Category: Football

India’s Intercontinental Cup campaign ended in disappointment as they succumbed to a 0-3 defeat against Syria in Hyderabad. Despite a spirited second-half performance, India failed to find the back of the net, leaving them still searching for their first win of the year.

Syria, who had already secured the title with two wins, dominated the first half, scoring through Mahmoud Alaswad in the seventh minute. India’s goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, kept them in the game with several impressive saves, but Syria’s superior technique and skill proved too much to handle.

In the second half, India came out with renewed determination and tested Syria’s goalkeeper, Elias Hadaya, on several occasions. Liston Colaco came close to scoring in the dying minutes, but his shot was palmed away by Hadaya.

India’s head coach, Manolo Marquez, expressed frustration with his team’s first-half performance, saying, “I was very angry after the first half. I do not like teams that are scared.”

Despite the defeat, Marquez remained optimistic about India’s future, stating, “We can score and we will score” in the era after Sunil Chhetri.

Hosts India and Syria will face off in a thrilling winner-takes-all clash in the final of the Intercontinental Cup on Monday. India, seeking their second consecutive and third overall Intercontinental Cup triumph, will need to overcome a slight disadvantage against Syria, who require only a draw to claim the trophy.

Syria, with a long history of playing tournaments in India, has yet to secure a title on Indian soil. They lost back-to-back Nehru Cup finals to India in 2007 and 2009 and finished fourth in 2012. In their last trip to India for the 2019 Intercontinental Cup, Syria finished third.

India, on the other hand, will need to end a winless streak dating back to November last year to deny Syria their first silverware in India. India head coach Manolo Márquez, who celebrated his 56th birthday on Saturday, expressed confidence in his team’s ability to win the tournament.

“It will be a difficult game for both sides. It’s a friendly game, but the team who wins the game wins the trophy. We expect to play a good game and win the tournament,” said Márquez.

However, Márquez emphasized the importance of playing good football, believing that results will follow. “If you ask me, I prefer to play a good game than to win the tournament. I don’t want to win it 1-0, scoring with the hand. I want that, in this moment, the team understands our ideas and we play better because finally, it’s not about winning or losing.”

Defender Jay Gupta echoed his coach’s sentiments, stating that the team is focused on adapting to Márquez’s style of play. “Obviously, it’s a game where we have to fight for the cup, but we’re just focused on how we adapt to what the coach wants as soon as possible.”

Syria, under new head coach José Lana, is also in a new era. Lana was pleased with their opening-game display against Mauritius, which they won 2-0. He hopes to continue progressing and improve against India.

“I think India are a great team. I like the way they play with this coach. They try to move the ball fast. I think it will be a difficult match for us. And our only objective for tomorrow is to be better than our previous match,” said Lana.

The match promises to be an exciting battle between two teams eager to claim the Intercontinental Cup trophy.