s why I can come to a tournament like this and enjoy it.“I’ve never been to a World Cup. I’ve waited 62 years to be at a World Cup. I’ve been in football for 44 years. This, for me, is everything. It’s what I wanted to do.“I’ve had a fantastic playing career, a great coaching and managerial career. But to be sitting here as the head coach of a fantastic group of players at a World Cup, it’s everything.’