Elijah Just has warned Scotland that Haiti are not the kind of opponents they can take lightly, after the Caribbean side swept New Zealand aside 4-0 in a World Cup warm-up in Miami on Tuesday night. The 26-year-old started for New Zealand and said the result should strip away any idea that Group C has a soft opening.
Just said Haiti are a good side with plenty of sharp one-v-one players, and added that their direct, strong and powerful style will cause teams problems. He said Scotland will have a difficult night when the sides meet in Boston, and that anyone expecting easy games at the World Cup will be making a mistake.
The warning matters because it came straight after he had felt Haiti’s pace and force at close range. New Zealand were swept aside in Miami, and Just’s message to Scotland was built on what he had just seen rather than on a scouting report. He said he hopes Scotland do not underestimate Haiti because they are a good side, a point sharpened by the scale of the defeat and the speed with which the warning followed it.
Just, who was an outstanding performer for Motherwell in the SPFL Premiership and recognised for that form under departed boss Jens Berthel Askou in the end-of-season awards, also spoke about the wider stage ahead of him. He called it an incredible season and said Askou is already gone, wishing him all the best as he moves on.
For New Zealand, the Miami defeat is part of their own build-up to Group G games against Iran, Egypt and Belgium, with England next in Tampa on Saturday. For Just, the immediate story is simpler: he hopes Scotland hear the warning before Boston, because Haiti have already shown in Miami that they can turn a warm-up into something much harder to manage.
