Eight-thousand fans were on-hand to watch the Syrian and Jordanian football teams battle to a scoreless draw.
According to Al-Ra'i daily, Jordan made an impressive showing in a friendly game yesterday in Damascus. The first real opportunity was a threatening free kick awarded to Syria, taken by striker Maher al-Sayyid. Syrians Mustafa and Sayyid also missed golden opportunities to find the back of the Jordanian net. The first real Jordanian threat came with just a few minutes remaining in the first half, when Jordanian Osama's shot narrowly missed the Syrian goal.
Important substitutions in the second half led to Jordanian control. At least 4 good chances were wasted or cleverly blocked by the Syrian net-minder, Al- Beiruti. While Syria did have occasional second-half chances, the Jordanian pressure increasingly mounted as time progressed. However, neither side could break the deadlock. The Syrian squad was ultimately relieved when the final-whistle sounded.
The Jordanian team, ranked 19th in the continent according the latest Asian Football Federation report, returns to home soil to host a talented Lebanese team on Wednesday.
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
