Syria advanced to the knockout stage of the Asian Cup for the first time after beating India 1-0 on Tuesday. Substitute Omar Khrbin’s score in the 77th minute ensured Syria finished third in Group B and advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams. Khrbin’s decisive strike at Al Bayt Stadium was Syria’s only goal in three group games. Syria failed to advance from the first round in its six previous attempts, most recently in 2019. Progress was a triumph for Argentine coach Hector Cuper, who was a back-to-back Champions League runner-up when in charge of Valencia, and led Egypt to the fi…