The Fiver | Goddess of fate goaded into wreaking revenge with extreme prejudice

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Argentina has long been a word seared on the heart of every Scottish football fan. That’s a legacy of 1978, when the men’s team went over there and rewrote the dictionary definitions of both hubris and fiasco. They had been seen off in style by 30,000 delirious fans at Hampden, but as they approached their hilltop hotel, the clutch on their bus burnt out, and a truck had to nudge them the last 200 metres of their journey. It proved a powerful metaphor. Peru and Iran did a number on them; beleaguered manager Ally McLeod bent down to stroke a dog, uttering the immortal words “At least this wee fellow loves me!” just before the mutt sank its teeth into his hand; and Archie Gemmill scored the best goal in the history of All Football only for it to mean nothing 202 seconds later when Holland’s Johnny Rep lashed one in from downtown Buenos Aires. Oh Scotland! Ah Argentina! Oh aaaiiee aaarrgh.

Related: Shelley Kerr says Scotland ‘devastated’ after cruel World Cup exit

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