Best and worst of Group C: Brazil & Morocco shine; Scottish heartbreak

Group C at the World Cup finished exactly as predicted pre-tournament, with Brazil topping the standings and Morocco easing through as runners-up.

The Brazilians took advantage of poor Scottish defending record to secure a comfortable 3-0 win, a result which could see the Scots miss out on a place in the knockout stages (again).

Haiti gave it their best shot, yet the Caribbean side finished bottom of the group, having scored just twice and conceding eight times across the three group matches.

While other groups in the tournament have offered up plenty of surprises, this one went by the script.

Brazil didn’t look at their fluent best, but Carlo Ancelotti’s men showcased flashes of their brilliance against Haiti and Scotland.

The Moroccans arrived with plenty of expectation, and they will be a formidable opponent across the remainder of the tournament. Whether the Atlas Lions will replicate their run to the semi-finals from 2022 remains anyone’s guess.

Brazil and Morocco prepare for the knockout stage

Brazil have not reached the semi-finals of the World Cup since 2014, and we all remember what happened then…. Although finishing first should usually secure a straightforward last 32 match, the Brazilians could face Japan, a dark horse for many.

Morocco are also set to face a difficult task as the Netherlands lies in wait for the North Africans next week.

If Scotland had managed to limit the damage against Brazil to a 1-0 defeat, their goal difference would have likely qualified them as one of the best third-place teams. But given South Africa’s shock win over South Korea, Scotland’s chances are slimmer than ever.

Biggest Disappointments

After three games, however, the Napoli midfielder finished without a goal or an assist and failed to really influence any of the three games he started.

After just 62 minutes on the pitch, however, Thiago managed only one shot on target and took 16 touches. He hasn’t been seen since.

Andy Robertson (Scotland)
Scotland’s captain could have offered much more during his time on the pitch throughout the World Cup. Against Haiti, the left-back wasn’t too bad, yet his displays against Morocco and Brazil – where he came off at half-time with an injury – left a lot to be desired.

Most surprising players

Matheus Cunha (Brazil)
Perhaps surprising isn’t the best choice of phrase, but Cunha took his chance against Haiti well, and he finishes the group stage with three goals across just two matches. He will certainly be Ancelotti’s main man going forward into the knockout stages.

Ismael Saibari (Morocco)

Saibari scored in all three of Morocco’s group stage matches. His first was the opener against Brazil, timing his run to perfection to slot home a wonderful finish. Against Scotland, the PSV man netted after just a minute following yet another well-timed run, and he rounded off things with goal number three against Haiti.

He played the full 90 minutes across all three games, and this experience on the biggest stage of all should stand him in good stead.

Best Moments of the Group Stage

• John McGinn scoring Scotland’s first World Cup goal in 28 years. His opener against Haiti ended a near three-decade wait for a World Cup goal, and it was celebrated widely on both sides of the Atlantic.
• Haiti opening the scoring against Morocco. The Haitians failed to get on the scoresheet against either Scotland or Brazil, albeit had chances against the former, but they finally ended that drought in the final game. It was their first World Cup goal since 1974.
• Scotland’s national anthem. Nobody quite does it like the Scots, do they? Belting out Flower of Scotland before all three group games was certainly emotional and one of the finest moments across all group games.
• Vinícius Jnr living up to the hype. The Brazilian maestro had scored just nine goals for his nation heading into the tournament, which was a poor return given his god-like talent. Four goals in three games since then, however, have plenty of supporters gushing with praise.

Best Group Stage Match: Morocco 4 – 2 Haiti

I was tempted to plump for the opening game of this group in what was an intriguing matchup between Morocco and Brazil.

For sheer entertainment value, though, Morocco’s 4-2 win over Haiti gets my nod. The Haitians took the lead through an own goal from Morocco goalkeeper Bono, before the Atlas Lions equalised in the 39^th minute.

Just before half-time, Wilson Isidor scored to restore Haiti’s lead, but that only lasted a couple of minutes.

Despite their heroic efforts, Sebastien Migne’s side conceded twice in the final 15 minutes to lose their third consecutive match.