Coach Clarke boosts Scotland defence, Morocco unchanged from opener
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group C - Scotland v Morocco - Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S. - June 19, 2026 Scotland manager Steve Clarke arrives at the stadium before the match REUTERS/Brian Snyder
FOXBOROUGH, Mass., June 19 : Scotland will start with five defenders, compared to four in their opening Group C win against Haiti, with Nathan Patterson and Kieran Tierney being brought into the side as coach Steve Clarke bolstered his backline.
• Clarke opted to play with a lone striker in Che Adams, dropping Lawrence Shankland to the bench.
• He also brought in Ryan Christie in the place of speedy winger Ben Gannon-Doak.
• Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi decided to start with teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi again after the France-born 18-year-old's standout performance against Brazil.
• The Moroccans were unchanged from their opening match, with a four-man defence and striker Brahim Diaz up front.
Lineups:
Scotland: Angus Gunn; Kieran Tierney, Andy Robertson, Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, Nathan Patterson; Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Ryan Christie, Lewis Ferguson; Che Adams
Morocco: Yassine Bounou; Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Chadi Riad, Noussair Mazraoui; Ayyoub Bouaddi, Azzedine Ounahi, Ismael Saibari, Bilal El Khannouss, Neil El Aynaoui, Brahim Diaz.
