Intercontinental Cup 2024: Poor defensive performance and other talking points from India vs Syria

Anwar Ali and Rahul Bheke were too slow in the entire game.

The final clash of the 2024 Intercontinental Cup saw Syria defeat last edition’s champions India with a statement performance at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad. Syria came into this game with their intentions very clear and a dominating win over Mauritius in their last outing. The Qasioun Eagles took an early lead in the 7th minute through Mahmoud Al Asward’s cheeky finish.

They were the better side in the first half and improved themselves even more in the last 45 minutes. Daleho Irandust doubled his side’s lead with his first-ever goal for Syria before Pablo Sabbag wrapped up a perfect 3-0 win for his side. Let us take a look at the talking points from the game.

Poor defensive performance

Syria toyed with India’s backline and made them look like school kids. It seemed that Syria did not have to put in much effort to get past the defenders and try their luck on goal.

The Qasioun Eagles were all over the Blue Tigers and did not let go of a single opportunity to cause problems for the home side. Although Syria found the back of the net only thrice, they had much closer chances which went unconverted. 

Not the best start to the Manolo Marquez era

In the opening two games, Manolo Marquez has a draw and a defeat to show for his efforts. The Blue Tigers were simply not able to score a goal despite creating numerous chances. India reacted very late and by the time they understood what needed to be done, the damage was done by Syria.

The visitors exploited the spaces to perfection and capitalized on India’s weaknesses to win their first-ever Intercontinental Cup title.

Syria wins first title on Indian soil

After numerous failed attempts in the past, Syria finally managed to win their first-ever trophy on Indian soil. The away side have been a part of multiple tournaments in India, but never got their hands on the trophy until today.

The West Asian nation has finished as the runners-up in two editions of the Nehru Cup followed by a third-place finish at the 2019 Intercontinental Cup. They have finally won a trophy in India in their fourth attempt.

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