IT is being billed as Scotland's revenge mission.
But Craig Levein believes the circumstances around the 5-1 defeat which he presided over against the United States in Jacksonville in May last year are sufficiently different from Friday's friendly re-match at Hampden to render that last encounter irrelevant.
Back then, Scotland were in end-of-season holiday mode while Jurgen Klinsmann's side were preparing for a couple of crucial World Cup qualifying ties. Now both sides are in a relaxed frame of mind. While Scotland's players have reeled off three heartening qualifying wins under Gordon Strachan, the USA can play with the comfort of knowing their place in Brazil is already secure. "The circumstances are completely different this time," Levein said. "They've qualified and are relaxed about where they are at. We are relaxed too. Last time we were there we were also relaxed - about being on a nice little jaunt abroad."
A hat-trick from Landon Donovan, plus goals from Mike Bradley and Jermaine Jones - with a solitary reply from Kenny Miller - suddenly made what seemed a meaningless friendly into a meaningful one, not least because it became further evidence for the prosecution against the beleaguered Scotland manager.
In retrospect, there is no anger from the 49-year-old about the way his players performed,merely a realisation he might have done a few things differently if he had his time again.
"When I first took the job, I sort of watched what I was doing, didn't want to upset the clubs and didn't take all the friendly dates," Levein said. "After that, I thought it was important for me to get the players together. I wasn't angry afterwards. The only thing is that you learn every time you do something. What I learned is that you can't afford to take your foot off the gas at international level. It's all a little blur."
It is a truism in the contrast between the Levein and Strachan eras that while the former and his staff largely assembled the correct players - even Ikechi Anya had been on the national radar - it has taken the installation of the latter to identify a way of playing capable of generating wins, and consequently the added confidence which has arrived on the back of them. Luck might have played its part along the way but Levein accepts that the elusive big win to get things rolling never came. "I think Gordon has a group of players who play in a certain way that suits them," Levein said. "I don't think they are looking over their shoulder, worried about competition for places. I just think they're excited about being involved. They are playing the game without any fear."
It may have taken his absence for certain things to click into place, but Levein is delighted that things have turned for many of the personalities who he first assembled into a squad. As a former central defender himself, not least the man who first included the likes of Grant Hanley and Russell Martin in his squad, Levein cannot speak highly enough of Scotland's new-found backline.
"If you ask Gordon, that was born out of other people not being available," he said. "So it was because of circumstances. But the partnership works. Russell is now an experienced player in the Premier League who can play a number of different positions. Then you've got Grant, who is a proper centre-back.
"Grant is 6ft 3ins - he's some size of a man. He has a head twice the size of anyone I've ever seen and as a centre-half that helps. He's big, strong and you do need that but more than that you need the heart and willingness to put yourself in the line of fire.
"The other thing about him is he's a really good kid. There's no side to him, no hassle involved. He just gets on with his job. It will help him having one year in the Championship where he's playing every week - while maybe if Blackburn had stayed in the Premier League he'd have ended up on the bench."
Not only is Strachan able to welcome back Steven Fletcher after injury, the match, and the away friendly with Norway which follows, could present Hanley's club-mate Jordan Rhodes with a rare chance. Levein has no problem with how sparingly Strachan has chosen to use the striker who he handed his international debut.
"I've heard Gordon talking about the role he was looking for, and fair enough, it's a valid point," said Levein. "You need to get up to the goals, to the last third of the park. And a lot of the times you need your striker to help you get in there.
"I think Jordan would say himself that his best quality is putting the ball in the back of the net. I am sure as he matures and gets older, the rest of it can come."
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