Clarke Sends Scotland Into Bolivia Vs Scotland Warm-Up in Harrison
Scotland used bolivia vs scotland as a World Cup 2026 warm-up in Harrison, New Jersey, with kick-off set for 9pm Scotland time and 4pm Eastern time. It was their final match before Haiti, and the team came into it after Billy Gilmour was ruled out last week.
Clarke Keeps Scotland Moving
Steve Clarke did not dress the build-up in soft language. Asked about injury management, he said: “Do you want to wrap them in cotton wool and [they] don’t train?”
He added: “You need to work.” That was the line shaping Scotland’s approach, even with a setback already on the board. “Injuries are part and parcel of football,” Clarke said. “When it happens, especially when it happens in the circumstances it happened to Billy, it is really disappointing.”
Angus Gunn Starts in Goal
Angus Gunn was in goal for Scotland, with Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, Lewis Ferguson and Che Adams coming into the team. The starting XI also included Aaron Hickey, Andy Robertson, Scott McTominay, Ryan Christie, Ben Gannon-Doak and Lawrence Shankland.
That lineup showed Clarke balancing the need to keep the group moving with the need to get players minutes before Haiti. Scotland’s substitutes were Kelly, Gordon, Tierney, McGinn, Fletcher, Dykes, Stewart, Souttar, Hyam, Hirst, Patterson, McLean, Ralston, Curtis and McKenna.
Bolivia Miss the 48
Bolivia arrived outside the 48 World Cup finalists after losing to Iraq in the intercontinental playoffs. Their last appearance at a World Cup finals came in 1994, while Scotland were back at the tournament for the first time since 1998.
That left the match with a clear edge: one side fine-tuning before a World Cup opener a week later, the other trying to measure itself against a team already preparing for the next stage of the tournament. For Scotland, the trip to Harrison was about holding the line on fitness and using the last warm-up before Haiti to settle the pieces that still needed work.
