Foxborough (Massachusetts): After a 28-year absence from the men's tournament, Scotland finally returned to the World Cup by beating Haiti 1-0 in Group C.
During Scotland's disappointing performances at the European Championship, coach Steve Clarke made it clear that he did not enjoy his first two stints guiding the team. However, John McGinn rewarded head coach Steve Clarke's trust by helping Scotland secure their first World Cup victory in 36 years against Haiti.
John McGinn, the man known as Meatball, deflected a shot off an opposing defender and past goalkeeper Johny Placide in the 28th minute, helping Scotland secure the victory over Haiti. Although it was not McGinn's best strike, nor his best performance, he once again delivered when it was needed.“When it went into the back of the net, you could feel the Scotland fans,” McGinn commented.
Through this match, Scotland earned their first World Cup victory since a 2-1 win over Sweden in 1990.
Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson commented, "We came here to get three points. We did, and now we move on."Obtaining those points meant a lot more than that. Scotland leads the group standings after Morocco and Brazil, the group favourites, played out a 1-1 draw earlier in the day.
Even though it was a nerve-wracking night at Boston Stadium, it is safe to say that by sending his country to the top of Group C and taking a big step towards reaching the knockout stage for the first time, McGinn proved Clarke's decision to choose him over Ryan Christie.
Haiti is still looking for its first World Cup point. Its only previous World Cup appearance was in West Germany in 1974.
"We're playing at an extremely high level. But you can get punished for one oversight,” Haiti coach Sébastien Migné said.
Che Adams' mistake in the area deflected off Placide and into open space, setting up McGinn's goal. From 13 yards out, McGinn's shot bounced off a defender.
In the 17th minute, Scotland captain Scott McTominay broke free and unleashed a shot that narrowly missed the top corner.Even though Haiti had their chances in the second half when Ruben Providence sent a cross to Wilson Isidor, the forward was unable to direct the ball into the net.
Gillette Stadium, around 30 miles outside Boston, was packed with supporters from Scotland's Tartan Army, creating a wave of red.
Scotland will remain in the city to play Morocco at Gillette Stadium on Friday. Meanwhile, Haiti's next match against Brazil is scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.