Scotland waited 28 years to get back to the World Cup. It took Morocco roughly 70 seconds to remind everyone why patience is not the same thing as progress.
Steve Clarke’s side fell 1-0 to Morocco on June 19 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a result that has ignited fierce criticism of the Scotland manager’s tactical approach and team selection. Ismael Saibari’s early strike was the only goal, but the damage extends well beyond the scoreline.
What happened in Foxborough
The match was barely a minute old when Saibari found the net, catching Scotland cold in the kind of nightmare start that managers spend entire pre-match talks trying to prevent. From there, Clarke’s squad spent the rest of the game chasing a game they never truly controlled.
Scotland showed improvement after halftime, generating enough pressure to earn two separate penalty appeals. One involved Che Adams, the other Scott McTominay. Both were denied.
