Ismael Saibari’s goal about a minute after kickoff was enough to secure Morocco’s victory against Scotland and move his team to the top of Group C.
The striker received a lob pass on the right side from midfielder Brahim Diaz with plenty of room in front of him. His shot was initially projected toward the right goal post but landed under the center part of the crossbar.
The two players also combined on Morocco’s only goal in the 1-1 tie against Brazil on June 13.
With the win, Morocco leads its group with four points ahead of the June 19 match between Brazil and Haiti.
Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 on June 13.
Scotland Manager Steve Clarke, anticipating that Morocco would have much more ball possession and forward pressure, adjusted the squad’s formation to prioritize defense, with five midfielders and one forward instead of two. The Scots were compact in the middle, but the Atlas Lions quickly found space on the outside and exploited it.
When Scotland had the ball, Morocco immediately closed down any space. The African squad, with an extremely fast counterattack, had no problem getting behind Scotland’s midfield and defense quickly after winning the ball.
Morocco, currently ranked seventh in the world, enjoyed most of the ball possession in the first half and deep into the second half. The team, which finished fourth in the 2022 World Cup, features a mix of players from the top professional clubs in England, France, and Spain.
Most of Scotland’s starters play in the English Premier League, while its star player, Scott McTominay, plays for Napoli in Italy’s Serie A league.
Even though Morocco was favored to win the match, Scotland, with plenty of support from its traveling band of “Tartan Army” supporters and their “No Scotland No Party” chants, had a much louder and larger cheering section. The Scots, embraced by the Boston area since their arrival, have been referred to as America’s “second-favorite team” in this World Cup.
The second half was better for Scotland in terms of possession and passing. Clarke switched back to a formation with two forwards and attack-minded midfielders, switching in Lyndon Dykes and Kenny McLean.
They connected with McTominay, who saw very little of the ball in the first half. He made a strong run with the ball into the penalty box and went to ground following a challenge from a defender who missed the ball and swiped his foot, but a video-assisted referee check determined that the contact was minimal and not a penalty, prompting an angry response from the crowd at Boston Stadium.
Minutes later, McTominay received a pass in the penalty box with his back to the goal but was immediately surrounded by Moroccan defenders and unable to turn for a shot or a pass.
Midfielder Ryan Christie also had a scoring chance in the second half, collecting a pass outside the penalty box but shooting high and wide.
Morocco had several scoring chances in dangerous spots, but its attacking players also shot high or wide on numerous occasions.
Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn made a spectacular save early in the second half to keep his team in the game, stopping a low header inside the six-yard box.
In its World Cup history so far, Scotland has zero wins in matches where it was trailing at the end of the first half.
Morocco also beat Scotland in the 1998 World Cup, by a score of 3-0.
Group C play finishes on June 24, with Scotland versus Brazil and Morocco against Haiti.