India, June 25 -- Football loves its goalscorers. On a good day, it makes room for the manager. Rarely, though, does the spotlight stretch deep into the coaching staff. Yet in Houston, the most compelling story from Portugal's 5-0 demolition of World Cup debutants Uzbekistan was not Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking "I'm back" moment. It unfolded on the touchline, when Roberto Martinez turned away from the pitch before the ball had even settled in the net and headed straight towards assistant coach Austin MacPhee to celebrate.

MacPhee, 46, is from Kirkcaldy in Scotland, and his journey to a World Cup touchline has been anything but conventional. He played college football in the United States, had spells in Romania and Japan, and later...