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FEARLESS ARMENIA BELIEVE THEY CAN BREAK IRISH
By Aidan Fitzmaurice
Herald
http://www.herald.ie/sport/soccer/fearless-armenia-believe-they-can-break-irish-2871465.html
Sept 8 2011
Ireland
ARMENIA, the surprise packets in Ireland's Euro 2012 group, insist
there's no reason why they can't come to Dublin and win their final
qualifying game next month.
The Armenian side have recovered from a poor start to the campaign -
they lost their opening game at home to Ireland and then drew away
to Macedonia - to come storming back into contention. They've beaten
Slovakia and Andorra at home and away, the most recent win coming in
Tuesday's 4-0 hammering in Zilina, a venue where Ireland could only
manage a 1-1 draw.
Should Armenia win their next game at home to Macedonia - and John
Toshack's Macedonian side have lost four of their last five outings
(the only relief coming in Tuesday's narrow home win over Andorra)
- then Armenia will come to Dublin for the final group game with a
real chance of making the play-offs at Ireland's expense, if they
can get a win at Lansdowne Road.
"Why can't we go to Ireland and get a win?" asks Armenia's keeper
Roman Berezovski, who was in goal for them when Keith Fahey's
78th-minute strike earned Ireland a win on the opening day of the
group 12 months ago.
"We have a young team with an attacking attitude, we have young lads
in the team who don't know any fear.
"They don't go out and play for a draw, they don't know how to.
"So we will play Macedonia at home next month and then see if we can
go to Dublin and win," added the keeper.
Ireland quite rightly boast about the team's defensive record of
seven successive clean sheets, a new record for the national team,
but Armenia have shown admirable stinginess at the back as well, as
keeper Berezovski has conceded in just one of the last five qualifiers
- the 3-1 defeat by Russia. Their manager, Vardan Minasyan (pictured),
is very proud of his team as their run at the end of the campaign
has made Armenia genuine contenders for the play-offs.
He is aware that Armenia have a good away record in this campaign,
while Ireland have, in recent home qualifiers, failed to win against
teams like Russia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Italy and Montenegro.
"We are in with a chance," the manager says. "I know that our results
could have an effect on the other teams, our result against Ireland
could be of benefit to someone like Russia, depending on what happens
in the other games.
"But it all depends on us winning at home to Macedonia next month,
so we won't think too far ahead."
Goalscorer Yura Movsisyan said: "I'm not surprised by the win in
Slovakia; we believed in each other from the very beginning."
Defenders Hrayr Mkoyan and Robert Arzumanyan miss the match will miss
the Macedonia match.
By Aidan Fitzmaurice
Herald
http://www.herald.ie/sport/soccer/fearless-armenia-believe-they-can-break-irish-2871465.html
Sept 8 2011
Ireland
ARMENIA, the surprise packets in Ireland's Euro 2012 group, insist
there's no reason why they can't come to Dublin and win their final
qualifying game next month.
The Armenian side have recovered from a poor start to the campaign -
they lost their opening game at home to Ireland and then drew away
to Macedonia - to come storming back into contention. They've beaten
Slovakia and Andorra at home and away, the most recent win coming in
Tuesday's 4-0 hammering in Zilina, a venue where Ireland could only
manage a 1-1 draw.
Should Armenia win their next game at home to Macedonia - and John
Toshack's Macedonian side have lost four of their last five outings
(the only relief coming in Tuesday's narrow home win over Andorra)
- then Armenia will come to Dublin for the final group game with a
real chance of making the play-offs at Ireland's expense, if they
can get a win at Lansdowne Road.
"Why can't we go to Ireland and get a win?" asks Armenia's keeper
Roman Berezovski, who was in goal for them when Keith Fahey's
78th-minute strike earned Ireland a win on the opening day of the
group 12 months ago.
"We have a young team with an attacking attitude, we have young lads
in the team who don't know any fear.
"They don't go out and play for a draw, they don't know how to.
"So we will play Macedonia at home next month and then see if we can
go to Dublin and win," added the keeper.
Ireland quite rightly boast about the team's defensive record of
seven successive clean sheets, a new record for the national team,
but Armenia have shown admirable stinginess at the back as well, as
keeper Berezovski has conceded in just one of the last five qualifiers
- the 3-1 defeat by Russia. Their manager, Vardan Minasyan (pictured),
is very proud of his team as their run at the end of the campaign
has made Armenia genuine contenders for the play-offs.
He is aware that Armenia have a good away record in this campaign,
while Ireland have, in recent home qualifiers, failed to win against
teams like Russia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Italy and Montenegro.
"We are in with a chance," the manager says. "I know that our results
could have an effect on the other teams, our result against Ireland
could be of benefit to someone like Russia, depending on what happens
in the other games.
"But it all depends on us winning at home to Macedonia next month,
so we won't think too far ahead."
Goalscorer Yura Movsisyan said: "I'm not surprised by the win in
Slovakia; we believed in each other from the very beginning."
Defenders Hrayr Mkoyan and Robert Arzumanyan miss the match will miss
the Macedonia match.