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Armenia 0 Finland 2
sportinglife.com, UK
Sept 8 2004
Finland enjoyed their second successive victory in the World Cup
qualfiers with a comfortable result in Armenia.
Goals from Mikael Forssell and Aleksei Eremenko Jr in either half
secured the win for the Finns, who now have six points from three
games in Group One.
Hosts Armenia came into the match having lost their opening qualifier
3-0 against FYR Macedonia last month, while their opponents were on
a high after managing the same result over Andorra just four days ago.
And it was the Finns who laid out their intentions from the start,
with coach Antti Muurinen to play in an attacking style with captain
Jari Litmanen and Eremenko encouraged to get forward from midfield
as much as possible.
The tactics paid off after 23 minutes with Forssell's opener. The
striker received the ball from Eremenko just outside of the area, made
his way past two defenders before firing a shot into the bottom corner.
Forssell almost added a second on the stroke of half-time when he
once more tricked his way past the Armenian defence, but the final
ball flew past the wrong side of the post.
Finland eventually doubled their advantage after 68 minutes, when
Joonas Kolkka's perfect pass found an unmarked Eremenko who had a
simple tap-in into the net.
Substitute Pekka Lagerblom should have made it 3-0 five minutes later
but failed to hit the ball into an empty net leaving the Finns content
with a two-goal win.
Teams
Armenia Hovsepyan, Mkrtchian, Nazarian (Aleksanian 73), Dokhoyan,
Albert Sargsian (Manucharian 54), Khachatrian, Artur Petrosian,
Melikian, Karamian (Grigorian 78), Movsisian, Hambardzumian.
Subs Not Used: Berezovsky, Nikolay Sargsian, Hakobian, Galust
Petrosian.
Booked: Melikian, Albert Sargsian, Aleksanian.
Finland Niemi, Pasanen, Hyypia, Vayrynen, Nurmela, Forssell, Litmanen
(Lagerblom 46), Kolkka (Pohja 86), Kuivasto, Riihilahti, Eremenko Jr
(Kopteff 73).
Subs Not Used: Jaaskelainen, Koppinen, Kallio, Johansson.
Booked: Riihilahti.
Goals: Forssell 23, Eremenko Jr 68.
Ref: Paulius Malzinskas (Lithuania).
sportinglife.com, UK
Sept 8 2004
Finland enjoyed their second successive victory in the World Cup
qualfiers with a comfortable result in Armenia.
Goals from Mikael Forssell and Aleksei Eremenko Jr in either half
secured the win for the Finns, who now have six points from three
games in Group One.
Hosts Armenia came into the match having lost their opening qualifier
3-0 against FYR Macedonia last month, while their opponents were on
a high after managing the same result over Andorra just four days ago.
And it was the Finns who laid out their intentions from the start,
with coach Antti Muurinen to play in an attacking style with captain
Jari Litmanen and Eremenko encouraged to get forward from midfield
as much as possible.
The tactics paid off after 23 minutes with Forssell's opener. The
striker received the ball from Eremenko just outside of the area, made
his way past two defenders before firing a shot into the bottom corner.
Forssell almost added a second on the stroke of half-time when he
once more tricked his way past the Armenian defence, but the final
ball flew past the wrong side of the post.
Finland eventually doubled their advantage after 68 minutes, when
Joonas Kolkka's perfect pass found an unmarked Eremenko who had a
simple tap-in into the net.
Substitute Pekka Lagerblom should have made it 3-0 five minutes later
but failed to hit the ball into an empty net leaving the Finns content
with a two-goal win.
Teams
Armenia Hovsepyan, Mkrtchian, Nazarian (Aleksanian 73), Dokhoyan,
Albert Sargsian (Manucharian 54), Khachatrian, Artur Petrosian,
Melikian, Karamian (Grigorian 78), Movsisian, Hambardzumian.
Subs Not Used: Berezovsky, Nikolay Sargsian, Hakobian, Galust
Petrosian.
Booked: Melikian, Albert Sargsian, Aleksanian.
Finland Niemi, Pasanen, Hyypia, Vayrynen, Nurmela, Forssell, Litmanen
(Lagerblom 46), Kolkka (Pohja 86), Kuivasto, Riihilahti, Eremenko Jr
(Kopteff 73).
Subs Not Used: Jaaskelainen, Koppinen, Kallio, Johansson.
Booked: Riihilahti.
Goals: Forssell 23, Eremenko Jr 68.
Ref: Paulius Malzinskas (Lithuania).