FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Coach Steve Clarke says he did not enjoy Scotland’s lackluster first two spells at the European Championships.
So far, the sport’s biggest stage has brought him, and the Scot, even more luck.
Scotland defeated Haiti 1-0 in Group C as John McGinn deflected a defender’s shot past goalkeeper Johnny Placido in the 28th minute. world cup Saturday.
“When it went in the back of the net, I felt the Scottish fans,” McGinn said.
Scotland, playing in the tournament for the first time since 1998, secured their first World Cup victory since 1990, defeating Sweden 2-1.
Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson said: “We came here to get the three points. We got the three points and now we can move on.”
Winning important points meant more than that.
The group’s favorites are Brazil and Morocco. ended in a 1-1 draw Earlier in the day Scotland had topped the group standings.
“Obviously our pressure is a little less than the pressure that everyone puts on us in this game,” Clark said. “They deserve to be the team that finally qualified for the World Cup.”
haitiHis only appearance in the World Cup was in West Germany in 1974, but he is still aiming for his first World Cup goal. The Grenadiers had several chances in the second half, but were unable to completely equalize.
“We are playing at a very high level, but one oversight could lead to us being punished,” Haiti coach Sébastien Minet said.
McGinn’s goal came from a rebound from a mistake in the box by Che Adams that hit Placido and bounced into open space. McGinn’s shot bounced off a defender from 13 yards remaining.
Scottish Tartan Army supporters gathered in droves to create a red wave inside a packed Gillette Stadium, located about 30 miles outside Boston.
Scotland came close to scoring in the 17th minute, but captain Scott McTominay fired a shot that hit the top of the post.
Haiti had their best chance in the second half. In the 74th minute, Ruben Providence sent a cross to Wilson Isidore, but Isidore was free to try to put the ball in directly.
Then, in the 84th minute, Franzdi Pierrot, who moved to Boston from Haiti at the age of 11, hit a header, but it went wide of the left side of the target.
Scotland will be in the city to take on Morocco at the Gillette Stadium on Friday. Haiti next plays Brazil in Philadelphia on Friday.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
