Tweet
PREVIEW: CANADA FACE MOVSISYAN & IMPROVING ARMENIA
Major League Soccer
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/02/28/preview-canada-face-movsisyan-and-improving-armenia-side
Feb 28 2012
Canada's national team plays its first match of 2012 on Wednesday in
Cyprus, meeting up with Armenia on neutral ground at Tsirion Stadium
(noon ET, Rogers Sportsnet One). The two countries have never met
before.
After a roller-coaster 2011, coach Stephen Hart hopes that his squad
puts in a good effort, ahead of a hectic schedule that will see the
Canadians take part in a grueling World Cup qualifying campaign that
kicks off in June.
History Canada have never played Armenia at senior men's international
level.
Canada The 71st-ranked Canadians put an underwhelming 2011 CONCACAF
Gold Cup tournament behind them later that year during the second round
of World Cup qualification, the round in which Canada entered the fray.
Hart's team predictably finished atop a group that included three
Caribbean minnows, although a couple of unexpected draws raised
some questions.
Canada have been idle since pummeling St. Kitts and Nevis in
mid-November, and will use the Armenia game to get a number of core
players reacquainted with one another, as well as introducing a few
younger names into the fray.â~@¨â~@¨ Given that this game falls on a
short mid-week international break, Hart elected to call a largely
Europe-based squad. Many of Canada's bigger names will be present,
but quite a few important absences will test the Canadians' depth.
The biggest question facing the 18-man squad is the fitness of a few
players returning from recent injuries, most notably midfield general
Atiba Hutchinson, who underwent a couple of knee surgeries in recent
months and has only recently made his way back into the starting XI
of club side PSV Eindhoven.
Hutchinson is joined by stalwarts Kevin McKenna, Josh Simpson, Iain
Hume, Mike Klukowski and Julian de Guzman, all of whom lend a veteran
presence to an otherwise young group. Rob Friend, who was added to
the roster over the weekend, is another familiar face that will give
the coaching staff an added option up front.â~@¨â~@¨ At the other
end of the spectrum are youngsters Nana Attakora, Marcus Haber, and
17-year-old Samuel Piette, all of whom will be eager to give coach
Hart reason to call them up again when the games start to count in
the summer.
Armenia The Armenians come into the game ranked 30 places above Canada,
following a heartbreaking 2011 that saw the tiny former Soviet republic
narrowly miss out on booking a spot in Euro 2012 after losing its
final do-or-die qualifying game to Robbie Keane's Ireland.
Armenia led their group in goals scored, thanks in part to onetime
Real Salt Lake man Yura Movsisyan. The striker had three goals in
his country's qualification campaign, and is among the 31-man roster
called in for Armenia's mini-camp in Cyprus that also includes a game
against Serbia on Feb. 28.
Head coach Vardan Minasyan will be splitting his squad for the two
friendlies, and has said that he intends to use his entire roster
over the pair of matches, so Canada could see a relatively weakened
opponent on Wednesday.
Players to watch CAN - Simeon Jackson (right). The 24-year-old has
settled into the Premier League after a career spent climbing the
ranks of England's lower divisions, and is now a regular on a Norwich
City side that has surprised many observers.
ARM - Henrikh Mkhitaryan. An attacking force in the midfield, the
23-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk player led Armenia with six goals in
Euro qualifying.
â~@¨â~@¨Canada Roster Milan Borjan (Sivasspor), Nik Ledgerwood
(SV Wehen Wiesbaden), Mike Klukowski (Manisaspor), Kevin McKenna
(FC Köln), Adam Straith (FC Saarbrucken), Julian de Guzman (Toronto
FC), Iain Hume (Preston North End), Pedro Pacheco (CD Santa Clara),
Tosaint Ricketts (FC Politehnica TimiÅ~_oara), Simeon Jackson (Norwich
City FC), Josh Simpson (BSC Young Boys), Nana Attakora (Unattached),
Atiba Hutchinson (PSV Eindhoven), Samuel Piette (FC Metz), David
Edgar (Burnley), Rob Friend (Eintracht Frankfurt), Marcus Haber
(St. Johnstone), Kenny Stamatopoulos (AIK Fotbol)
Armenia Roster Roman Berezovsky (Dinamo Moscow), Stepan Ghazaryan
(FC Banants), Arsen Petrosyan (FC Pyunik), Grigor Meliksetyan (Paykan
FC); Sargis Hovsepyan (FC Pyunik), Hrayr Mkoyan (PFC Spartak Nalchik),
Valeri Aleksanyan (Sanat Naft Abadan FC), Levon Hayrapetyan (Lechia
GdaÅ~Dsk), Robert Arzumanyan (Jagiellonia BiaÅ~Bystok), Artak Edigaryan
(FC Pyunik), Arthur Yuspashyan (FC Pyunik), Varazdat Haroyan (FC
Pyunik); Hovhannes Hambardzumyan (FC Banants), Andranik Voskanyan
(FC Mika), Gagik Daghbashyan (FC Banants), Arthur Yedigaryan (FC
Banants), Karlen Lazarian (Metalurh Donetsk), Gevorg Ghazaryan
(Metalurh Donetsk), Marcos Pizzelli (FC Kuban), Henrikh Mkhitaryan
(Shakhtar Donetsk), Zaven Badoyan (BATE Borisov), Edgar Malakyan (FC
Pyunik), David Manoyan (FC Pyunik), Kamo Hovhannisyan (FC Pyunik),
Valter Poghosyan (FC Banants), Masis Voskanyan (KSV Roeselare),
Aras Ozbiliz (Ajax); Yura Movsisyan (FC Krasnodar), Artur Sarkisov
(Shinnik Yaroslavl), Norair Mamedov (FC Zwolle), Hovhannes Hovhannisyan
(FC Pyunik)
Major League Soccer
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/02/28/preview-canada-face-movsisyan-and-improving-armenia-side
Feb 28 2012
Canada's national team plays its first match of 2012 on Wednesday in
Cyprus, meeting up with Armenia on neutral ground at Tsirion Stadium
(noon ET, Rogers Sportsnet One). The two countries have never met
before.
