The first half saw serious attempts from both teams to control the match's flow, especially the Olympic team, which sought to strengthen its lead. The Syrian team managed to get back into the game and equalize the score at the start of the second half, taking advantage of the Olympic team's retreat. The Olympic team narrowly advanced to the quarter-finals of the AFC U-23 Championship, thanks to a 1-1 draw with the Syrian team in their match held on Tuesday at Prince Abdullah al-Faisal City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during the third and final round of Group B. The quarter-final matches are scheduled for January 16 and 17. Joining the Olympic team, which finished second in the group with four points, ahead of the Syrian team on goal difference, in the next stage of the tournament was the Japanese team, which topped the group with nine points. Meanwhile, the Syrian and Qatari teams were eliminated from the competition. In the next round, the Olympic team will face Vietnam on Friday, January 17, at the same stadium in Jeddah. Vietnam topped Group A after securing a perfect record in the group stage. Uruguayan coach Marcelo Broli made changes to the lineup, bringing in Mutaq Al-Shamisi, Mansour Saleh, Muhammad Khalil, and Issa Khlaf to boost the attack and regain the initiative. The Olympic team ended the first half leading 1-0, with Ali Al-Amari scoring in the 23rd minute from a swift attack. Mahmoud Al-Amareh then equalized for Syria in the 55th minute.
