ARMENIA COMES UP SHORT AGAINST DETERMINED DENMARK
Football.co.uk
Sept 11 2013
Author: Armen Bedakian Published : 11 Sep 2013 09:21:06
The Build Up to the Game
Fresh off a last-minute win against the Czech Republic, Armenia
continue their quest to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil,
taking on Denmark in the capital, Yerevan. Only Denmark, Bulgaria and
Italy stand in Armenia’s way for a second place finish in Group B,
so three points is a must today, to put Armenia at 12 points.
They will also be hoping results go against Bulgaria, who face Malta.
While the full three points may be all but assured for Bulgaria, an
upset against Bulgaria would put Armenia in a great position heading
into the most crucial match of the group against Bulgaria.
Armenian goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky is not available for this match,
after he was taken off with an injury in the last game. Gevorg
Kasparov will replace him between the posts. Another notable change
in the starting XI is the inclusion of both Marcos Pizzelli and Aras
Ozbiliz, replacing Yura Movsisyan, who struggled against the Czech
Republic. Captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan starts once more for Armenia, with
pressure on his shoulders to score his record-breaking goal at last.
The last time these two sides met, Armenia went home with a 4-0
victory, something that Denmark manager Morten Olsen likened to the
“Denmark 9/11.” He later apologized for this statement.
So, with a full three points on their mind, Armenia take on Denmark
with one eye set towards Brazil, and a hope that results will finally
go their way and see them to a spot on a grand stage.
The First Half
Armenia started off the first half well, defending in numbers and
controlling the ball in midfield. In the second minute of play,
Varazdat Haroyan picked up the first yellow card of the game. Denmark,
in their traditional style, reacted to Armenia’s offensive pressure
with a cool, calm demeanour. The first 15 minutes was a relatively
even affair, with Armenia controlling a bit more of the possession.
However, neither side could open their scoring accounts early.
In the 23rd minute, Armenian goalkeeper Kasparov was forced to make
two big saves, but the number 12 came up big and kept Armenia’s goal
safe. Three minutes later, Artur Sarkisov was subbed in for Karlen
Lazarian, adding another element of attack to Armenia’s midfield. On
the half hour mark, Mkhitaryan caught sight of goal from well outside
the box and took a shot, but it went wide.
Armenia won a corner in the 32nd minute, which they drew short to
find Artur Yedigyan in midfield. His shot went high, and a few seconds
later, he picked up a yellow card for a rough tackle in midfield. Each
Denmark attack was met with a resilient Armenian defender clearing the
ball from the box, making it difficult for the Danes to connect up top.
Armenia won a foul outside the box in the 38th minute, and Denmark’s
Peter Ankersen was awarded a yellow card for the challenge. Ozbiliz
stepped up and curled the ball in, and met with the head of a Danish
defender, who cleared it for a corner. Mkhitaryan picked it up outside
the box, burst forward, and won another corner in the process. Ozbiliz
passed the ball in close, got the return pass and took a shot on goal,
but the shot didn’t test the keeper.
With five minutes to go in the first half, the Danes continued to
push forward with intent. At the 45 minute mark, Niki Zimling came off
for Casper Sloth. That would be the final bit of action for the half,
and the two sides head into the dressing rooms locked at 0-0.
The Second Half
Armenia kicked off the second half with a change, Sarkisov coming off
for Sargis Adamyan. Denmark earned a free kick right outside the box
in the 48th minute, which Christian Eriksen stood over, but he smacked
his shot against the wall and out for a corner. Armenia defended the
corner well. Ghazaryan and Ozbiliz connected up top well, and produced
a strong chance in front of goal, but the final touch was lacking.
On the hour mark, Mkhitaryan was pulled down in midfield by William
Kvist, who was shown yellow for the challenge. Armenia pushed forward
with intent, Ozbiliz performing a neat trick which won Armenia a
corner. He stood over the corner spot, whipped the ball in, and found
an Armenian head. The headed effort smacked the bottom of the crossbar
but was deflected out!
In the 66th minute, Viktor Fischer came in for Martin Braithwaite,
Denmark’s second change of the match. Armenia made their final change
of the game in the 70th minute, David Manoyan coming in for Marcos
Pizzelli. Ozbiliz muscled his way past a handful of Danish defenders
minutes later, cracking a shot at goal, which was saved easily.
