Jordan beat Syria to reach knockout round
al ain — Jordan won a bruising derby with Syria 2-0 to become the first team to reach the Asian Cup knockouts on Thursday.
In a rowdy atmosphere at a packed Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium, first-half goals from Mousa Mohammad Suleiman and Tareq Khattab gave Jordan a maximum six points in Group B with one game to go against Palestine.
Vital Borkelmans’ team, who stunned defending champions Australia in their first game, could soon be joined in the last 16 by surprise package India, who face hosts UAE later in Group A.
In a febrile atmosphere at Al Ain’s Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium, Jordan slowly asserted dominance and could have scored when Suleiman’s mazy run prised open Syria’s defence, but Yousef Rawshdeh’s shot sailed over.
But on 26 minutes, after a break down the left, the two combined again when Suleiman stabbed home Rawshdeh’s shot from close range, triggering deafening celebrations.
Tareq Khattab doubled Jordan’s lead two minutes from half-time, when he bundled past Syrian captain Omar Al-Soma to nod in a corner in at the near post.
Syria’s Omar Khrbin came close twice after the break, once when his free header cleared the bar and again when he unleashed a shot which went just wide.
Tempers flared when Jehad Al-Baour pulled back Suleiman during play and a shoving match developed on the touchline, egged on by the crowd.
Saeed Al-Murjan’s lunge to get on the end of a free kick was somehow kept out by Syrian ‘keeper Ibrahim Alma but the job was already done for Jordan, who celebrated joyously with their fans at the final whistle.
With Al Soma subdued, the onus fell on 2017 AFC Player of the Year Khrbin to find a foothold in the game for the increasingly desperate Syrians. The Al Hilal man headed just over the bar five minutes after the restart before shooting straight at Amer Shafi six minutes later as his determination to haul his team back into the game grew.
Khrbin was involved again in the 71st minute as the Jordanian defence made a rare error to gift him the ball 25 yards from goal, but this time Shafi was on hand to save, doing just enough to divert his shot wide of the left post.
For all his desire, Khrbin could not find a way past the Jordan defence and it was Borkelmans’ side who went closest to scoring late on.