Scotland World Cup hopes on the edge amid question marks over refereeing in Morocco defeat

Class won out – just – over an experienced Scotland side, the most capped ever to represent the national team. The starting XI boasted a combined total of 609 appearances but they were initially schooled by a Moroccan team whose standing of sixth in the world seemed a grossly low measure of their qualities. If they must be marked down, it is in the area of finishing.

Scotland losing by just one goal is a result. They are where they tend to be at major tournaments going into the final group game: on the edge.

There was, inevitably, some poor refereeing to complain about. Even when Scotland are quite clearly second best, there is a strong case for saying they were harshly treated.

Neil Aynaoui’s bump on John McGinn at the start of the second half was not even referred to the VAR team for a second look. The same player was involved in a clumsy challenge on Scott McTominay inside the box with eight minutes left. The same outcome. The arrival of Ben Gannon-Doak on the hour mark for Kieran Tierney significantly raised Scotland’s ambitions. The Tartan Army might be winning friends and influencing people all over Boston, but Uzbekistan referee Ilgiz Tantashev proved resistant to Scotland’s charms.

Issa Diop pulled Che Adams back when the Scotland striker was potentially through on goal. The Fulham defender was only booked with Scottish fans – and some Scotland players – screaming for a red.

Steve Clarke’s side never had the chance to get going before they were pressed into making a mistake. Grant Hanley dithered and played Ismael Saibari onside and the player set to sign for Bayern Munich took a touch before launching a missile past Angus Gunn’s shoulder. The ball even got caught up in the net rigging to provide extra satisfaction for lovers of out-of-the-ordinary goals.

So much pre-match talk had been about securing a place in the knockout stage of a major tournament for the first-ever time. They remained just a goal away right until the end.

History had earlier threatened to swamp Scotland, not in a good way: their total of just 12 completed passes in the final third in the opening 30 minutes of a match is the lowest they have ever recorded at a World Cup. Bring on Brazil. From the very beginning, Morocco looked like the football sophisticates they are. Clad in white, shirts billowing in a warm Massachusetts wind, their insouciance was in direct contrast to Scotland’s laboured attempts to seize some element of control.

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The sheer arrogance of the Moroccans – arrogance with good reason – was summed up when the Atlas Lions targeted Nathan Patterson straight from kick-off. The Everton full-back, a bit-part player for his club, had clearly been identified as a weak link. Although of course, just because they could, Morocco struck down the other side, Scotland’s supposedly stronger flank.

It was supposedly buttressed by the inclusion of Tierney at left midfield. The idea had been to quell the danger posed by the rampaging Achraf Hakimi and the exceptional Brahim Diaz down the right. Some hope.