Steve Clarke can argue he got his major Scotland calls right despite World Cup defeat

Okay, they lost. There is still work to do reach the knockout stage. There are few sides anyone would least wish to play against while aiming to avoid a heavy defeat than Brazil. But so long as they avoid a multi-goal defeat, Scotland should make history in Miami next Wednesday. Praise be to the new World Cup format.

This qualification aim looked like the tallest of tall orders just a few minutes in to last night’s match, with Scotland recording unwanted history by conceding their quickest-ever World Cup goal.

Ismael Saibari’s strike after 70 seconds looked to have ripped up Clarke’s game plan almost instantly. But Scotland stuck in and kept faith with the set-up. No substitutions at half time might have caused some supporters to raise their eyebrows but the manager retained faith with his players and – for the most part – the system.

Clarke clearly put the loss of the earliest of early goals down to an aberration. And so it was on the part of Grant Hanley. The Hibs defender was slow to react to a straightforward ball behind the Scottish defence from Brahim Diaz. Ismael Saibari was onto it in a flash: one rocket shot into the top corner later, it was 1-0.

It wasn’t possible to accuse Clarke of getting his team wrong since the players had barely had time to arrange themselves into any discernible formation. But Tierney’s role in left midfield had certainly stimulated discussion in the minutes before kick-off, when news emerged that this is where he was going to line up having initially been expected to take his place in a three-man defence.

Clarke seemed to conclude that there had not been time to review whether this plan was working or not.

He persisted even as Morocco threatened to run riot as they moved Scotland around the park. The African champions had their opponents where they wanted them, yet they couldn’t pull the trigger again. Mohamed Ouhabi’s aide have scored just once in each of their last three matches. Their total of 601 passes is the most by an African team in a World Cup match since 1966.

If there’s a criticism of the Atlas Lions is that they do not score enough goals. In retrospect, maybe they were the best of the top-ranking nations in the world to play.

Although Morocco embarrassed their opponents at times and reduced them to chasing shadows on occasion, Scotland's deficit margin resolutely stayed at one. It could yet be viewed as the most significant result of any in Scotland’s World Cup history, because it keeps Scotland firmly in the qualification reckoning.

Clarke can argue he was right. Judging from the scoreline, his big decision could be said to have worked, One up front – though Che Adams was so isolated at times, he might have been playing in Boston, 28 miles away. A back four and Tierney on the left just ahead of skipper Andy Robertson formed an attempted double lock on the door aiming to keep Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz out. It ultimately worked, just about, after those initial stages when it looked as if this door might be flapping on its hinges. Scotland might even have been awarded a couple of penalties.

However, let’s not sugarcoat it: if Morocco had their shooting boots on, Scotland would now be planning the mother of all rescue jobs against Brazil.

As it stands, they probably still need to avoid a three, certainly four-goal defeat. Qualification remains in Scotland’s hands: a draw or first-ever competitive win against Brazil and carnival time will have come early to Miami.

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