Team USA's Strong Start and Soccer's Growing Appeal
Team USA continues its impressive start in the World Cup 2026. Alexander Abnos reports from Seattle, highlighting the enthusiasm surrounding the tournament.
"Soccer won," a sentiment anticipated before a clear and mild Friday afternoon in the Pacific Northwest, during a rare match between two teams united by their love for the sport.
John McGinn Responds to Roy Keane's Comments
This week, Roy Keane remarked that John McGinn sometimes resembles a pub player. McGinn addressed these comments with good humor in an ITV interview:
"I didn’t think what he said was that bad! He followed it up with something complimentary.
He was right. I actually think the amount of games that I’m looking at a pub player is becoming less and less as I get older. I try and not have as many games like that and be more consistent. I don’t think it was too bad. People were saying: ‘Did you see what he said?’ I just thought it was quite nice that they were talking about me!
We’ve got nothing to fear going into these games. All the pressure is going to be on Morocco. All the pressure is going to be on Brazil. What we’ve realised now with the players going and playing abroad and playing at the highest level is a lot of it is about belief.
If you think we’ve got to play Morocco and Brazil, two teams in the top ten in the world, we’re beat before you’ve started. I think the last few days have shown that this World Cup, anything’s possible. Hopefully we can probably surprise Morocco – but that won’t be a surprise to ourselves if we go and get three points on Friday."
Fan Reactions and Historical Context
Justin Kavanagh shared his appreciation: "Thanks for the Joe Jordan pic and quote John, which has really cheered me up. I spent half the day (my birthday) in the dental chair having knocked out a tooth (don’t ask!). Big Joe was one of the great heroes of my youth; that quote is magical and looking in the mirror now doesn’t feel quite so devastating."
Morocco is Scotland’s final opponent, reuniting the teams 28 years after their encounter at the 1998 France World Cup. The starting lineups from Saint-Etienne are as follows:
Scotland: Jim Leighton; Jackie McNamara, Colin Hendry, David Weir, Tommy Boyd; Craig Burley, Paul Lambert, John Collins, Christian Dailly; Gordon Durie, Kevin Gallacher.
Morocco: Driss Benzekri; Abdelilah Saber, Lahcen Abrami, Noureddine Naybet; El Moustafa Hadji, Smahi Triki, Gharib Amzine, Youssef Chippo, Tahar El Khalej; Abdeljilil Hadda, Salaheddine Bassir.
Scottish Fans and Tactical Adjustments
Mary Waltz commented on the Scottish supporters: "How can [Morocco] not be everyone’s second team? The fans. Amazing. Singing at the Red Sox game, marching down the streets of Boston with their bagpipes."
Scotland’s switch to a three/five-man defense was expected. However, the selection of Nathan Patterson at right wing-back instead of Aaron Hickey drew attention. There have been no reports of Hickey’s fitness issues, though his playing time is usually managed following a significant injury that sidelined him for over a year at Brentford. Hickey’s less-than-optimal performance against Haiti, including a yellow card, may explain this change.
The midfield formation remains a point of interest. Ryan Christie, one of three changes to the starting XI, typically plays a deeper role for Bournemouth but is expected to support Che Adams in attack for Scotland.
Scotland’s team shirts feature an embroidered message inside the neck from Joe Jordan: "I came from a small place and set out in my life and career to go the furthest I could. For me that was playing for my country in World Cups."
Scotland appears to be lining up in a 5-4-1 or 4-5-1 formation, while Morocco is set to play 4-2-3-1.
Ally McCoist and Historical Parallels
Ally McCoist, who scored Scotland’s winning goal against Switzerland at Euro 96, was present in the media center in Boston wearing his country’s kit from that era. Scotland narrowly missed the knockout stage of that tournament on goal difference, a situation still debated among fans.
There are echoes of 1996 in Scotland’s current scenario. A narrow win over Haiti leaves Steve Clarke’s team with the possibility of a goal difference battle for qualification. Securing at least a point against the favored Moroccan team would greatly improve their chances. Morocco enters as the heavy favorite, and Scotland must embrace their underdog status to succeed.
