How will Scotland approach Morocco game after opening win?

How will Scotland approach matches against Morocco and Brazil after a tense opening win over Haiti in Boston?

Published 3 hours ago

The Scottish sporting mentality demands that even in victory, the mind begins to wander ahead to when and how it might all fall apart.

Scotland's anxious opening 1-0 World Cup triumph over Haiti raised numerous questions.

Why were the Scots made to struggle by a side ranked 83rd in the world?

How would that standard of play measure up against the teams ranked seventh and sixth – Morocco and Brazil, their upcoming opponents?

Will the narrow margin of victory come back to haunt them when goal difference could decide whether they advance to the knockout rounds?

Perhaps, though, it is wiser to step back and consider the bigger picture.

John McGinn's goal delivered Scotland's first World Cup victory in 36 years, just their fifth overall and their first opening-match win at the tournament in 44 years.

Steve Clarke's side top Group C – for now at least – so maybe this is a moment worth enjoying.

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'Job done, that's all that matters'

"The performance wasn't brilliant, but it's a World Cup win," said former Scotland forward James McFadden, a man who carried the nation's hopes for so long without ever reaching the biggest stage.

"Scotland don't win many games at the World Cup. In fact, Scotland don't play in many World Cups, so I think it's massive.

"It was a must-win in terms of hopes and ambitions of escaping the group. It felt a bit all or nothing and you've still got two more games, so it's hugely positive.

"We have a real opportunity to get out of the group. We've never seen a Scotland team do it, this could be the team to do it, and it all depended on winning this game.

"It doesn't matter how we got it done, we got the job done and that's all that matters."

Back to one up front?

The failure to add more goals against the second-lowest ranked side in the tournament is likely to bother those old enough to recall the World Cups of 1974, 1978 and 1982 when Scotland exited on goal difference.

The upside is the Scots are just one strong performance away from making history by advancing to the knockout stages for the first time.

With 32 of the 48 nations progressing, a point against either Morocco or Brazil – who drew 1-1 on Saturday night – will almost certainly secure advancement. Three points could be sufficient if the goals conceded tally is low.

Could that mean we see a more cautious approach in the next two matches?

Clarke went with two strikers against Haiti and former Scotland captain Scott Brown expects one to be dropped for the remaining Group C games.

"I think [midfielder] Ryan Christie starts in both of them," he said. "I think we end up going back to one up front and we'd be a bit more compact in midfield.

"Ryan was fantastic when he came on. He'll keep the ball, gives you that extra bit of energy and he fights for you as well.

"Are we going to have as much possession, as many opportunities against Morocco and Brazil?"

Neil McCann believes a lone striker is the solution and suggests Lyndon Dykes is best suited to the role.

"He gets knock-downs, he holds it up for Scott McTominay and John McGinn to get beyond," McCann said.

Another former Scotland winger, Pat Nevin, also anticipates a system change, but thinks Clarke will opt for an extra centre-back.

"A 4-4-2 doesn't suit us, the midfield is left completely exposed," he said.

"I think we need a back three. Morocco are so fluid and fast in attack. A back four against what they've got is tough."

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McGinn fires Scotland to first World Cup win for 36 years

Test of character

Winning ugly was a theme in Scotland's qualification campaign. The "jobby performances" – McGinn's words – in beating Greece and Belarus hardly got pulses racing, but Scotland got what they needed from those games.

They will have to improve against Morocco and Brazil, of course they will. Those sides will not be as erratic as Haiti if they get the same kind of opportunities in the final third.

But the foundation is there now. The nightmare scenario of a potentially fatal blow in game one has been avoided and Scotland are off and running.

Clarke will be hoping his key players can show a bit more of their quality than we saw in Boston, but he will accept precious points in Group C in whatever form they come.

"We're the third best team in the group, that's just the way it is," said former Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam.

"We're going to need to be better with the ball, especially against Morocco.

"But we talk about resilience, good heart, we've got loads of that, and we're going to need it for the next two games."

Win ugly, draw ugly. Whatever it takes to break through that World Cup glass ceiling.

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