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Soccer: No Joy For Armenia As Italy Rally For Naples Draw

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  • Soccer: No Joy For Armenia As Italy Rally For Naples Draw

    NO JOY FOR ARMENIA AS ITALY RALLY FOR NAPLES DRAW

    The Star, Malaysia
    Oct 15 2013

    by terry daley

    (Reuters) - Italy ended Armenia's hopes of progressing to next year's
    World Cup with a 2-2 draw in their final Group B qualifier in Naples
    on Tuesday.

    Armenia twice went in front but they were pegged back by a first
    international goal from Alessandro Florenzi and a Mario Balotelli
    strike.

    Italy booked their ticket to the finals in Brazil by topping the
    group while Armenia finished second from bottom after starting the
    day with an outside chance of claiming second spot and a place in
    next month's playoffs.

    "We started really badly with an embarrassing opening 20 minutes. Then
    we raised the tempo and from then on played quite well," Italy coach
    Cesare Prandelli told Rai Sport.

    "Unfortunately we conceded from a corner that we gifted them and came
    close to throwing everything away (but) I saw players who never gave
    up and that was a positive sign."

    Spartak Moscow striker Yura Movsisyan capitalised on a sloppy start
    from the hosts to give Armenia a fourth-minute lead after Alberto
    Aquilani had given the ball away cheaply in front of his own penalty
    area.

    Italy slowly took a grip of the game and in the 24th minute Napoli
    forward Lorenzo Insigne, playing on his home ground, clipped a perfect
    cross for Florenzi to head in.

    Henrikh Mkhitaryan put Armenia back in front when he rose above
    a sleepy defence at a 70th-minute corner to head powerfully past
    Federico Marchetti.

    Balotelli equalised six minutes later when he raced on to a perfect
    through pass from Andrea Pirlo to score in stylish fashion.

    The AC Milan striker then almost grabbed a wonder goal in stoppage
    time, shooting just wide after charging almost the entire length of
    the field and taking on the Armenia defence on his own.

    (Editing by Tony Jimenez)

    http://www.thestar.com.my/Sport/Football/2013/10/16/No-joy-for-Armenia-as-Italy-twice-come-from-behind-to-draw.aspx

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