New Delhi:
Defending champions India will look to sort out their defensive blues when they take on Syria, their opponents in final, in the last round-robin fixture of the Nehru Cup international football tournament on Saturday.
After losing to Lebanon 0-1 in their opener, India bounced back with a 2-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan and played their best match in the 3-1 win over Sri Lanka.
Saturday's match has been rendered inconsequential after Syria had beaten their traditional rivals 1-0 yesterday but the hosts would still want to win tomorrow and carry on the winning momentum into the August 31 final when they meet the same opponents again.
The back four have been the weakest link in the Indian side and they struggled against Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan.
Against Sri Lanka, they improved but somehow offered a free header to the opposition to concede a goal from a corner, which coach Bob Houghton termed disappointing.
Even if his boys are through to the final, Houghton said they will play for a win on Saturday.
"We want to win every match and so we want to beat Syria in our last match. Syria are a strong side but we can beat them," Houghton said.
Syrian coach Fajer Ebrahim, on the other hand, said his side will play a "casual game" against India tomorrow as they want to prepare for the final.
"We will play a casual game as we have reached the final.
I am not thinking of India match tomorrow and I am thinking of the final," he said.
He won't even bother any beating in the morale of his players if India beat his side by a big margin.
"Let them (India) have the chance to do that," he said.
Ebrahim gave hints that a few key players, including star striker Mohammad Al Zeno, could be rested against tomorrow.
"I think Al Zeno needs some rest but I have not decided. I will see if some reserve players can be fielded," he added.
For Houghton though, he is likely to field the same team which started against Sri Lanka so that they can have a feel of the Syrians before taking them again in the final.
He has the option to bring in the reserve players later in the match if India are not in a losing position.
In that situation, Houghton would want to replace Bhaichung Bhutia by Abhishek Yadav as the India captain has already got a yellow card in the match against Lebanon.
Houghton ill-affords to lose Bhutia in the final.
The same could be the case for the other Indian player who has got a yellow card -- right back Surkumar Singh, and veteran Deepak Mondal may come later in the match in his place after the Manipuri had a hang of the Syrian attackers.