Midfielder Mahmoud Al Maowas (right) set up one as Syria defeated India 3-0 to book their place in the last eight.TASHKENT – Syria joined free-scoring Korea Republic in the quarter-finals of the AFC U-16 Championship after recording a 3-0 win over India on Monday.
Asaad Al Khadr opened the scoring just before the break at MHSK Stadium after beating the India offside trap while two second half own goals following shots from Rabie Jmhaa wrapped up the win to maintain Syria’s 100% start and eliminate pointless India along with Indonesia.
Korea hold the edge over Syria at the top of Group B with a superior goal difference, but the two side’s meet on Wednesday to decide who advances to the last eight as group winners.
Syria began strongly as Jmhaa headed over inside the first three minutes before India goalkeeper Jayanta Paul clawed away an acrobatic close range effort from Mahmoud Saleh and Al Khadr headed wide.
Midway through the half Mohamad Kalaa-jei was allowed to advance unchallenged through the India midfield and forced Paul to palm his effort, which looked to be creeping inside the post, away from danger.
Syria had the ball in the net 13 minutes before the break but Rabie was adjudged to have been offside as he followed in after Paul could only palm away Saleh’s low strike from the edge of the area.
Paul needed a full-length diving save moments later to turn Kalaa-jei’s well struck dipping shot from the edge of the area around the post.
Syria were finally rewarded two minutes before the break as Mahmoud Al Maowas’ chipped ball forward caught the India defence flatfooted, allowing Al Khadr to narrowly beat the offside trap before firing across Paul, who managed to turn the ball onto the foot of the post but the shot had too much power and crept over the line.
On the stroke of half-time, Saleh rattled the India upright with Paul struggling to make up the ground across his goal.
Al Maowas drove a free-kick straight at Paul on the hour mark following a slow start to the second period before Jmhaa’s low drive across the face of goal deflected off an India defender who was tracking back to wrongfoot Paul and double Syria’s lead six minutes after the hour mark.
And with 18 minutes remaining Syria were handed a third as Jmhaa again shot across the face of goal from the edge of the area for defender Ashish Chettri to slice his attempted clearance past Paul from the six-yard line with the strike again heading wide.
Source:The AFC.com
