The true sense of a 48-team World Cup will finally be felt on Saturday at Gillette Stadium in the Boston suburbs, where Haiti and Scotland will welcome the vibe of an expanded field in more ways than one.
Both sides return to the World Cup in decades – Scotland were last at the tournament in 1998, while Haiti's only other previous trip was in 1974 in a version of Germany well before the Berlin Wall fell. Neither has made it to the knockout stages before, either, the fact that eight teams that will finish third in their four-team groups inspiring plenty of hopes for minnow-types who find themselves situated in North America to start their summers.
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Scotland might be favored for a third-place spot in Group C, where Brazil and Morocco will likely duke it out for first and second chiefly through their meeting at MetLife Stadium in the New York area earlier on Saturday. They have returned to the World Cup with much fanfare – several members of the Tartan Army will be showing up in style in yellow school buses, a perfect solution to reach the U.S.' inconveniently placed NFL stadiums that are all of a sudden ridiculously expensive to reach. Scotland also have a surprise flash to their squad thanks to Scott McTominay, who has found a happy home in Italy with Napoli and now has the Serie A's MVP award and a Ballon d'Or nomination on his list of accomplishments. There's just one problem, though – McTominay might not be at the peak of his powers on Saturday.
The midfielder will be available for the game but he dealt with a stomach bug in the days leading up to the game, traveling separately from the team's base camp in Charlotte, N.C. – and with a doctor – to avoid spreading the illness to the rest of the group. That is good news for Steve Clarke's team, McTominay a distinct talent for a nation that has waited nearly three decades for a World Cup game. Keep up with the World Cup standings here!
"Everybody knows what Scott brings," midfielder Kenny McLean said earlier this week. "It is quite apparent how big a player he is for us. For all that it has been a team effort [to qualify], and always will be a real team effort, we have special players at the core. He is up on a mural for a reason. He is a true talent, a special player, an amazing guy and an amazing part of the team. He is a big character around the place, but it is a team effort and I'm sure Scott would be the first to say that. He is desperate to play and his preparations have been amazing apart from maybe something he has eaten somewhere along the line."
He is coming off two career-defining seasons at Napoli, bagging a combined 27 goals along the way. He is expected to carry that form into the World Cup with Scotland but more so when he's at his healthiest, which is where the concern comes in. This is Scotland's most winnable game in a group that is headlined by a five-time world champion and a semifinalist at the 2022 tournament. Haiti are not known for their defensive prowess – they conceded 13 goals in 10 qualifying games – and Scotland did spread the goalscoring load when they qualified. McTominay only nabbed two of their 13 goals in six games, but things become more nervy without him.
How to watch Haiti vs. Scotland
Date: Saturday, June 13 | Time: 6 p.m. ET Location: Gillette Stadium -- Foxborough, Mass. TV: FOX (Eng), Telemundo (SPA) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free) Odds: Haiti +490; Draw +340; Scotland -185
Haiti vs. Scotland predicted starting lineups
Haiti: Johny Placide, Carlens Arcus, Ricardo Ade, Hannes Delcroix, Martin Experience, Louicius Deedson, Danley Jean Jacques, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Ruben Providence, Wilson Isidor, Duckens Nazor
Scotland: Angus Gunn, Aaron Hickey, Grant Hanley, John Souttar, Andrew Robertson, Ben Gannon-Doak, Scott McTominay, Lewis Ferguson, John McGinn, Lawrence Shankland, Che Adams
Haiti vs. Scotland pick, prediction
It is hard to imagine Scott McTominay missing this game unless the stomach bug has fully sidelined him, which it has not at this point. Even if he is not at the peak of his powers, though, Scotland have enough talent in the team to get the job done and put themselves in a strong position before two very difficult games against Brazil and Morocco. Pick: Haiti 0, Scotland 2
Our experts expect strong showings from both teams this tournament. Be sure to check out our staff predictions.
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