Haiti 0-1 Scotland: McGinn winner edges Tartan Army past brave Haitians in foul-strewn battle

Haiti and Scotland produced what, for neutrals, was the astir entertaining crippled of the 2026 World Cup truthful acold connected Saturday, June 13. It was the Scots who came retired connected top, winning 1-0 astatine the Gillette Stadium successful Foxborough.

Back astatine a World Cup aft 28 years away, Scotland pb Group C with 3 points, with Brazil and Morocco, who drew earlier successful the day, connected 1 apiece. Haiti, returning aft 52 years, are bottommost of the group.

Haiti vs Scotland: How the crippled unfolded

The last lucifer of the opening circular of Group C was defined by 2 things: a singular fig of fouls, and 2 teams playing a marque of shot that whitethorn not person been pretty, but that pleased anyone watching.

At times, the crippled resembled a judo bout much than a World Cup fixture. There were countless dense fouls, including pulls and kicks, from commencement to finish. The lucifer finished with 44 fouls successful total, 23 by Haiti and 21 by Scotland, with 4 yellowish cards (one for the Caribbean side, 3 for the Europeans).

Unlike Brazil and Morocco, who held connected to the shot conscionable for the involvement of it, Haiti and Scotland were much often than not nonstop erstwhile their players had possession. The Scottish extremity was a cleanable example, arsenic it came from a agelong shot guardant to Che Adams, who laid it disconnected to Ben Gannon-Doak. The Bournemouth midfielder took connected his defender and drilled a debased transverse into the box. Lawrence Shankland's changeable was saved, but John McGinn was connected manus to person the rebound.

Haiti vs Scotland: A brave Haiti caused Scotland much problems than expected

For anyone expecting Scotland to predominate against a theoretically weaker opponent, that was not what unfolded successful Foxborough. The archetypal fractional was open, with some sides going nonstop successful pursuit of a goal. And though the Europeans opened the scoring and rattled the woodwork, they besides had a mates of scares of their own.

In the 2nd half, Haiti's bravery became adjacent much apparent, peculiarly successful the last 15 minutes. The Caribbean broadside came incredibly adjacent to an equaliser successful the closing stages. Frantzdy Pierrot roseate higher than the Scottish defence and headed towards goal, lone for the shot to curl marginally wide. Haiti kept the unit connected until the end, but to nary avail.

The stat

John McGinn becomes the archetypal Aston Villa subordinate to people for a British federation astatine a World Cup successful the past 36 years. The past to negociate the feat was David Platt, who scored for England successful the third-place play-off astatine the 1990 World Cup successful Italy.

The presumption of the press

"It was 90 minutes of torture and beauteous mediocre football, to beryllium honest. But Scotland are supra Brazil, truthful who cares?"

Scott Mulen, BBC Scotland

Haiti vs Scotland: What comes next

Scotland vs Morocco
June 19, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough

Brazil vs Haiti
June 19, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia