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BULGARIA'S PLAYOFF HOPES HIT BY DEFEAT IN ARMENIA
SBS Australia
Oct 11 2013
YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenia beat nine-man Bulgaria 2-1 in an eventful
Group B match in Yerevan on Friday to record a first home victory in
their World Cup qualifying campaign and deal a major blow to their
opponents' playoff hopes.
Bulgaria are second in the standings with 13 points from nine matches,
seven points behind group winners Italy, who have already qualified
for next year's tournament in Brazil.
Armenia moved into third place with 12 points from nine games, but
Denmark, also on 12 points, had a chance to go second in the group
when they hosted Italy later on Friday.
Luboslav Penev's Bulgaria, alongside Iceland in Group E, also have the
lowest points total of any second-placed sides in European qualifying,
meaning they risk missing the playoffs even if they finish runners-up.
Bulgaria thought they had taken the lead after half an hour when
striker Emil Gargorov put the ball in the net, but it was ruled out
for a marginal offside.
Armenia went ahead just before half-time when Aras Ozbilis gave
Bulgarian goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov no chance with a perfectly
struck free kick, awarded for a clumsy Nikolay Bodurov challenge.
Bodurov received a straight red card but Bulgaria defied his absence
and drew level on 61 minutes when their skipper, Ivelin Popov,
found the net with another brilliant free kick, making up for two
opportunities that had been missed by Gargorov and Stanislav Manolev.
But just two minutes later, Bulgarian midfielder Svetoslav Dyakov
joined Bodurov on the sidelines as he was sent off for a second
bookable offence.
Yura Movsisyan ran clear of the visitors' defence to score four minutes
from time to secure Armenia's first home triumph of the campaign.
Penev was furious with the referee, Felix Brych. "We controlled the
game, the guys were perfect from the first to the last minute," the
former striker told Bulgarian state TV channel BNT1. "We (tried to do)
the impossible to win or at least get a point.
"Obviously, we became 'uncomfortable' ... and it's clear we're not
allowed to win. We'll ask FIFA if we must start with two or three
people less.
"We outplayed them with 10 men and with nine men too. But apparently
they will not allow us to win no matter how many goals we score."
Earlier, Bulgaria's national anthem was booed and whistled by large
groups of home fans.
It extended a hostile welcome that had begun when dozen of fans had
subjected the Bulgarian team to abuse and hurled objects at them on
their arrival at Yerevan airport on Thursday.
In September 2012, Armenia filed a protest with soccer's ruling body
FIFA about "poor officiating" and the treatment they received from
the home team during a 1-0 qualifying defeat in Bulgaria.
(Writing by Angel Krasimirov, Editing by Tom Bartlett and Stephen Wood)
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/10/12/bulgarias-playoff-hopes-hit-defeat-armenia
SBS Australia
Oct 11 2013
YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenia beat nine-man Bulgaria 2-1 in an eventful
Group B match in Yerevan on Friday to record a first home victory in
their World Cup qualifying campaign and deal a major blow to their
opponents' playoff hopes.
Bulgaria are second in the standings with 13 points from nine matches,
seven points behind group winners Italy, who have already qualified
for next year's tournament in Brazil.
Armenia moved into third place with 12 points from nine games, but
Denmark, also on 12 points, had a chance to go second in the group
when they hosted Italy later on Friday.
Luboslav Penev's Bulgaria, alongside Iceland in Group E, also have the
lowest points total of any second-placed sides in European qualifying,
meaning they risk missing the playoffs even if they finish runners-up.
Bulgaria thought they had taken the lead after half an hour when
striker Emil Gargorov put the ball in the net, but it was ruled out
for a marginal offside.
Armenia went ahead just before half-time when Aras Ozbilis gave
Bulgarian goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov no chance with a perfectly
struck free kick, awarded for a clumsy Nikolay Bodurov challenge.
Bodurov received a straight red card but Bulgaria defied his absence
and drew level on 61 minutes when their skipper, Ivelin Popov,
found the net with another brilliant free kick, making up for two
opportunities that had been missed by Gargorov and Stanislav Manolev.
But just two minutes later, Bulgarian midfielder Svetoslav Dyakov
joined Bodurov on the sidelines as he was sent off for a second
bookable offence.
Yura Movsisyan ran clear of the visitors' defence to score four minutes
from time to secure Armenia's first home triumph of the campaign.
Penev was furious with the referee, Felix Brych. "We controlled the
game, the guys were perfect from the first to the last minute," the
former striker told Bulgarian state TV channel BNT1. "We (tried to do)
the impossible to win or at least get a point.
"Obviously, we became 'uncomfortable' ... and it's clear we're not
allowed to win. We'll ask FIFA if we must start with two or three
people less.
"We outplayed them with 10 men and with nine men too. But apparently
they will not allow us to win no matter how many goals we score."
Earlier, Bulgaria's national anthem was booed and whistled by large
groups of home fans.
It extended a hostile welcome that had begun when dozen of fans had
subjected the Bulgarian team to abuse and hurled objects at them on
their arrival at Yerevan airport on Thursday.
In September 2012, Armenia filed a protest with soccer's ruling body
FIFA about "poor officiating" and the treatment they received from
the home team during a 1-0 qualifying defeat in Bulgaria.
(Writing by Angel Krasimirov, Editing by Tom Bartlett and Stephen Wood)
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/10/12/bulgarias-playoff-hopes-hit-defeat-armenia