Scotland secured a historic 1-0 victory over Haiti in their FIFA World Cup Group C opener on Saturday, ending a 36-year wait for a win at football’s biggest tournament.
John McGinn’s shot that went past the keeper after a rebounding and two times deflection in the first half was the final nail in the coffin. In a fine display of concentration, the Scottish side could hardly be beaten for the three points, and find themselves at the top of the table when it comes to the total points.
Under Steve Clarke, Scotland got a solid start and had a few opportunities but it was the last 10 minutes when they finally broke the deadlock. Earlier stripes were an indication from both Ben Doak and Scott McTominay that they were heading foward, with McTominay hitting the post first before the opener.
Making a significant long awaited comeback back to the World Cup field, Haiti tore up the score sheet, being one of the most competitive teams in the tournament.Haiti bounced back in the right way and fought hard throughout the World Cup. Character player Johny Placide kept his opposition in check for the bouquets’ part with a number of difficult saves, as Haiti found both opportunities for themselves in both half periods.
The score tie was extended again after the interval, but Scotland never got the opportunity of adding to their lead and they eventually failed to see the opportunity even though they did take several good attempts. But Haiti relentlessly pressed onward for an equaliser and almost found it several times but the Scottish defence was robust.
It was a first for Scotland to not have experienced a World Cup victory for a long time since their 1990 win over Sweden in Italy.
The defeat was disappointing for Haiti but for the home side, there was some solace in their performance, which will ensure that the team will move on in the World Cup campaign to play for their first points in World Cup history.