In the biggest of games, the main men come to the fore. Scotland were taught that by Croatia on an achingly desperate night at Hampden Park.
Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic have been cornerstones of this Croatia team for a decade. Two pillars on which their empire has been built.
On a Glasgow night which promised so much, Scottish optimism evaporated via the boot and head of Croatia’s key duo.
Nikola Vlasic’s opener was cancelled out by Callum McGregor before the break. Hope had sprung that perhaps Scotland would change the record this time.
But on a night when again chances passed the home side by, they were punished by a Croatia team managing to dig itself out of a sizeable hole.
Hampden was not always as flat as it ended up. The place buzzed with each early half-chance, static electricity ready to flicker into life.
A John McGinn cross that narrowly evaded Ché Adams had to be clawed away by Dominik Livakovic. Stephen O’Donnell flashed a cross into the six-yard box which the goalkeeper clung onto. Each drew a sharp intake of breath and an encore of applause.
Scotland had carried the title of the only team in the Euros not to score, an unwanted pennant draped reluctantly over the shoulder as they took the field.
That record had to go. Early preferably. But while the Scotland under-current was building, Croatia pulled the plug.
A simple ball floated to the back post is met by Perisic who, somewhat awkwardly, headed into Vlasic’s path. Through a crowd of Scotland jerseys, he prodded Croatia into the lead.
For all Croatia’s lethargy in their opening two games of the tournament, one thing they can do is keep the ball. Well.
Affording Mateo Kovacic, Modric and Marcelo Brozovic the safety net of a one-goal cushion was ill-advised at best, calamitous at worst. England found out to their cost in 2018 of the thankless task chasing the game against Croatia becomes. Scotland had a lot longer in the game to do it.
As with the game against Czech Republic, once the opening goal went in for the visitors the vibrancy and positivity of the home crowd dimmed. Frustrations took over as Scotland fell flatter and deeper.
It felt like a similar tale repeating itself. A hard-luck story carried by a narrative of “this time it might be different.” Brave players falling a yard short.
But there was a twist. A tartan one. A clipped ball in from Andy Robertson looked harmless at first but turned menacing; Domagoj Vida, in snatching the ball away from Adams, sent it into McGregor’s path.
From the edge of the box, the Celtic man sent a shot skidding into the corner of the goal and set off on a slide of his own, his first international goal in the bag. Twenty-three years later, Craig Burley’s record was finally gone.
This reinvigorated emotion had to be harnessed. An extra yard found in the legs, a quicker touch of the boot. A haunting, stadium-wide rendition of Flower of Scotland christened the second half.
Perisic sent Scottish hearts fluttering, escaping behind the Scotland defence only for David Marshall and the offside flag to ride to the rescue. The warning signs remained painfully present.
Croatia, however, afforded the hosts little time to heed them. Modric, the totemic figurehead of this team, delivered when his country needed him most. A beautifully crafted finish, shaped with the outside of his right foot, arced beyond Marshall’s grasp.
The Twitter lament started; the second goal of the tournament contender had been scored against Scotland on Scottish soil. The night unravelling in heartbreakingly familiar fashion with each rotation of the ball towards the top corner.
Steve Clarke delved into his attacking resources just once, calling on Ryan Fraser for Stuart Armstrong, but that was soon rendered moot. Perisic and Modric combined in yet another pivotal moment for Croatia, with the Inter Milan winger guiding home a header from the latter’s corner.
There it was. The underscore. No heroic Hampden comeback. No history-making night.
Scotland bid farewell to the Euros, perhaps with a strong sense of what might have been.