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Bulgaria's playoff hopes hit by defeat in Armenia

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  • Bulgaria's playoff hopes hit by defeat in Armenia

    EuroNews
    Oct 12 2013

    Bulgaria's playoff hopes hit by defeat in Armenia

    Reuters, 11/10 21:17 CET


    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.euronews.com/sport/2157782-bulgarias-playoff-hopes-hit-by-2-1-defeat-in-armenia/

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