John McGinn has insisted Scotland must attack Brazil in their final Group C World Cup clash in Miami, as he lamented a penalty decision he says was '100 per cent' wrong in the 1-0 defeat to Morocco.
Penalty Controversy Against Morocco
The Aston Villa captain was at the centre of a major talking point in the second half when he went down under a challenge from Neil El Aynaoui inside the box. Uzbekistani referee Ilgiz Tantashev waved away appeals, a decision backed by VAR, much to the frustration of the Scotland camp. McGinn's teammate Scott McTominay also had a penalty shout turned down.
Speaking after the match, McGinn said: 'It's a penalty, 100 percent. When a defender is running at full speed to try and win the ball, misses it and takes you out - it's a foul anywhere else on the pitch. Nine times out of 10 you get a penalty for that.' He added: 'I haven't seen any footage yet where he touches the ball but it's something we've just got to accept.'
Scotland's World Cup Hopes Still Alive
Despite the defeat, Scotland's qualification hopes remain in the balance. The new World Cup format means the three points from their opening win against Haiti could be enough to see them through, but a heavy loss to Brazil might see them eliminated on goal difference. McGinn is adamant the team must focus on a positive result rather than permutations.
'It's important not to get ourselves into that mindset. We're not going into games trying to lose by one goal and sneak our way through. We feel we've got enough quality to go through the proper way,' he said.
McGinn's Call to Attack Brazil
Looking ahead to the clash with five-time world champions Brazil, McGinn urged his side to take the game to their opponents. 'We have to attack Brazil. The second half (v Morocco) showed that when we get after teams, no-one likes being under that pressure. Even players at the top level make mistakes,' he said.
He acknowledged the challenge posed by Carlo Ancelotti's side, who beat Haiti 3-0 in their previous match. 'Brazil will be a different game. They play with less structure but they've got quality that can hurt you. We'll need to be at our best.'
Resilience After Early Setback
Scotland started poorly against Morocco, conceding after just 71 seconds to Ismael Saibari's stunning goal. But McGinn was encouraged by the second-half response. 'My feelings are a bit mixed, really. I'm disappointed to lose and it was a poor start from us. But the second half was much more of what you want to see from a Scotland team,' he said.
He added: 'It would have been easy for us to collapse against Morocco after conceding the early goal. But we're a resolute group. What we sometimes lack in quality against the top teams, we have in fight and character.'
Scotland face Brazil on Wednesday in Miami, needing at least a point to guarantee progression to the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
