Saibari strikes after 70 seconds as Morocco puncture Scotland’s World Cup party

Scotland would have taken this outcome after 70 seconds. Ismael Saibiri had fired this highly-rated Moroccan team ahead. Men in kilts gulped under the blazing Massachusetts sun. Scotland may even privately have taken this outcome before a ball was kicked. Avoidance of a comprehensive defeat against Brazil will leave them with at least a fighting chance of becoming the first Scotland team to progress to the knockout phase of a major tournament. Easier said than done, of course, but a scenario where history remains within the grasp of Steve Clarke and his players. Onwards to Miami, for what promises to be quite the spectacle. The value in beating Haiti by a goal or only losing this by the same will all be apparent by full-time on Wednesday. The Tartan Army need calculators in hand. Morocco will feel frustration when assessing this game, despite the claiming of four points out of six. They have individual and collective ability to dwarf that of Scotland, which at times was perfectly obvious. Nonetheless, victory by only a single goal leaves the sense of a team failing to make the most of opportunity. They will want to be much more ruthless against Haiti. The good news for Scotland at the interval was that they only trailed by a goal. There were ominous similarities to the opening game of Euro 2024, when the Scots froze in the first period and were 3-0 down to Germany. As then, Clarke’s team were jittery and ragged. …