Brown is now confident we can reach the second round

Indeed, Brown gave his strongest hint yet that he believes the players are capable of reaching the second round stage for the first time.

There was no boastfulness from Brown after the game in the Giants' Stadium, where Scotland were desperately unlucky not to record a victory over the highly rated South Americans.

Instead, there was a reasoned look forward, which was eventually supported by the one-time England full back Kenny Sansom, who was there to watch Colombia before his country plays them in Lens on June 26.

Sansom, sent to New York on a spying

mission for England manager Glenn Hoddle, said: ''That was the best Scotland team I have seen in many years. It was only when they had to make changes in the second half that

Colombia were able to get back into the game. Scotland scored two great goals and they should have won.

''It isn't often that you can get applause from opposition fans, but when the Scots were

keeping possession, passing the ball about and not allowing the Colombian players to get a touch, the South American supporters were shouting 'Ole.' That was a tribute to the way the Scots' lads played.''

Brown knew he had taken on a difficult game when he elected to face the Colombians and it was with some satisfaction that he contemplated the future, which includes one more friendly - against the USA in Washington next week-end - and then the three games against Brazil,

Norway, and Morocco.

He said yesterday: ''It will be very difficult to make the second round, but if we continue to play as we did here and maintain our concentration, then we do have a chance. I do believe that now. In fact, if we can put together the same sequence of results as we did at Euro96, when we drew one, lost one, and then won the other, that could be enough to take us through.

''What we don't need is to lose soft goals as we did against Colombia. These were goals which might have been avoided but the players know that. Those who were involved in the mistakes apologised after the game.

''Yet, while we felt that we had played Asprilla onside at the

second goal when I watched it again on video it looked to me he was offside. The players have now seen the incident, too, and they agree - the linesman didn't though!''

It is indicative of Brown's

thoroughness that he sat in his room watching the match video until 3.30am, going over the

performance and looking at the errors which did cost his team the two goals which let the Colombians off the hook.

That was also illustrated by the way Brown spoke to the American referee Brian Hall before the match and asked if he would apply the new FIFA rules during the game. The match official agreed, though he allowed a little more latitude than will be given during the opening game against Brazil.

Explained Brown: ''The referee said he would give yellow cards where in France there might be red - but none of our players was cautioned and we gave away just 12 fouls in the entire game. I was impressed at the manner in which the players adapted. They didn't dive into tackles and stayed on their feet well. It was a worthwhile exercise for us.

''But we were also playing in a hostile environment because while our fans were tremendous, they were outnumbered by the Colombians and while they were pretty volatile we shut them up for long periods because the players were patient and playing the game the way we want to have it played.''

There was just one yellow card in the match when Harold Lovano was cautioned for a nasty tackle on Paul Lambert early in the second half - one which might have seen him sent off in the finals.

Yesterday, Lambert was nursing an ankle injury, but Brown indicated that he should be fit to play in Washington. The same applies to Gordon Durie, who damaged a hamstring when stretching to reach a pass from Jackie McNamara after an hour.

Says Brown: ''Paul will be all right and Gordon is sure that a couple of days' treatment will clear up his problem. And Kevin Gallacher could be ready to train with the squad tomorrow. He is a lot better.''

Brown dismissed suggestions that the squad is in conflict with the Scottish Football Association over the distribution of sponsorship money and declared that nothing would deflect the players from the task which awaits them.

He revealed: ''The players' agent will be meeting the SFA Commercial man Bill Wilson in Washington later this week. They have had some dialogue over the official team picture, but it has been friendly rather than hostile and the whole thing will be cleared up before we return home.

''There is no real problem at all. These players don't get upset about money. Remember they donated #90,000 to the Dunblane Disaster Fund after Euro96 and they will donate a similar sum to another charity of their choice after the World Cup. That is the way they are.''

The manager also maintained that there had been no rift between himself and the striker he left out of the squad, Ally McCoist. Brown says he spoke to McCoist following the squad announcement and that the player had fully accepted the explanation which had been offered by the team manager.

Brown added: ''There is no acrimony between us whatsoever. I have the greatest respect for Alastair McCoist and the choice was made because I was looking to the future and bringing in a younger player. That is all there is to it.''

q No pushover - Page 2

q World Cup watch - Page 4