The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Wotherspoon the first Saint to play in finals with late sub showing
St Johnstone star David Wotherspoon has made history by becoming the first player from the Perth club to take part in a World Cup.
The 32-year-old replaced Junior Hoillet in the 76th minute of Canada’s 2-1 defeat to Morocco.
Before then he shared the accolade of being selected for a World Cup finals with Jason Scotland.
But unlike the former Trinidad and Tobago international in 2006, Wotherspoon got off the substitutes’ bench.
And on 82 minutes there was even a trademark “Spoony Chop” when Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi was deceived by the skill that has got the better of many a Scottish defender down the years.
The Group F fixture was a dead rubber in terms of Canadian progression.
Win, lose or draw, Sunday’s defeat to Croatia had ensured John Herdman’s team were out.
The result means they are still yet to win a game at the World Cup having also been knocked out without a point in 1986.
For Wotherspoon, the personal achievement underlines his claim to be St Johnstone’s greatestever player.
Canada’s afternoon got off to a catastrophic start when Steven Vitoria mishit a backpass and goalkeeper Milan Borjan rushed out of the area.
He initially took possession but then gifted the Atlas Lions the opener when he failed to clear and rolled the ball to Hakim Ziyech, who calmly chipped Borjan for the fourthminute opener.
Canada nearly got on the scoresheet when Cyle Larin took control of the ball inside their half and drove down the right before sending a cross to the back post, but it was a touch too heavy for a sliding Tajon Buchanan to push past Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Morocco soon extended their lead when Hakimi fed Youssef En-nesyri, who broke down the right before thumping a low effort past Borjan at the near post, becoming the first Moroccan to score in two different World Cups.
Canada’s second goal of the tournament came in unexpected fashion when Sam Adekugbe directed a cross into the area and Nayef Aguerd stuck out his right foot to clear but instead directed the ball past a diving Yassine Bounou.
En-nesyri thought he had restored Morocco’s lead in stoppage time but Canada were spared by the offside flag.
Canada looked brighter after the break and dealt the North Africans a late scare when 39-year-old substitute Atiba Hutchinson, the oldest outfield player in Qatar, pinged a header off the crossbar.
It fell on the goal-line and a clumsy late save from Bounou ensured Canada’s historic first point will not come at least until they are hosts in four years.