Lions edge Syria in memorable victory

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http://www.goal.com/en-sg/match/103975/singapore-vs-syria/report

German coach Bernd Stange led his new team to their first competitive win under his charge with a determined display in their 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifier.

Starting with seven SEA Games-eligible players on Tuesday night, Stange kept true to his strategy of infusing youth and building a team for the future as Singapore triumphed against the odds edging Syria 2-1 in a memorable win.

Syria may be experiencing difficult times back home, but they were in no mood to take things lightly as they sought to add to their solitary point from two Group A games.

The red shirts were immediately put under pressure by Syria straight from the first whistle, with some last-ditch tackles flying in from the Lions defence in the early minutes.

But it was the home side who had the first shot on target, Hariss Harun weakly heading Zulfahmi Arifin’s deep free-kick at goalkeeper Mosab Balhous after two minutes.

The momentum soon swung back to the Syrians though and it was no surprise that Al Douni, top-scorer during Syria’s victorious WAFF Championship campaign last year, who was the visitors’ main threat.

The score remained at 0-0 at halftime and the deadlock should have been broken two minutes into the second half, a lunging Al Douni inches away from converting Mahmoud Al Mawas’s cross-shot on the right but it was not to be.

Soon after, though, Hafiz Sujad displayed superb composure after capitalising on a slip by right-back Ahmad Al Salih to drive into the area and cut the ball back across the area. With the Syria defence in disarray, Amri had no trouble side-footing it into an open goal to send the crowd wild in the 62nd minute.

Stunned, Syria tried to hit back. However, they were undone by another substitution from Singapore coach Bernd Stange in the 80th minute.

Brought on for goal-scorer Amri, Gabriel Quak wasted no time in making his mark. Played through by a delicious pass from Hariss, who had a storming game in midfield all night, Quak brought the ball into the area before curling a composed finish into the bottom left corner.

Substitute Raja Refe showed his younger team-mates how it was done by fizzing in an astute grounder one minute from time to pull one back, giving Hassan no chance but the Lions clung on and in the end.

Their first two goals in competitive action under Stange saw the German notch his first competitive three points, and perhaps herald the start of a new era.