The dress rehearsals are over -- a key protagonist sidelined in the process -- but Scotland are ready for opening night.
Their final two matches before their World Cup campaign begins saw them put four past Curaçao at Hampden Park and then dispatch Bolivia 4-0 in the humidity of New Jersey. They needed that, putting things right after a pair of 1-0 defeats to Japan and the Ivory Coast back in March.
When Steve Clarke named his squad back on May 19, the inclusions of Southampton's Ross Stewart and Rangers' young winger Findlay Curtis were enough to raise the odd eyebrow. Craig Gordon, 43, was also there. But it was a settled group.
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That is, until the Curaçao match where Billy Gilmour felt his knee go and his World Cup dreams were over before they had even begun. Manchester United teenager Tyler Fletcher was the late addition.
The mission for Scotland is clear: reach the knockouts for the first time. Their campaign starts on June 13 against Haiti in Boston, before taking on Morocco and then finishing up with Brazil.
So, as Scotland expects, what are the key issues facing Clarke and his team as they compete in their first men's World Cup since 1998?
Who starts up front?
This is one of the eternal questions facing Scotland. During the World Cup qualifiers, Clarke chopped and changed.
Lyndon Dykes and Ché Adams were partnered for the 0-0 draw with Denmark. Adams, Scott McTominay and Ben Gannon-Doak were the front three for the 2-0 win over Belarus. Adams was on his own for the Greece matches and the 2-1 win over Belarus at Hampden. For the must-win match with Denmark, McTominay and Dykes formed a front two. Then, for the Japan 1-0 defeat in March, Tommy Conway and Dykes were partnered, with Adams and George Hirst picked for the Ivory Coast defeat. And then for Curaçao in late May, Clarke went with Hirst and Lawrence Shankland. By the time they were on U.S. soil, Adams and Shankland started against Bolivia. Shankland scored three across those two matches, with Adams adding a brace against Bolivia.
So what's the plan for Haiti? Well, Shankland, the man who steered Hearts to within an inch of the league title and has since signed for Rangers, should start, regardless of whether Scotland go with one or two up front. The other options are Hirst, Adams and Dykes, while Southampton's Stewart is in impressive form. The smart money is on Clarke playing two forwards against Haiti, then one up front for Morocco and Brazil. Shankland and Adams could well start their opener on June 13 in Boston.
Getting the keepers match-ready
There's not much recent form to go on here, at club level at least. Their goalkeepers are lacking minutes.
Gordon played just three matches for Hearts this season and missed the last three months of the season with a shoulder injury. He made his comeback against Curacao two years after it looked like his Scotland career was over when he was left out of the Euro 2024 squad. But his subsequent form saw him recalled, and back in January, he pulled off one of the saves of the season against Dundee. He continues to defy age and reason.
As for the other keepers in the squad, Angus Gunn played just 45 minutes across all competitions for Nottingham Forest's first team this season but did feature in Under-23 matches. For Scotland, he played the full match against Bolivia.
And then there's Liam Kelly. He's been Rangers' cup goalkeeper this season, making three appearances. He has three caps and goes as third choice. In terms of domestic football, the three goalkeepers have 540 minutes of first-team domestic football between them.
Keeping the indispensable players fit
The Gilmour blow was brutal, both for team and player. He's a wonderful talent in a group where they are so reliant on a handful of world-class players. When you look through the Scotland team, a trio of names stand out. McTominay and John McGinn are key in midfield, but their versatility is tested to its limits: they have filled in on the flanks and done a job up front, too. Andy Robertson, meanwhile, will captain the team from left-back, fresh from his summer move to Spurs.
The likes of Ryan Christie, Scott McKenna, Jack Hendry, Kieran Tierney and Aaron Hickey are also vital, as is Shankland. Gannon-Doak will get the crowd off their feet with his electric feet. But keeping that trio of McGinn, McTominay and Robertson fit and firing is essential to Scotland's prospects.
McTominay, who sat out training on Thursday but is still expected to be fit for Haiti, has established himself at Napoli as one of the best central midfielders in world football, complete with that acrobatic opener against Denmark in that ridiculous qualifying match in November. McGinn skippered Aston Villa to the Europa League and scored a brace of superb goals in their semifinal win over Forest. And then there's Robertson. He's had to share match time with Milos Kerkez at Liverpool this season, but remains the heartbeat of the Scotland side.
Building the right-backs' durability
Depending on whether Clarke goes with three or four at the back, the form and fitness of his right-backs is key, and like goalkeepers, they are lacking minutes. Hickey can play on both sides, but he's favourite to start in both systems on the right -- as a fullback if he plays four in defence, or as a right wing-back if he starts with three centre backs. Hickey's had hamstring troubles, starting just eight Premier League games for Brentford this season.
Everton's Nathan Patterson started just three Premier League games this season and got 45 minutes against Curacao. Anthony Ralston has had more match time for Celtic, but has found himself behind Canada's Alastair Johnston for their biggest matches. Clarke is banking on them coming good when it matters.
The expectation of a nation waiting for 28 long years
The moment Scotland secured their place in the World Cup was picture-perfect. Back on Nov. 18, Scotland needed a win against Denmark to progress automatically to the World Cup; the Danes required a draw. Two minutes into injury time with the score locked at 2-2, Tierney curled a beautiful effort past Kasper Schmeichel. Denmark responded by throwing everything back at Scotland.
Eight minutes into injury time, Scotland were still 3-2 up, holding on, with Denmark throwing attack after attack at them. Then Scotland broke free from one attack, leaving Denmark bedraggled. Against the sound of 51,000 Scots shouting "Shoot!" Tierney looked up, drew back his left foot and hit the most beautifully weighted shot from inside his own half over the head of stranded Schmeichel to rubber-stamp Scotland's place in the World Cup.
It had been 28 years in the waiting, ever since they fell at the group stage back in 1998.
Clarke's challenge to his Scotland team is clear: achieve something no other Scotland men's team has ever managed and reach the knockout stages. Clarke's future is already secure, with a new contract signed through to 2030, but in the immediate future, the last 32 is beckoning. They have just four World Cup wins to their name (Zaire -- 1974, Netherlands -- 1978, New Zealand -- 1982, Sweden -- 1990). Managing the pressure and expectation will therefore be key.
Scotland's fans were remarkable at Euro 2024, packing Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart with song in the rain, and expect the same passion this time around. Boston and Miami are in for a party.
So, with the expanded tournament offering more knockout spaces than ever before, Scotland know a win first up against Haiti offers them one foot in the knockouts. Then come the sterner asks of Morocco and Brazil.
But one thing's for sure, Scotland will give this their all.