BOSTON, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Scotland head coach Steve Clarke believes his side may perform better as underdog when it takes on Morocco in its second World Cup group match on Friday.
Scotland tops Group C after beating Haiti 1-0 in its opener, which also marked its first World Cup match since 1998 and its first win at the tournament since 1990. One more point would all but secure Scotland's first-ever place in the knockout stage.
"Against difficult opponents, we have to be very good," Clarke said at a press conference on Thursday. "I feel Morocco are really, really good. They reached the semi-finals in the last World Cup and I have a feeling this Moroccan team is probably even better.
"Sometimes the Scottish psyche, we're more comfortable as underdog.
"It's just about focusing on what we can do. We don't really speak about what might happen. We can only speak about what we can control on the pitch, and that's being good in possession and out of possession. If we get those right, we have a chance to get a result," he said.
"We were the favourite against Haiti and we found the game a struggle, but we managed to win. This time we're the underdog and sometimes we prefer it that way," he added.
Scotland last met Morocco at a World Cup in France in 1998, when a 3-0 defeat saw it eliminated.
"We know how difficult it's going to be. We're now playing against one of the best teams in the world," Scotland captain Andy Robertson said. "But we also believe that if we perform to our maximum, we can make it difficult for anyone." ■
