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India's AFC Asian Cup 2023 journey ended on a disappointing note with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Syria on Tuesday. The Blue Tigers had a disastrous campaign, losing all three games, failing to score a single goal and conceding six.
While it’s fair to assert that India faced challenges with the absence of key players, they certainly couldn’t live up to the potential displayed in the past year. But heading into the final group-stage game, they had an opportunity to qualify for the Round of 16 despite defeats to Australia and Uzbekistan.
After a promising start with Naorem Mahesh Singh coming close to scoring, Igor Stimac’s men faced a downward spiral since that early chance and struggled to match Syria in all aspects.
Ultimately, Omar Khribin scored the decisive goal in the 76th minute, securing all three points for Syria and marking their historic entry into the knockout rounds of the Asian Cup.
From India’s perspective, several factors went wrong, but here are three key factors that stood out in their defeat to Syria, who were ranked just 10 places above the Blue Tigers at the beginning of the tournament.
#1 Questionable tactics
Over the past year or so, India have established an identity and a successful philosophy under Igor Stimac. This was notably evident in glimpses during the game against Uzbekistan, where, despite a 3-0 defeat, the team showcased progress by withstanding Uzbekistan’s pressure.
However, it seemed that Stimac abandoned this tried-and-tested approach and reverted to a traditional 4-4-2 with Sunil Chhetri and Manvir Singh leading the attack. India became reactive and struggled to connect even 10 passes against Syria, which was partly down to the tactical shift.
The Blue Tigers often went long, with aimless passes to Manvir Singh up front, who failed to hold the ball and bring others into play. The gap between the midfield and defense was massive, resulting in turnovers as India struggled to control the game.
There was a huge contrast in the style of play seen over the past year. Stimac’s tactics played a role in the defeat, as they not only failed to complement the strengths of the players but, more importantly, made it easier for Syria to defend, putting India on the back foot.
#2 Failure to match Syria’s physicality
The difference in physicality has been evident between India and their three opponents. While the expectation was for Australia and Uzbekistan to assert dominance in this aspect, it was reasonable to expect India to hold their own against Syria both physically and technically.
However, the reality was quite different. Stimac’s approach relied on Manvir Singh to win duels against Aiham Ousou and proved to be a mismatch from the outset. Ousou, currently playing for Slavia Prague in Europe, won every aerial duel against the forward.
In the midfield, Deepak Tangri and Apuia Ralte also found themselves struggling to match Syria’s physicality, repeatedly being outplayed with ease. While there has been a noticeable improvement in this aspect for India, it shows the level of competition and the fact that other nations are progressing at a faster pace than the Blue Tigers.
#3 Poor decision-making in the final third
While Syria completely dominated the game, India did manage to create several openings in comparison to their previous two matches. However, once again, they were hindered by poor decision-making in the final third.
Apart from Mahesh Singh’s dazzling footwork in the box, which created a chance in the third minute, the game saw no clear-cut opportunities for India. The likes of Manvir Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Akash Mishra, and Nikhil Poojary were poor in possession, with their crosses from the flanks proving consistently subpar.
The absence of a well-defined game plan, coupled with an inability to be effective when it counted, certainly stands out as the contributing factor to India’s failure in the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
