Steve Clarke: A weaker team would have crumbled against such an opponent

Scotland manager Steve Clarke expressed his disappointment following the 1-0 defeat to Morocco in their second Group C World Cup match. Despite the loss, the coach praised his players' spirit, even though they couldn't find a way back into the game after conceding an early goal.

“I think we recovered well in the first half, to be honest. It probably took us about 10 minutes to get into the game, because obviously, it’s very difficult to react when you concede such an early blow. Weaker teams would have crumbled against an opponent of this caliber, but we dug in and got back into the match,” Clarke stated.

“We conceded a silly goal because we didn't defend well in that situation, and we started the game already trailing. Morocco has a solid defense. They scored a goal and then defended their lead brilliantly. They are one of the top 10 teams in the world, possessing a strong defense and a potent attack, but I believe we also performed well. It's not easy to attack relentlessly against a team like them,” the specialist added.

When asked about the upcoming match against Brazil, Clarke concluded: “Now the players will have to 'suffer' the disappointment of this loss before we begin preparing for the match against Brazil next week.”