After a roller-coaster 2011, coach Stephen Hart hopes that his squad
puts in a good effort, ahead of a hectic schedule that will see the
Canadians take part in a grueling World Cup qualifying campaign that
kicks off in June.
History Canada have never played Armenia at senior men's international
level.
Canada The 71st-ranked Canadians put an underwhelming 2011 CONCACAF
Gold Cup tournament behind them later that year during the second round
of World Cup qualification, the round in which Canada entered the fray.
Hart's team predictably finished atop a group that included three
Caribbean minnows, although a couple of unexpected draws raised
some questions.
Canada have been idle since pummeling St. Kitts and Nevis in
mid-November, and will use the Armenia game to get a number of core
players reacquainted with one another, as well as introducing a few
younger names into the fray.â~@¨â~@¨ Given that this game falls on a
short mid-week international break, Hart elected to call a largely
Europe-based squad. Many of Canada's bigger names will be present,
but quite a few important absences will test the Canadians' depth.
The biggest question facing the 18-man squad is the fitness of a few
players returning from recent injuries, most notably midfield general
Atiba Hutchinson, who underwent a couple of knee surgeries in recent
months and has only recently made his way back into the starting XI
of club side PSV Eindhoven.
Hutchinson is joined by stalwarts Kevin McKenna, Josh Simpson, Iain
Hume, Mike Klukowski and Julian de Guzman, all of whom lend a veteran
presence to an otherwise young group. Rob Friend, who was added to
the roster over the weekend, is another familiar face that will give
the coaching staff an added option up front.â~@¨â~@¨ At the other
end of the spectrum are youngsters Nana Attakora, Marcus Haber, and
17-year-old Samuel Piette, all of whom will be eager to give coach
Hart reason to call them up again when the games start to count in
the summer.
Armenia The Armenians come into the game ranked 30 places above Canada,
following a heartbreaking 2011 that saw the tiny former Soviet republic
narrowly miss out on booking a spot in Euro 2012 after losing its
final do-or-die qualifying game to Robbie Keane's Ireland.
Armenia led their group in goals scored, thanks in part to onetime
Real Salt Lake man Yura Movsisyan. The striker had three goals in
his country's qualification campaign, and is among the 31-man roster
called in for Armenia's mini-camp in Cyprus that also includes a game
against Serbia on Feb. 28.
Head coach Vardan Minasyan will be splitting his squad for the two
friendlies, and has said that he intends to use his entire roster
over the pair of matches, so Canada could see a relatively weakened
opponent on Wednesday.
Players to watch CAN - Simeon Jackson (right). The 24-year-old has
settled into the Premier League after a career spent climbing the
ranks of England's lower divisions, and is now a regular on a Norwich
City side that has surprised many observers.
ARM - Henrikh Mkhitaryan. An attacking force in the midfield, the
23-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk player led Armenia with six goals in
Euro qualifying.
â~@¨â~@¨Canada Roster Milan Borjan (Sivasspor), Nik Ledgerwood
(SV Wehen Wiesbaden), Mike Klukowski (Manisaspor), Kevin McKenna
(FC Köln), Adam Straith (FC Saarbrucken), Julian de Guzman (Toronto
FC), Iain Hume (Preston North End), Pedro Pacheco (CD Santa Clara),
Tosaint Ricketts (FC Politehnica TimiÅ~_oara), Simeon Jackson (Norwich
City FC), Josh Simpson (BSC Young Boys), Nana Attakora (Unattached),
Atiba Hutchinson (PSV Eindhoven), Samuel Piette (FC Metz), David
Edgar (Burnley), Rob Friend (Eintracht Frankfurt), Marcus Haber
(St. Johnstone), Kenny Stamatopoulos (AIK Fotbol)
Armenia Roster Roman Berezovsky (Dinamo Moscow), Stepan Ghazaryan
(FC Banants), Arsen Petrosyan (FC Pyunik), Grigor Meliksetyan (Paykan
FC); Sargis Hovsepyan (FC Pyunik), Hrayr Mkoyan (PFC Spartak Nalchik),
Valeri Aleksanyan (Sanat Naft Abadan FC), Levon Hayrapetyan (Lechia
GdaÅ~Dsk), Robert Arzumanyan (Jagiellonia BiaÅ~Bystok), Artak Edigaryan
(FC Pyunik), Arthur Yuspashyan (FC Pyunik), Varazdat Haroyan (FC
Pyunik); Hovhannes Hambardzumyan (FC Banants), Andranik Voskanyan
(FC Mika), Gagik Daghbashyan (FC Banants), Arthur Yedigaryan (FC
Banants), Karlen Lazarian (Metalurh Donetsk), Gevorg Ghazaryan
(Metalurh Donetsk), Marcos Pizzelli (FC Kuban), Henrikh Mkhitaryan
(Shakhtar Donetsk), Zaven Badoyan (BATE Borisov), Edgar Malakyan (FC
Pyunik), David Manoyan (FC Pyunik), Kamo Hovhannisyan (FC Pyunik),
Valter Poghosyan (FC Banants), Masis Voskanyan (KSV Roeselare),
Aras Ozbiliz (Ajax); Yura Movsisyan (FC Krasnodar), Artur Sarkisov
(Shinnik Yaroslavl), Norair Mamedov (FC Zwolle), Hovhannes Hovhannisyan
(FC Pyunik)