Czech Republic 1:2 Armenia
Entering the crucial qualifier versus Czech Republic, held at Eden Stadium in Prague on Fri., Sept. 6, Armenia’s World Cup challenge was ailing. Its pulse was weak and it was in dire need of an elixir. Disciplined and industrious, Armenia’s performance that night struck the right balance between caution and endeavor. The tonic that Armenia needed, however, came in the form of a last gasp injury time winner from Gevorg Ghazaryan that secured the three points and, like a shot of adrenaline to the chest, set a nation’s pulse racing.
Armenian fans in Prague (Photo by Michael Graham)
It was a night filled with remarkable moments on the pitch. During first-half play, Karlen Mkrchyan dispatched a wonder strike to the top corner of the net to open the scoring for Armenia—a pure strike of the football from 25 yards that left world-class goalkeeper Petr Cech clawing at thin air. Kamo Hovhanissyan had a lot to do with creating the chance. Having moved to the right wing following the withdrawal of Aras Özbiliz, he picked the pocket of a Czech defender and showed great strength in battling for the loose ball before passing to Mkrchyan, who finished delightfully.
The Czechs restored parity in the second half through Tomas Rosicky, but not before Coach Minasyan was forced to shuffle his deck due to injuries. Following Aras Özbiliz with an early exit from the game was Armenian captain and goalkeeper Roman Berezovski, who seemed to pick up a knee injury while punching a ball clear from a corner kick. He will need to undergo a fitness test to determine his availability for the Denmark game, to be held on Tues., Sept 10 in Yerevan.
With plenty of time still on the clock, the Czechs came in search of a winner that would see them take control of the playoff berth in Group B. Under concerted pressure, the Armenian defense held firm. As each ball was rained into the area, Robert Arzumamyan and Varazdat Haroyan met it with vigor and determination at the heart of the defense. Criticized in the past for complacency and indecision, there were no such problems in Prague for an Armenian defense that put everything on the line, meeting every header that needed to be won and putting bodies on the line for every blocked shot.
Armenia always poses a threat on the break and they chose their moments expertly in Prague. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is always a willing orchestrator and yet again his class shone through, relieving pressure when needed and fashioning good chances for Ghazaryan and Movsisyan. But it would be the later pair that would manufacture the killer blow for Armenia. Ghazaryan helped break a long ball to the feet of Movsisyan and the pair attacked at pace. Movsisyan laid a deft pass in behind the defense and, showing terrific reflexes, Ghazaryan finished at the second attempt.
A despairing attempt to clear by a retreating Czech defender was not enough to stop the ball crossing the line, and the traveling support and Armenian bench were sent into rapturous celebrations. Such an outpouring of emotion reflects the importance of this result and the ambition from a nation that is routinely dismissed in footballing terms. As Denmark and the Czechs have found out first hand, and in their own back yards, dismiss Armenia at your peril.
Elsewhere in the group, results fell Armenia’s way. Italy beat Bulgaria and in doing so stretched their lead in Group B. That result, coupled with Denmark’s narrow defeat of Malta, tightened the race for second place and threw Armenia a lifeline. All teams except Malta still have a chance of qualifying. The chips may fall Armenia’s way in the coming rounds but their own work is far from complete. A pair of home games, starting with Denmark’s visit to Yerevan on Sept. 10, followed by the visit of Bulgaria in October, could see the complexion of Group B change dramatically.
It is rarely easy for Armenia, and injuries and suspensions will once again play a leading role. Key players Robert Arzumamyan and Yura Movsisyan are suspended for the Denmark game due to yellow card accumulation. Berezovski and Özbiliz are also injury doubts. Coach Minasyan needs to complete the puzzle once again. Tactically and from a personnel standpoint, he got things right in Prague. Six points on the road have revived things for Armenia and set a platform for the remaining games, but similar heroics are now required in Yerevan to keep this crazy campaign going.