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FOXBOROUGH - With a 1-0 victory over Scotland at Gillette Stadium Friday night, Morocco snatched possession of first place in Group C of the World Cup.
Following a 1-1 draw with Brazil in its tournament opener, Morocco now has four points. Scotland, who beat Haiti 1-0 at Gillette last Saturday, remains at three points.
Ismael Saibari’s score was the decider in the contest, giving him two in the World Cup.
Ismael Saibari punishes early
The lone scorer for Morocco in its draw with Brazil, Saibari wasted no time against Scotland.
In the first minute, Saibari took advantage of a high line from the Scots, perfectly timing his run to connect with a Brahim Díaz feed.
With only keeper Angus Gunn to beat, Saibari blasted it into the net to give Morocco a 1-0 lead. The finish was also the fastest goal of the World Cup.
Defensive changes for Scotland
After running a more traditional 4-4-2 in the win over Haiti, Scotland opted for a 5-4-1 look against Morocco. The intention was clear, Steve Clarke wanted to sit lower and absorb more pressure against a very dangerous attacking side.
Despite the early goal, the tactic largely worked. Morocco held the majority of possession in the first half but Scotland found ways to threaten on the counter.
In the second, Clarke’s side found ways to control the ball without exposing itself defensively but fell just short of scoring.
How this impacts Group C:
With the victory, Morocco moves to the top spot in the group with four points. Scotland drops to second place.
Elsewhere in the group, Brazil and Haiti are set to kick off at 8:30 p.m. in Philadelphia.
Group C
| GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Scotland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Brazil | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Haiti | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Cards:
Issa Diop picked up a yellow card for Morocco as he took down Ché Adams in the 22nd minute.
In the 65th minute, after a physical start to the second half, Andy Robertson was shown the first yellow for Scotland after pulling down Achraf Hakimi.
Next up:
Morocco’s final group stage contest will be on June 24 at 6 p.m. in Atlanta against Haiti. Scotland will finish group play on the same day against Brazil, kicking off at 6 p.m. in Miami.
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