1 hour ago
Key events
Justin Kavanagh gets successful touch: “Thanks for nan Joe Jordan pic and quote John, which has really shouted maine up. I spent half nan time (my birthday) successful nan dental chair having knocked retired a bony (don’t ask!). Big Joe was 1 of nan awesome heroes of my youth; that quote is magical and looking successful nan reflector now doesn’t consciousness rather truthful devastating.”
Morocco were Scotland’s last opponents astatine nan France 1998 World Cup and 28 years later, they are reunited. Here’s nan starting teams from Saint-Etienne.
Scotland: Jim Leighton; Jackie McNamara, Colin Hendry, David Weir, Tommy Boyd; Craig Burley, Paul Lambert, John Collins, Christian Dailly; Gordon Durie, Kevin Gallacher.
Morocco: Driss Benzekri; Abdelilah Saber, Lahcen Abrami, Noureddine Naybet; El Moustafa Hadji, Smahi Triki, Gharib Amzine, Youssef Chippo, Tahar El Khalej; Abdeljilil Hadda, Salaheddine Bassir.
Mary Waltz gets successful touch: “How tin Scotland not beryllium everyone’s 2nd team? The fans. Amazing. Singing astatine nan Red Sox game, marching down nan streets of Boston pinch their bagpipes.”
Ewan Murray
Scotland’s move to three/five man defence is nary surprise. The inclusion of Nathan Patterson astatine correct helping backmost alternatively of Aaron Hickey will move heads, however. There person been nary reports of a Hickey fitness, albeit his minutes are typically managed aft a important wounded that saw him miss much than a twelvemonth astatine Brentford. Hickey was short of his champion against Haiti and received a yellowish card, pinch those elements possibly nan elemental mentation for this switch.
The nonstop style of Scotland’s midfield will beryllium intriguing. Ryan Christie plays successful a deeper domiciled for Bournemouth than typically for Scotland. Christie, 1 of 3 changes to nan starting XI, is apt to beryllium utilized to support Che Adams successful attack.
Scotland’s squad shirts are embroidered wrong nan cervix pinch a connection from Joe Jordan. “I came from a mini spot and group retired successful my life and profession to spell nan furthest I could,” it reads. “For maine that was playing for my state successful World Cups.”
Scotland look to beryllium 5-4-1, aliases moreover 4-5-1. Morocco will again play 4-2-3-1, by nan looks of it.
Ewan Murray
Ally McCoist, who scored nan victor for Scotland against Switzerland astatine Euro 96, is wandering astir nan media centre successful Boston wearing his country’s portion from that very era. Scotland were denied a spot successful nan knock-out shape of that tourney connected extremity quality (or, arsenic acold arsenic Scots are concerned, because David Seaman fto a Patrick Kluivert changeable done his legs astatine Wembley arsenic England hit nan Netherlands 4-1).
There are shades of 1996 astir Scotland’s script here. A constrictive triumph complete Haiti leaves Steve Clarke’s squad pinch astatine slightest nan anticipation of being successful a extremity quality scrap for nan past 32. Scotland could almost surely debar that worry pinch nan claiming of a constituent from this crippled against a hotly-tipped Moroccan team. Morocco are rightly nan dense favourites. Scotland person to beryllium nan cliche existent successful showing they are amended arsenic nan underdog. Easier said than done.
Three changes for Scotland: Kieran Tierney, Nathan Patterson and Ryan Christie wil commencement pinch Aaron Hickey, Ben Gannon-Doak and Lawrence Shankland connected nan bench. That suggests a statement change. Morocco are unchanged from nan Brazil game.
The teams
Scotland: Gunn, Hanley, Hendry, Tierney, Patterson, McTominay, Ferguson, Robertson, McGinn, Christie, Adams. Subs: Kelly, Gordon, Hickey, Fletcher, Dykes, Stewart, Souttar, Hyam, Doak, Hirst, Shankland, McLean, Ralston, Curtis, McKenna.
Morocco: Bounou, Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui, El Aynaoui, Bouaddi, Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannous, Saibari. Subs: Mohamedi, Tagnaouti, Amrabat, Saadane, Talbi, Rahimi, El Ouahdi, El Mourabet, Yassine, Sbai, Belammari, El Kaabi, Amaimouni-Echghouyab, Halhal, Saleh-Eddine.
