Observers preview the World Cup matchup of Scotland vs. Morocco
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Cape Verde’s scoreless draw against Spain was the true shocker of the tournament. New Zealand’s tie against Iran, Saudi Arabia pulling even vs. Uruguay and Egypt matching Belgium all fit the early craze.
Boston Stadium in Foxboro hasn’t found its marquee match yet with Scotland and Norway winning as expected over Haiti and Iraq. The Scots remained in New England, went viral a few times, donated a reported $30,000 to Providence charities, and are now ready for Morocco in their second match of the tournament.
The Providence Journal’s Jacob Rousseau and Bill Koch will be at every match at Boston Stadium for the World Cup. And we’ve teamed with Rhode Island FC assistant coach Marcos Ugarte for our World Cup coverage. Ugarte, a Rhode Islander, is on call for pregame and postgame evaluations of the matches at Boston Stadium. Match start time between Scotland and Morocco is set for 6 p.m. Friday in Foxboro.
“I'm putting it right up there and it’s maybe the best game of the tournament so far,” Ugarte said. “The context is important with Scotland on three points — they punch their ticket to the next round with a result. Morocco, let's say they were to lose; they're now not relying on their own destiny to get in. There's a lot at stake and that's why these second set of games within the group are really interesting. Everything's still alive, but your fate can really head in one direction based on the result.”
The Scots will certainly have the favor of neutral fans at Gillette Stadium, but Scotland isn’t the favorite in its second Group C matchup. Morocco made history in 2022 as the first African nation to reach the World Cup semifinals. It already drew Brazil in its opening match of the tournament, and anything less than a quarterfinal appearance would be disappointing.
Walid Regragui stepped down as Morocco’s manager in March and Mohamed Ouahbi was quickly appointed as bench boss. He leads a side headlined by Paris Saint-Germain right back Achraf Hakimi. Scotland found space on the right side against Haiti and that’ll likely be eliminated by Hakimi, the African player of the year.
“He's the best right back in the world,” Ugarte said of Hakimi. “I say that without a lot of hesitation. He'll be a constant threat and Scotland will certainly have [Scotland captain and Liverpool back] Andy Robertson on that side. That'll be an interesting matchup with two high-profile backs. Hakimi’s going to look to get forward — he's a real threat in the final third. Scotland will have a game plan put in place to help neutralize whether [John] McGinn ends up drifting maybe a little bit more to that side.”
Ismael Saibari and Brahim Diaz will test Scotland’s back line. The former scored Morocco’s lone goal in the draw against Brazil, and Diaz, who plays for Real Madrid, led scoring in the Africa Cup of Nations. A draw won’t undo Morocco but a victory positions the side favorably.
“They have developed into a massive footballing nation,” Ugarte said of Morocco. “They’re going into this tournament with real expectations and they're going into this game thinking we need to get three points.”
The Scots can clinch advancement to the knockout stage with a win. They were leaky in the back against the Haitians, but slipped through with a 1-0 victory. That line needs to be tightened as Morocco’s attack won’t be as kind if its given the same opportunities.
The Scots will be welcomed back at Fenway Park any time after they took over the city earlier this week. Another win here led by Scott McTominay and Robertson will further Scotland’s lore this summer. It’ll need to harness that passion to capture a second victory and then the nation can tap into the reserve bar supplies postgame.
“A lot of people have been talking about the Scotland presence from a fan perspective, in the area and between Providence and Boston,” Ugarte said. “I think they'll come out full force — they’re a fun bunch.”
Predictions for Scotland vs. Morocco
Ugarte: Ultimately, I think Morocco will create chances, there's too much creativity and too much ability. The way they play and the way they combine and connect, they’ll ultimately just find a way. Morocco 2, Scotland 0
Koch: Fascinating tactical matchup in this one — Andy Robertson on the left for Scotland, Achraf Hakimi on the right for Morocco. They've been two of the world's premier outside backs in recent years. Morocco's overall quality throughout its lineup should make the difference here. Morocco 2, Scotland 0
Rousseau: I would love to pick Scotland here because they’ve been great guests. But I just can’t — Morocco has too many pieces. I hope I’m wrong. Morocco 3, Scotland 1.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Expert predictions for Scotland and Morocco World Cup matchup