There was no damage to Scotland, to the morale, to the sense of progress, even to the self-assurance of individual players.

In a friendly match that clipped along at a decent pace without generating any intensity, perhaps that was the best that could be hoped for.

It was enough for Gordon Strachan's side to be satisfied with their evening's workout at Hampden, and to accept that other occasions will demand more from a side that is still learning how to express every aspect of the spirit and identity of the manager.

There could still be signs of optimism, even if the occasion lacked any real meaning. The competitive edge was never asserted, and so the contest was often bland, reduced to an exercise in going through the motions. None the less, the return of Steven Fletcher to the starting line-up was a welcome reminder that Scotland can call upon a striker of strength, guile, technical aplomb and an uncannily effective heading ability.

Fletcher was in many ways the downfall of one Scotland manager, since Craig Levein's reluctance to press for a reconciliation with the striker, who had effectively ostracised himself, was regularly criticised. Fletcher eventually returned, but it is Strachan who could significantly benefit from the restoration of the player's desire to represent his country, but also his fitness and his form.

It is the deftness that separates Fletcher from so many of his contemporaries. His touch can be feather-light, he can deliver the ball at sharp angles, and even a dummy can be enough to throw defenders' composure. One pass inside Brad Evans, the USA right-back, was almost perfectly weighted for Craig Conway. The same two players were involved in the best move of the opening period, alongside Robert Snodgrass, an interchange that ended with Conway wastefully shooting wide with a first-time effort inside the penalty area.

Fletcher was mostly only intermittently involved, but then that could have been said about many of the players. It was a game of drifting mood and tone. Yet the potential of the link-up play between Fletcher and Snodgrass held great promise. The latter is a more scurrying, more devilish player - he tends to perform with a rugged intensity - and he covered the ground between the midfield and the attack, so that Scotland played with two up front when they were in possession, and with five in midfield when the United States had the ball.

This was the same formation and approach that Strachan deployed in the 2-0 win over Croatia at Hampden last month. The manager works intensively with his players on the training ground, but the overall strategy is simple: when Scotland do not have the ball, Strachan demands that his players hold their positions with discipline and harry their opponents; when Scotland are in attack, he encourages them to be brave and bold, to not be afraid to take a player on or try a risky pass.

It is a system that requires energy, industry and application, but the central midfield pairing of Scott Brown - who provides all three of those critical qualities - and Charlie Mulgrew was a solid base to build from. Strachan was still prepared to experiment, though, and Gordon Greer started at centre-back to win his first international cap. The partnership with Grant Hanley was a combination of young and old, but also of two players inexperienced at this level. It remains an area of the field that must concern Strachan, due to the lack of strength in depth. It was also a rare start for Conway, who has been on loan at Brighton so peripheral has he become at parent club Cardiff City.

USA, with their awkward front pairing of Eddie Johnson and Jozy Altidore, were compliant opponents. The latter drove one effort narrowly wide in the second half, but otherwise tended to limber through the game. He often partners Fletcher at club level - Gus Poyet, the Sunderland manager, was watching from the main stand - and while neither dominated the game, the Scotland striker at least looked more refined. The game seemed to cause moments of exasperation in Juergen Klinsmann, the United States head coach. Wearing beige slacks and sportswear, he might have been on his way to the country club, but there were limitations to some of his players that must alarm him ahead of next summer's World Cup finals. This was not a full-strength US team, but they are aware of their poor record in away matches against European opponents and there was little sense of them establishing a newfound sense of authority, although Michael Bradley, the Roma midfielder, was composed in the centre of the pitch.

Scotland could be satisfied with their evening's work. The atmosphere was muted, the game was half-hearted at times, but there were enough flashes of promise to suggest that the forward momentum under Strachan can be maintained.