Just eight miles separate the towns of Harrison and East Rutherford in the state of New Jersey. The likelihood of them being the start and end points for Scotland on this summer odyssey are decidedly remote.
Forty-three days before the World Cup final is contested in the cavernous MetLife Stadium, home to both the New York Giants and the Jets, the final preparations for Steve Clarke’s side will take place in Harrison’s more compact Sports Illustrated Stadium.
While even the most wide-eyed optimist among the Tartan Army won’t contemplate seeing Scotland among the last men standing in the competition, success is relative.
Before this campaign, since 1954, the national team had qualified for eight World Cups and four European Championships.
Hopes of advancement to the second phase have invariably been dashed in traumatic fashion. Since falling at that first hurdle in Switzerland 72 years ago, the nation has often found itself in need of therapy.
Despite our absence from the world stage extending to 28 years, there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic that this is the moment when we climb off the couch.
Lawrence Shankland and Nathan Patterson get put through their paces in training in Florida
The experience of back-to-back European Championships can surely only help. A dozen of the current 26-man squad were present for Euro 2020. Fourteen of them were selected for Euro 2024.
There’s enough tournament know-how in there to help the likes of Ben Gannon-Doak, Tyler Fletcher, Findlay Curtis and Ross Stewart, as they sample this environment for the first time.
A favourable draw is all Steve Clarke asked for when he travelled to a chilly Washington DC in December. His wish was granted.
Semi-finalists in Qatar, Morocco were the ones to avoid in pot two. Never mind topping Group C. The North Africans will have designs on winning the tournament outright.
The considerable compensation came by being placed alongside Haiti. The Caribbean nation are making their first appearance at the World Cup since 1974 and have never drawn a game at this level let alone won one.
Curacao, who Scotland beat 4-1 last weekend, thumped the Haitians 5-1 in qualifying. If you fancy a few quid on an outsider, no side is bigger priced to go all the way.
Steve Clarke will look to crystalise his thoughts over how to set up his team for games to come
The aura which surrounds Brazil will never change. In the heat and humidity of Miami, in their famous canary yellow jerseys, they will be a fearsome proposition.
It would be folly to underestimate any side boasting players of the ilk of Vinicius Junior and Raphinha, especially when the manger is Carlo Ancelotti.
But those who worship at their altar are travelling more in hope than expectation of seeing A selecao win a sixth World Cup.
The side finished fifth in the 10-team South American qualifying group. They are eminently capable of delivering brilliance, yet it won’t have escaped the notice of Clarke’s backroom staff that this edition is no vintage.
With three points and a respectable goal difference probably good enough to secure qualification as one of the eight best-placed teams in third position, Scotland have a decent chance of progressing.
A win over Haiti feels close to non-negotiable. If that can be secured, a point in either of the two remaining games would be the key to happiness.
No matter how all of this unfolds, the side’s preparations do not appear to have left any stone unturned.
Clarke and defender Jack Hendry greets young fans outside their Florida training camp
After the draw in December, assistant manager Steven Naismith scoured the States in search of training facilities which would live up to the expectations of elite players.
While a base camp in Charlotte clearly necessitates flights to and from Boston and Miami, the backroom staff feel sure that everything will meet with the squad’s approval when they head to North Carolina on Sunday.
The build-up games have also been carefully selected with an eye on what will and what may lie ahead.
Japan at Hampden in March gave Scotland a welcome and hopefully useful exposure to an Asian side.
Even though the run-out against the Ivory Coast in Liverpool that same month also ended in a narrow defeat, the experience of facing an African nation should be invaluable when Clarke’s men take on Morocco on June 19.
Curacao were certainly the nation of choice for last Saturday’s Hampden farewell. It should be a comfort to the players that they have already successfully met the challenges posed by a Caribbean side ahead of the curtain-raiser against Haiti.
Bolivia is more an opponent of convenience. Scotland were originally due to play Peru in this final warm-up game, but they were already in talks about facing Haiti. Venezuela then seemed like an option only for Turkey to get in first.
Miami Dolphins linebacker David Ojabo, who grew up in Scotland, watches Clarke’s men train
As messy as it was, the identity of the opponent was of little consequence provided they were South American. Scotland should be the better for the experience by the time they come to eyeball Ancelotti’s men in Miami.
Bolivia should make for a decent test. They finished seventh in qualifying with one of their six victories arriving against Brazil.
They beat Surinam in the semi-final of the Intercontinental play-off only to be edged out by Iraq.
They are a significant step up in class from Luxembourg, who Scotland played immediately prior to Euro 2020, and Finland, who Clarke’s side faced (and drew with) before getting down to business in Germany.
Everything points towards the manager fielding two forwards against Haiti so it would be logical to deploy two up top for at least part of the final warm-up game.
Right now, Lyndon Dykes would appear to be favourite to partner Lawrence Shankland. Che Adams and Ross Stewart might have something to say about that.
The same challenge awaits Angus Gunn, if he’s involved. Craig Gordon did little wrong against Curacao and nor, for that matter, did Liam Kelly.
Some of Scotland’s fringe men will hope to seize the chance to shine against Bolivia
It will be intriguing to see if Clarke initially sticks with a back-four on Saturday night or shapes with a 3-5-2.
The inclusions of Andy Robertson, John McGinn and Scott McTominay can be taken as read. A midfield four, with Kenny McLean or Lewis Ferguson playing behind McGinn and Ryan Christie with McTominay at the top of the diamond, holds considerable appeal.
Were Gannon-Doak/Curtis and Aaron Hickey to be deployed as wing backs, accommodating McGinn, McTominay and Christie becomes difficult. Clarke could drop Christie back to the holding role or play McTominay alongside Shankland.
Whatever his plan turns out to be, it’s likely to revert to a one-striker system at some stage with one eye on a more conservative approach for Morocco and Brazil.
While anything is possible at the outset, if you offered Clarke one of the best-ranked third place spots now, privately, he’d snap your hand off.
A win against the Bolivians with no further injuries would do morale no harm. In Springsteen’s state, let’s hope the glory days are only just beginning.