In the 72nd minute, Armenia faced disaster, when Haroyan slid in
for a rough tackle in the box, giving Denmark a penalty and getting
his second yellow. Now down a man and facing a penalty, Armenian
goalkeeper Kasparov couldn’t prevent Denmark’s captain from slotting
home, Daniel Agger giving Denmark a 1-0 lead.Now down to 10 men,
Armenia pushed forward looking for an equalizing goal with 15 minutes
to go in the match. Armenia won a foul in midfield, but Ozbiliz
completely missed his mark, kicking the ball out for a goal kick. With
only eight minutes to go, Denmark made their final change of the night,
Niki Bille coming off for Simon Makienok.
Armenia grew more and more desperate for possession as the seconds
ticked down, Denmark maintaining control of the bell well and moving
around into open spaces. Ozbiliz caused problems in defence, drawing
Nicolai Boilesen to a foul and subsequently, a yellow card. Ozbiliz
took the free quick well, forcing the keeper into making a big save,
but could not connect on the rebounding cross. Two minutes of added
time was all Armenia would get, which went by far too quickly, Armenia
unable to equalize. The final score of the game: Armenia 0-1 Denmark.
Final Thoughts: Armenia Good, Not Good Enough
Armenia now has two games left to play in Group B: one against
Bulgaria, the last, against Italy. The problem Armenia now faces is
that they require a full six points to have hope at finishing in the
second spot in the group. Sure, it could be done with four points,
but any points will be hard to come by against those two sides.
This may be it for Armenia, who have matured beyond their years,
have grown together as a unit and produced some fine footballers in
the process. As a child, I remember Armenia as a team with plenty of
heart but little talent to go along with it. Those days are now gone,
it seems. The name Mkhitaryan is well known now, his time at Borussia
Dortmund just beginning, but there are new faces, too, that warrant
mention.Aras Ozbiliz has emerged as a real talent for Armenia, and
that was on full display against Denmark, as he danced around several
midfielders and defenders for the full 90 minutes. It’s not just an
emergence of talent, however, that makes this Armenia a pleasure to
watch; there is also a beauty in their physical play. Unlike many
physical sides, Armenia plays with technique and finesse. Sure, the
style of play may be rough, as is the tactical approach Armenia has
taken, but unlike other hard hitting sides, Armenia recovers the ball
with two parts physicality and one part technique.
It makes Armenia a good side, but not a great one. It keeps Armenia
from being blown out in matches, even when they lose. It makes
Armenia a side that bigger teams now fear, where once the name was
associated with teams like San Marino or Malta. This Armenia team is
young, capable and showing results. It is not to be taken lightly,
as Denmark learned during their last encounter, and as many other
teams have found out in recent years. Once more, Armenia exceeds
expectations but come up short. They, like many other underdog sides,
will one day have their day, too. However, it looks less and less
likely that that day will come in Brazil.
Perhaps, with a touch of experience gained in the Bundesliga for Heno,
and the maturation of players like Ghazaryan, Ozbiliz and Movsisyan,
Armenia will become a force to be reckoned with during the UEFA Euro
cup qualifiers. They may even make
it to the finals, as they nearly did back in 2012. One thing is
certain, though. Armenia is no longer a minnow in Europe. They have
proven themselves to be a threat. As they continue to grow, so too
will soccer in the country, a country born nearly two thousand years
ago and independent, now, since 1991.
Good, but not quite there yet for Armenia. Bring on the Bulgarians.
Starting XI:
12 Gevorg Kasparov
3 Varazdat Haroyan
13 Kamo Hovhannisyan
20 Levon Hayrapetyan
15 Hrayr Mkoyan
6 Karlen Lazarian
7 Artur Yedigaryan
10 Gevorg Ghazaryan
8 Marcos Pizzelli
18 Henrikh Mkhitaryan (C)
23 Aras Ozbiliz
Substitutions: Artur Sarkisov in for Karlen Lazarian (26′); Sargis
Adamyan in for Artur Sarkisov (45′); David Manoyan in for Marcos
Pizzelli (70′).