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FINLAND 1 ARMENIA 0
Sportinglife.com, UK
Nov 16 2006
Finland saw off a spirited Armenia display to claim all three points
and storm to the summit of Euro 2008 qualifying Group A on Wednesday.
HJK Helsinki's veteran forward Mika Nurmela nodded the only goal of
the match within the opening 10 minutes as the hosts rarely broke
sweat in the sub-zero conditions.
The result, Finland's third win from five games this campaign, sees
Roy Hodgson's men hold a one point advantage over second-placed Serbia,
while Armenia remain second from bottom with a solitary point to show
for their four games.
Ahead of the game, the only major adaptation either side had to make
- aside from Finland having to cope without injured talisman Jari
Litmanen - was the use of an artificial pitch, but there was nothing
cosmetic about the nitty-gritty style of this game.
Finland's Markus Heikkinen made the point within the opening two
minutes, crunching into Romik Khachatryan, before Armenia's Aghvan
Lazarian underlined it with a hack on Mika Vayrynen.
The game soon settled, however, and the hosts showed their attacking
prowess - Toni Kallio heading narrowly wide and Vayrynen testing
Gevorg Kasparov's reactions with a stinging drive from 20 yards.
In between Levon Pachajyan managed to call Jussi Jaaskelainen into
action at the other end, but Finland remained on top and hit the opener
on 10 minutes when 34-year-old Nurmela nodded Jonatan Johansson's
chip into the bottom corner.
Vayrynen then added his miscued chance to the couple wasted by
Aleksei Eremenko as the hosts chased their second of the evening,
but the game was becoming more about strength than style.
Armenia briefly flirted with the latter, Hamlet Mkhitaryan's corner
craftily deflected goalwards by Armen Shahgeldyan, but like the other
chances gone before Finland had little trouble dismantling the attack.
After the break, shooting from distance came into fashion, Joonas
Kolkka, Lazarian and Levon Pachajyan trying their luck from outside
the box, but neither goalkeeper had cause to be concerned until
Kasparov parried Johansson's close range effort in the 77th minute.
Armenian frustration began to show and was promptly rewarded with
two yellow cards, but they were less aggressive in front of goal and
succumbed to their third defeat of the campaign.
Teams
Finland: Jaaskelainen, Hyypia, Nyman, Tihinen, Heikkinen,
Kallio, Kolkka, Eremenko (Kuqi 88), Vayrynen (Ilola 47),
Johansson, Nurmela.
Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Kuivasto, Kopteff, Lagerblom, Wiss.
Goals: Nurmela 10.
Armenia: Kasparov, Dokhoyan (Valeri Aleksanyan 52), Hovsepyan,
Tadevosyan, Pachajyan, Mkhitaryan (Ara Hakobyan 75),
Khachatryan, Lazarian, Artavazd Karamyan,
Zebelian (Arman Karamyan 78), Shahgeldyan.
Subs Not Used: Hambardtsumyan, Melikyan, Tigranyan,
Aram Hakobyan.
Booked: Artavazd Karamyan, Lazarian, Zebelian.
Att: 9,445
Ref: Craig Thomson (Scotland).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Sportinglife.com, UK
Nov 16 2006
Finland saw off a spirited Armenia display to claim all three points
and storm to the summit of Euro 2008 qualifying Group A on Wednesday.
HJK Helsinki's veteran forward Mika Nurmela nodded the only goal of
the match within the opening 10 minutes as the hosts rarely broke
sweat in the sub-zero conditions.
The result, Finland's third win from five games this campaign, sees
Roy Hodgson's men hold a one point advantage over second-placed Serbia,
while Armenia remain second from bottom with a solitary point to show
for their four games.
Ahead of the game, the only major adaptation either side had to make
- aside from Finland having to cope without injured talisman Jari
Litmanen - was the use of an artificial pitch, but there was nothing
cosmetic about the nitty-gritty style of this game.
Finland's Markus Heikkinen made the point within the opening two
minutes, crunching into Romik Khachatryan, before Armenia's Aghvan
Lazarian underlined it with a hack on Mika Vayrynen.
The game soon settled, however, and the hosts showed their attacking
prowess - Toni Kallio heading narrowly wide and Vayrynen testing
Gevorg Kasparov's reactions with a stinging drive from 20 yards.
In between Levon Pachajyan managed to call Jussi Jaaskelainen into
action at the other end, but Finland remained on top and hit the opener
on 10 minutes when 34-year-old Nurmela nodded Jonatan Johansson's
chip into the bottom corner.
Vayrynen then added his miscued chance to the couple wasted by
Aleksei Eremenko as the hosts chased their second of the evening,
but the game was becoming more about strength than style.
Armenia briefly flirted with the latter, Hamlet Mkhitaryan's corner
craftily deflected goalwards by Armen Shahgeldyan, but like the other
chances gone before Finland had little trouble dismantling the attack.
After the break, shooting from distance came into fashion, Joonas
Kolkka, Lazarian and Levon Pachajyan trying their luck from outside
the box, but neither goalkeeper had cause to be concerned until
Kasparov parried Johansson's close range effort in the 77th minute.
Armenian frustration began to show and was promptly rewarded with
two yellow cards, but they were less aggressive in front of goal and
succumbed to their third defeat of the campaign.
Teams
Finland: Jaaskelainen, Hyypia, Nyman, Tihinen, Heikkinen,
Kallio, Kolkka, Eremenko (Kuqi 88), Vayrynen (Ilola 47),
Johansson, Nurmela.
Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Kuivasto, Kopteff, Lagerblom, Wiss.
Goals: Nurmela 10.
Armenia: Kasparov, Dokhoyan (Valeri Aleksanyan 52), Hovsepyan,
Tadevosyan, Pachajyan, Mkhitaryan (Ara Hakobyan 75),
Khachatryan, Lazarian, Artavazd Karamyan,
Zebelian (Arman Karamyan 78), Shahgeldyan.
Subs Not Used: Hambardtsumyan, Melikyan, Tigranyan,
Aram Hakobyan.
Booked: Artavazd Karamyan, Lazarian, Zebelian.
Att: 9,445
Ref: Craig Thomson (Scotland).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress