NOT with a bang but a whimper.

This season has been unnecessarily cruel to Scottish football, seemingly one long, harsh winter that has proved unrelenting throughout a litany of financial foibles at Ibrox and Tynecastle and continued discomfiture for such as Hibernian, Aberdeen . . . in fact, near enough any club that didn't win something. Some may even find solace in the knowledge that at least the fitba' is over for a couple of months.

It was perhaps fitting, then, that the national side should be left to garnish the whole affair with an unpalatable defeat in Florida. Given how the time difference affected the kick-off time, many supporters will have woken up to the news that Scotland were dismantled unceremoniously and left to wallow in a 5-1 defeat during the long flight home. It will not have taken them long to discern they were shrewd to opt for a good night's kip rather than staying up to endure such a meek showing.

The United States had started the evening as gracious hosts – pubs and bars hung Scotland flags outside as the Tartan Army went forth to occupy the town centre – only to later reveal themselves to be anything but accommodating. The locals were also caught up in the initial fervour, with the car park outside EverBank Field packed with fans in stars and stripes shorts, basking in the sunshine and producing a vibrant, if overtly patriotic, atmosphere, as a Statue of Liberty fished an errant football out of a nearby pond.

Their side was a little more composed on the pitch. It remains common, if a little trite, to snort derisively at the notion of the Yanks trying their hand at soccerball, but the fact is they possess a fluid, enthralling side, coached by a charismatic football man in Juergen Klinsmann. They ripped Scotland apart, even with coveted Clint Dempsey supping on Gatorade in the stands.

The Scots were also without some familiar faces – Darren Fletcher, Charlie Adam and Alan Hutton were among those missing from the group that travelled to the States – but that should not obscure the deficiencies that exist within this squad. The return of Andy Webster to the international scene for the first time in two years was a reward for a successful season with Hearts, but also a tacit acknowledgement that central defence remains a worry for Craig Levein. After his side wilted in the Florida heat it still does.

Charlie Mulgrew – Clydesdale Bank Premier League Player of the Year – was routinely exposed by the irrepressible Landon Donovan, the United States' striker who notched a historic hat trick to become his country's leading goalscorer. The Celtic defender was deployed at left-back but you wonder if he may have been better suited at the heart of the defence, where he has been so formidable for his club this term.

USA were consistently troublesome in attack, yet they were allowed to pick their way forward due to a largely indolent Scottish midfield. With Scott Brown, Barry Bannan and debutant Matt Phillips all operating ahead of James McArthur, there was a callow look to the Scots' engine room, yet they seemed unable, or unwilling, to offset a lack of experience with impertinence. There was a bit of needle between Scott Brown and Maurice Edu, but that was neither clever nor productive, which sums up Brown's performance.

Kenny Miller, resuming his usual furrow alone in attack, suffered as a result. His header deflected off Geoff Cameron for the Scotland goal, but he was unable to trouble the United States due to a dearth of service. Shaun Maloney, wide on the left, was more peripheral than he intended, while Phillips showed plenty of endeavour on the right but will have left Florida with little more than a Scotland shirt ringing with sweat.

Then there is Barry Bannan. The Scotland midfielder can seem like an easy target – he is only wee, after all – given his proclivity to try the sweeping crossfield passes and delicate changes of direction. Both are commendable but can become infuriating if his pass sails over the head of its intended recipient or a loss of control impels his side on to the back foot. That happened all too often in Jacksonville.

Levein later spoke of the result upsetting a run of promising performances and results. An uncomfortable win over Cyprus and a draw with Slovenia in their last two outings will have fostered some form of momentum, yet not enough that this heavy defeat can be dismissed as a bad day at the end of a very long season.

With the national side scheduled to take their first steps towards the World Cup in September, you would hope a few weeks in the sun will be sufficient for the squad to forget about one troubling evening in Florida. After all, qualifying campaigns have ended with a whimper before all too often.