Scots bravehearts show they will be no pushover in France

reputation.

The team overcame the heat and the humidity, battled bravely against the numbing effect of jet lag - the game did not end until 4.15am British time - and were just 13 minutes away from victory over the South Americans.

More than the result, though, this was a performance that brought a new pride into the

Tartan Army members who had been outnumbered by the

Colombian exiles in the massive 56,404 crowd at the Giants'

Stadium.

It was also one which silenced the volatile South American

support, who had seen their team take the lead through a penalty and then go behind to two goals from John Collins and Craig

Burley which came within an eight minute first-half spell as the Scots dominated the game.

This was a display which brought back memories of the qualifying games against Austria in Vienna and at Celtic Park, and against Belarus at Pittodrie and one which gives hope for France and the future.

Fears that this Scotland team might be embarrassed at the World Cup finals, especially against Brazil, were dispelled as their carefully crafted tactics allowed them possession for long periods and brought two memorable goals - and might even have brought others.

Afterwards, Brown insisted: ''That was not the best we have played since qualification. I think we did better when we played France in St Etienne. We played really well and the French are a better side than Colombia.

''It was encouraging, though, and we were very close to winning tonight. In fact, we had chances to kill them off when we were leading 2-1.''

Brown was right about that. Gordon Durie, in the first half, and substitute Simon Donnelly in the second, had opportunities to score, which would have finished the South American challenge.

Midfielder John Collins, who scored the stunning first goal for Scotland, pointed out: ''I think we showed a lot of people tonight that we are more than capable of playing the game in a really

modern style.

''That is the way you have to play at this level, keeping possession and making the

opposition run around trying to get the ball. The ball has to be treated as something very

precious - something that you do not give away easily - and I think we demonstrated that against Colombia.

''Sometimes it might seem that we are going nowhere, but as long as you have the ball then you are controlling the game, and we did control most of the game tonight. No one can argue with that.

''It is the way we will have to play in the finals and this was a very good test for us before the Brazil game. Mind you, the Brazilians work much harder than Colombia do, especially in the midfield area.''

The Collins goal came at an important time in the game for the Scots. They had gone behind to a penalty after 21 minutes when Christian Dailly, one of the

successes for the side playing in an unaccustomed left wingback role, fouled Wilmer Cabrera on the edge of the penalty box.

Carlos Valderrama took the kick and scored. It was the first time the South Americans had

threatened the Scottish goal.

While the penalty seemed doubtful from the stands, both Dailly and Brown admitted later that the award was correct with the manager adding: ''The player knew he made a mistake. It was an unnecessary challenge and it cost us the goal just when we were settling into our stride.''

However, eight minutes later Scotland had equalised after a glorious passing movement which began with Jackie McNamara out wide on the right. He played the ball into goal, his Celtic team mate Darren Jackson touched the ball back to Collins whose shot from the edge of the penalty area struck the underside of the bar before finishing in the net.

Within another eight minutes Scotland were ahead. Again it was a fine move and again it was a quality finish as Burley lobbed the ball over the keeper from an angle and silenced the South Americans who thronged the stands.

At this stage, Scotland

commanded the play and their passing had an almost geometric precision as they patiently swung the ball around the field, out to the wide players McNamara and Dailly, back to the defenders and then on for Jackson or Gordon Durie up front.

The Colombians reply was to use the individual tricks and flicks of Valderrama - man-marked by Paul Lambert so well that he had little influence on the play - and Faustino Asprilla, but always the Scots were there to read the play intelligently and cut off the supply lines to the attackers.

There were occasions when the South Americans seemed

bewildered when they had the ball and were simply unable to find a chink in the Scottish defence and ended up passing the ball around at the back without any real threat. But as time wore on and changes were forced on the Scots - Jackson went off at half-time to allow Scott Booth to play, and Gordon Durie limped off injured to be replaced by Simon Donnelly, and then Billy McKinlay took over from McNamara - they lost some of their fluency.

Tiredness, too, set in and it was that which led to the error being made for the Colombian equaliser.

Asprilla moved clear of the Scottish defence as Tom Boyd played him onside and he shot past Neil Sullivan - who had made two good stops earlier - and then saw his shot hit one post, run along the line and hit the other before Freddy Rincon pushed it over the line.

The game ended with Scotland still in possession, still pushing forward and still looking the likeliest team to win.

No one is saying that this team is going to defeat Brazil in the opener in France, but they do have an astonishing capacity to surprise with the quality of their play and their ability to retain possession.

Working as a unit, almost as a club team can do, has always been the hallmark of Brown's teams and this one emphasises the understanding which has been developed through seriously hard work on the training ground.

Colombia - Calero, Cordoba, Santa, Bermudez, Cabrera, Serna, Lozano, Valderrama,

Rincon, Valencia, Asprilla.

Scotland - Sullivan (Wimbledon), Calderwood (Tottenham), Hendry (Blackburn Rovers), Dailly (Derby County), Boyd (Celtic), Burley (Celtic),

McNamara (Celtic), Lambert (Celtic), Collins (Monaco), Durie (Rangers), Jackson (Celtic).

Substitutes: Booth (Borussia Dortmund), Donnelly (Celtic), McKinlay (Blackburn Rovers).

Referee - B Hall (USA).