Aston Villa star has been rather upset with the referee’s decision as Scotland were beaten at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Aston Villa star John McGinn criticised the referee during the match in Boston as The Tartan Army suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Morocco on matchday two in Group C yesterday. Ismael Saibari’s early goal within 70 seconds put them under pressure for almost the entire game. Andrew Robertson and Co. were unable to find an equaliser.
McGinn was unsatisfied with the decision made by referee Ilgiz Tantashev in the 49th minute after he was challenged inside the six-yard box by Morocco midfielder Neil El Aynaoui. The 31-year-old midfielder protested as he believed his team should have been awarded a penalty. Yet, the Uzbek match official did not listen to the Villa skipper’s appeals.
McGinn slammed the decision during an interview with BBC, as reported by Birmingham Mail.
“I think we could have been helped at times by the ref; 50/50 challenges, decisions. No problem with allowing things to flow, but it has to be consistent across both teams. Sometimes that goes for you, goes against you. I think if we got a couple of those penalty decisions for us I don’t think VAR intervene, definitely not.”
“Out the corner of my eye I can see him charging in. If you get first contact to the ball, he’s taking you out. And he took me out on the side. It’s a penalty kick for me.”
McGinn then added that Morocco were rather lucky in that game.
“Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t. If it’s given on the field there’s no chance it’s overturned. I think Morocco have got away with one there.”
Such a defeat puts Scotland’s campaign in danger of missing out on a place in the knockout stage. They are now sitting third with four points, one point behind Brazil and Morocco, who both have five points.
Their third game against Brazil on June 25 will be a decisive one. Steve Clarke’s men would have to win or at least hold Brazil to a high-scoring draw to keep their hopes of progressing alive as one of the best third-placed teams. The Tartan Army have never managed to advance from the group stage since their World Cup debut in 1954.
So, how was McGinn’s performance in that game? Compared to the opener, in which he netted the winning goal, the former Hibernian man’s display was rather disappointing.
During the game, he only made one key pass, one accurate cross out of two attempts, and one accurate long ball out of three. The Glasgow-born midfielder did not make a single defensive contribution, apart from committing two fouls. He was eventually substituted in the 88th minute.
His form appeared to affect Scotland’s performance too. They only managed six shots, with their two best chances to equalise coming from Napoli man Scott McTominay within the final six minutes.
The final game against Brazil will be crucial for their campaign. McGinn, as well as all of his teammates, is expected to be at his best to end Scotland’s long run of failure to progress further at the World Cup.
Scotland fans hope their vice-captain can produce another moment of magic in an important game like the upcoming fixture against Selecao, as he often does. McGinn has become a difference-maker at international level too, just like he is for The Lions.
The Aston Villa man is not new to such a role. His goal in the opener against Haiti is just one of several occasions where he has made a major contribution in crucial matches.
Perhaps the most important one came in the final game of the EURO 2024 qualifiers against Norway. McGinn registered one goal and one assist as Scotland held Norway to a 3-3 draw. That result helped them qualify for the tournament as the best runner-up without having to go through the playoffs.
The post ‘It’s a penalty kick for me’ – Aston Villa star criticises the referee on Scotland’s defeat in the World Cup appeared first on AVillaFan.com – Aston Villa Fan Site.
