Iran has won all the matches in the group stage of this year's AFC Asian Cup to reach the round of 16, and scored 7 goals during the period, which is quite a remarkable performance.
The quality of Iranian players is very good, they can penetrate the back of the opponent's defense from the side and create good scoring chances, so I'm not surprised that they have scored so many goals. In this match against Syria, they will have a chance to gain more possession of the ball, but they will have to take their time in organizing their attack against Syria's tight 4-4-2 defensive formation. Asmon's form is steadily improving and I'm sure he'll be a huge threat in front of goal.
Syria won 1, drew 1 and lost 1 in Group B, advancing to the knockout stage for the first time in history.
Under the leadership of Coach Cooper, their defense is quite organized and they have only conceded 1 goal in 3 group matches. However, up front, they seem to lack control in front of goal, only scoring 1 goal, so they need to improve their last kick accuracy.
It will be very crucial for that team to start the game, so Syria will have to defend well against the opponent's side attacks and behind-the-back transmissions right from the start. I think Elias will be the source of their creativity up front.