Three changes for Scotland include Kieran Tierney, Nathan Patterson, and Ryan Christie starting, with Aaron Hickey, Ben Gannon-Doak, and Lawrence Shankland on the bench, indicating a formation shift. Morocco’s lineup remains unchanged from their match against Brazil.
Scotland: Gunn, Hanley, Hendry, Tierney, Patterson, McTominay, Ferguson, Robertson, McGinn, Christie, Adams. Subs: Kelly, Gordon, Hickey, Fletcher, Dykes, Stewart, Souttar, Hyam, Doak, Hirst, Shankland, McLean, Ralston, Curtis, McKenna.
Morocco: Bounou, Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui, El Aynaoui, Bouaddi, Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannous, Saibari. Subs: Mohamedi, Tagnaouti, Amrabat, Saadane, Talbi, Rahimi, El Ouahdi, El Mourabet, Yassine, Sbai, Belammari, El Kaabi, Amaimouni-Echghouyab, Halhal, Saleh-Eddine.
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
Host Teams and Coaching Leadership
With the USA’s convincing win over Australia, it appears all three host nations will advance. Previous hosts in 2010 and 2022 did not progress beyond the group stage, but their participation was beneficial for the tournament’s profile. Joe Callaghan provided insightful commentary on the leadership of USA coach Marsch:
"In putting himself out front and centre Marsch has, arguably, given his players the room to feel their way into the roles, before meeting the moment. Out there in the rest of the world, some may already be tiring of Marsch’s excesses but Canada is revelling in his leadership. Thursday was both catharsis and crisis and Marsch led the country through both and left windmilling his arms for more."
Pre-Game Perspectives and Weather
Tony Barr posed a question regarding Moroccan media coverage: "D’you think there’s a lot of ‘we mustn’t underestimate the Scots’ doing the rounds on the Moroccan TV pre-game chat, or is that peculiar to English pundits when your lot are up against lower opposition? Either way, I like to think the Moroccan Alan Shearer (Hamdallah?) is telling someone right now that ‘iinahum laysuu ‘aghbia’."
The weather in Foxboro is mild at 26 degrees Celsius with some cloud cover, which contrasts with what would be considered a heatwave in Largs, Scotland.
Transfer Market Spotlight: Ayyoub Bouaddi
The transfer market remains active, with Ayyoub Bouaddi attracting widespread interest following his performance against Brazil. Currently a Lille player, he is expected to move before the transfer window closes.
"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."
This performance has drawn attention from major European clubs. Arsenal is reportedly in preliminary talks to sign Bouaddi, valued at approximately £70 million by Lille. Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool have also shown interest, with Liverpool scouts observed at his recent match.
Moroccan fans were notably louder during the match against Brazil, promising an electrifying atmosphere in Foxboro.
Steve Clarke’s Realistic Assessment
Scotland’s manager Steve Clarke provided a measured evaluation of Morocco’s strength:
"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’s Importance to Scotland
Although Scott McTominay did not perform at his best against Haiti, he remains a key player for Scotland.
"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."
Scottish Fans’ Impact in Boston
Paul MacInnes reports on the Scottish supporters’ presence:
"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."
The Tartan Army has made many friends in Boston and celebrated Scotland’s first World Cup win since 1990 with a victory over Haiti. The Concacaf team was not as formidable as previous opponents like Iran in 1978 or Costa Rica in 1990. Despite some nerves, including John McGinn’s deflected goal, Scotland faces a significant challenge against the African champions (subject to CAS ruling), Morocco. Morocco was the superior team in their opening match against Brazil and were semi-finalists in the previous tournament. This Moroccan squad is more expansive than the resilient team from Qatar.
If four points are needed to qualify, a draw in this match would be beneficial. Exiting the group stage through the front door for the first time is within Scotland’s reach. The match kicks off at 6pm ET / 11pm UK time / 8am AEST.
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