Key events
The transfer market never stops and Ayyoub Bouaddi has been linked with just about everybody since his showing against Brazil. He’s a Lille player at present, but unlikely to be one beyond the closure of the window.
Ouahbi was referring to Bouaddi’s performance in a 1-0 victory against Ancelotti’s Madrid in October 2024 on the day he turned 17, which ended with Lille’s supporters singing happy birthday to him on the pitch.
That ensured that every big club in Europe has been tracking his progress since. Arsenal are in preliminary talks to sign a player believed to be valued at about £70m by Lille; Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are thought to have registered an interest and Liverpool had scouts watching him on Saturday.
Against Brazil, it was noticeable the Morocco fans were significantly louder. That should make the atmosphere one to remember in Foxboro.
Steve Clarke is not a man to overstate things and he was typically realistic in his assessment of the Moroccans.
“We are under no illusion about the size of the task. I feel Morocco are a really, really good side. They reached the last four of the last World Cup and I have a feeling this Morocco team is slightly better than that, so that gives you an idea of the task ahead. They have power, they have pace, they have little bits of skill that can open up a game. For me they are the real deal, a top side. We will have to be at our very best to compete.
“It is a big challenge for us. We give them a lot of respect. We expect they will probably have more of the ball, more possession. We have to make sure that when we have the ball we can be a threat to Morocco.”
Scott McTominay did not have his best game against Haiti but he remains his team’s key man.
You need only walk in the vicinity of Hampden Park to learn of McTominay’s standing as a Scotland player. Kenny Dalglish and Denis Law have never been depicted on portraits on the gable end of terraced flats close to the national stadium. McTominay, a player born in England, produced such an iconic moment against Denmark last November that it will sit as an artistic reference point for ever more.
Paul MacInnes has been out and about with the Scotland fans.
Just 10 days since they first began arriving in New England, Scotland fans have managed to bring yet another nation under their thrall. Carrying a letter of support from FC Cologne, the last place to fall for the Scots two years ago, they have charmed, amused and fascinated the locals in Boston and beyond. Following the antics of the Scottish fans, their discovery of tailgating or their dancing at the baseball, appears to have become an American pastime, with clips ubiquitous on everyone’s social media feeds.
Preamble
The Tartan Army have been making friends in Boston, and they were able to celebrate a first win since 1990 when beating Haiti on Saturday . The Concacaf team proved nothing like an Iran from 1978 or Costa Rica from 1990. Not that Scotland were particularly impressive, and there were Caledonian nerves jangling all evening. Will John McGinn’s deflected goal be the high point? Here comes a real challenge in the shape of the African champions* (Cas ruling permitting) Morocco, a team who were much the better team in their opening match with Brazil. And were semi-finalists last time out, though this is a far more expansive team that the battling outfit from Qatar. If the equation for qualification is four points then a draw here would be handy. Exiting the group stage via the front door for the first time would be within Scotland’s grasp. It’s on? Well, that’s what we’re about to find out.
Kick-off is 6pm ET/11pm UK time/8am AEST. Join me.
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