It was a night to forget for India coach Manolo Marquez as his team got thrashed 0-3 by Syria, which won its first Intercontinental Cup, at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, here on Monday.
Syria started on the frontfoot and was rewarded for its early dominance as it grabbed the lead in the seventh minute. India’s defence failed to clear its lines and was punished by Mahmoud Alaswad, who toe-poked the ball with the outside of his boot, beating Indian goalkeeper and captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu at his near post.
As the half progressed, the Indians were tactically and physically outclassed in every department. Syria was dominating possession, 64 per cent to be precise after the first 15 minutes, whereas India could hardly manage to penetrate Syria’s final third.
In the 21st minute, Syria had another chance to double its lead. Alaa Dali was fed a line-breaking through ball, which allowed the forward to carry the ball into the box. The Syrian dinked the ball past the onrushing Gurpreet but saw his effort trickle past the post.
India’s first proper chance came through Lallianzuala Chhangte in the 28th minute, who got at the end of Subhasish Bose’s cross from the left flank, but could not keep his effort on target.
Just before halftime, Sahal Abdul Samad came close to grabbing the equaliser. A failed clearance sent the ball to Sahal, who was already inside the Syrian penalty area. The Mohun Bagan Super Giant midfielder shot at goal, aiming for the far corner but Syrian keeper Elias Hadaya got down quickly to palm the ball away.
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India looked a different side at the start of the second half. Marquez’s men took the game to the Syrians, and were beginning to create in-roads into final third.
Chhangte had a chance early on after being fed by Sahal inside the box. Shooting across the face of the goal from the right, he saw his effort saved by a diving Hadaya.
The Syrian keeper kept winning his personal battles with Chhangte. In the 55th minute, the Indian forward finished a counter-attack with another shot at Hadaya’s near post, only for the custodian to palm the ball away for a corner.
In the 68th minute, the Blue Tigers came close to levelling the scores once again. Nandhakumar Sekar tried his luck with a first-time shot but could not connect properly. The ball rolled to the far post, where Chhangte was eager to guide it inside the net, but failed to get a foot to the ball.
Just when India was starting to create more chances, Syria ended any hope for a comeback, doubling its lead in the 76th minute. Daleho Irandust made a darting run inside the Indian penalty area from the right, cut in and beat Gurpreet at his near post. The Indian keeper got a touch but could not prevent the ball from going inside the net.
Edmund Lalrindika and Liston Colaco came close to scoring late in the game, but Syria added salt to India’s wounds by grabbing a third during second half stoppage time.
The Blue Tigers, pressing high for a goal, saw its defence exposed as Syria launched a counter-attack. Second half substitute Mahmoud Al Mawas carried the ball inside the box and squared it to Pablo Sabbag, who tapped the ball inside the net from point-blank range to confirm the trophy for the Syrians.
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