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
With nan USA squad winning good against Australia, feels for illustration each 3 big teams will spell through. The hosts successful 2010 and 2022 didn’t get done nan groups but bully for business, right? Nice portion from nan fantabulous Joe Callaghan.
double quotation markIn putting himself retired beforehand and centre Marsch has, arguably, fixed his players nan room to consciousness their measurement into nan roles, earlier gathering nan moment. Out location successful nan remainder of nan world, immoderate whitethorn already beryllium tiring of Marsch’s excesses but Canada is revelling successful his leadership. Thursday was some catharsis and situation and Marsch led nan state done some and near windmilling his arms for more.
Tony Barr gets successful touch pinch a question: “D’you deliberation there’s a batch of ‘we mustn’t underestimate nan Scots’ doing nan rounds connected nan Moroccan TV pre-game chat, aliases is that peculiar to English pundits erstwhile your batch are up against little opposition?
”Either way, I for illustration to deliberation nan Moroccan Alan Shearer (Hamdallah?) is telling personification correct now that Scotland ‘ iinahum laysuu ‘aghbia’’.”
Weather watch: it’s *just* 26 degrees successful Foxboro, pinch immoderate clouds successful nan sky. What counts arsenic a heatwave successful Largs, to put it different way.
The transportation marketplace ne'er stops and Ayyoub Bouaddi has been linked pinch conscionable astir everybody since his showing against Brazil. He’s a Lille subordinate astatine present, but improbable to beryllium 1 beyond nan closure of nan window.
double quotation markOuahbi was referring to Bouaddi’s capacity in a 1-0 victory against Ancelotti’s Madrid successful October 2024 connected nan time he turned 17, which ended pinch Lille’s supporters singing happy day to him connected nan pitch.
That ensured that each large nine successful Europe has been search his advancement since. Arsenal are successful preliminary talks to motion a subordinate believed to beryllium weighted astatine astir £70m by Lille; Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are thought to person registered an liking and Liverpool had scouts watching him connected Saturday.
Against Brazil, it was noticeable the Morocco fans were importantly louder. That should make nan ambiance 1 to retrieve successful Foxboro.
Steve Clarke is not a man to overstate things and he was typically realistic successful his appraisal of nan Moroccans.
double quotation mark“We are nether nary illusion astir nan size of nan task. I consciousness Morocco are a really, really bully side. They reached nan past 4 of nan past World Cup and I person a emotion this Morocco squad is somewhat amended than that, truthful that gives you an thought of nan task ahead. They person power, they person pace, they person small bits of accomplishment that tin unfastened up a game. For maine they are nan existent deal, a apical side. We will person to beryllium astatine our very champion to compete.
“It is simply a large situation for us. We springiness them a batch of respect. We expect they will astir apt person much of nan ball, much possession. We person to make judge that erstwhile we person nan shot we tin beryllium a threat to Morocco.”
Scott McTominay did not person his champion game against Haiti but he remains his team’s cardinal man.
double quotation markYou request only locomotion successful nan vicinity of Hampden Park to study of McTominay’s opinionated arsenic a Scotland player. Kenny Dalglish and Denis Law person ne'er been depicted connected portraits connected nan gable extremity of terraced flats adjacent to nan nationalist stadium. McTominay, a subordinate calved successful England, produced such an iconic infinitesimal against Denmark past November that it will beryllium arsenic an creator reference constituent for ever more.
Paul MacInnes has been retired and astir pinch nan Scotland fans.
double quotation markJust 10 days since they first began arriving successful New England, Scotland fans person managed to bring yet different federation nether their thrall. Carrying a missive of support from FC Cologne, nan past spot to autumn for nan Scots 2 years ago, they person charmed, amused and fascinated nan locals successful Boston and beyond. Following nan antics of nan Scottish fans, their find of tailgating aliases their dancing astatine nan baseball, appears to person go an American pastime, pinch clips ubiquitous connected everyone’s societal media feeds.
Preamble
The Tartan Army person been making friends successful Boston, and they were capable to observe a first triumph since 1990 erstwhile beating Haiti connected Saturday . The Concacaf squad proved thing for illustration an Iran from 1978 aliases Costa Rica from 1990. Not that Scotland were peculiarly impressive, and location were Caledonian nerves jangling each evening. Will John McGinn’s deflected extremity beryllium nan precocious point? Here comes a existent situation successful nan style of nan African champions* (Cas ruling permitting) Morocco, a squad who were overmuch nan amended squad successful their opening lucifer pinch Brazil. And were semi-finalists past clip out, though this is simply a acold much expansive squad that nan battling outfit from Qatar. If nan equation for qualification is 4 points past a tie present would beryllium handy. Exiting nan group shape via nan beforehand doorway for nan first clip would beryllium wrong Scotland’s grasp. It’s on? Well, that’s what we’re astir to find out.
Kick-off is 6pm ET/11pm UK time/8am AEST. Join me.
