Analysis: Striking quality shines through as Iran and Syria draw

AFC – TEHRAN, Syria claimed a last gasp equaliser against IR Iran on Tuesday to claim their place in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification Play-off, having resisted strong Iranian pressure.

With Omar Al Soma’s late leveller, Syria ensured the game would finish 2-2 and their hopes of a berth at next summer’s World Cup remain alive for the time being.

Both sides bombard from wide
While Iran may have enjoyed a substantial advantage in terms of time on the ball (394-199 passes), both sides sought to get forward and wide as quickly as possible in attack.

Iran attempted 28 crosses (35.7 percent success) to Syria’s 17 (23.5 percent), with just 23.1 percent of Carlos Quieroz’s side’s attacking play coming down the central third of the pitch.

Indeed, both of the hosts’ goals came from set-pieces from wide. The first, turned home by striker Sardar Azmoun, came after a corner was headed against the bar by Mehdi Taremi. Azmoun’s second, meanwhile, was scored after a Taremi flick-on header from a long throw into the area.

Syria may not have scored from their crosses but were equally as keen to get the ball into the area from wide with playmaker Mahmoud Al Maowas alone attempting five unsuccessful crosses.

Top level strikers make the difference
As so often for both sides, it was their respective big name attacking players who came up with the goods on the night, with both Azmoun (2) and Al Soma on the scoresheet.

Add in Taremi’s two significant contributions to Azmoun’s goals and that Tamer Haj Mohamad’s opener for Syria came from a saved Al Soma effort and the contribution of each side’s key attacking figures is clear to see.

Azmoun attempted just three shots on the night, with all three on target and two finding the back of the net. Al Soma was less clinical with his goal coming from five efforts at goal, but he was responsible for nearly half of Syria’s total efforts on goal.

Azmoun’s partner in crime Taremi, meanwhile, created two chances including his colleague’s second goal, besides three efforts on goal himself.

Syria enjoy success on right flank
With Iran on top for long periods of the game, it was always going to be an evening which required patience from Syria away from home.

Yet, the visitors spent time sizing up their opponents and in the second half in particular began to enjoy success down their right hand side — with three good opportunities created from the flank after the break.

Al Soma’s eventual goal would also come from the right channel, with the forward pulling the space vacated by full-back Milad Mohammadi before finishing cooly past goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.

Such was the Syrian preference for the right flank that only 20 percent of attacking play in the second half came down the left, as opposed to 38.9 percent in the right third of the pitch. Left sided forward Omar Khiribin, meanwhile, touched the ball just 29 times over the course of 90 minutes.