VAN BUYTEN EARNS BELGIUM WIN

UEFA, Switzerland
Sept 6 2006

Qualifying round – 06 September 2006 21:00 (local time) – Republican
– Yerevan

Armenia 0 – 1 Belgium
41′ Van Buyten

A Daniel Van Buyten goal ensured Belgium returned to winning ways
with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Armenia. Rene Vandereycken’s team
could only draw 0-0 with Kazakhstan in their opening UEFA EURO 2008~Y
qualifier on 16 August, yet they managed three points in Yerevan
despite not having things all their own way.

Slow start The Armenians, playing their first game in the section, held
their own in an opening half-hour of limited opportunities. Midfielder
Hamlet Mkhitaryan hit a left-footed shot over the bar for the hosts,
while at the other end Luigi Pieroni and Karel Geraerts fired wide
of Gevorg Kasparov’s goal.

Pieroni denied Samvel Melkonyan then sent a right-footed effort wide
of Belgium keeper Stijn Stijnen before visiting forward Pieroni forced
the first save of note in the 30th minute, Kasparov smothering his
left-footed strike from outside the box. The Armenia custodian was
called into action by the same player five minutes later, this time
denying Pieroni with his feet.

Pressure pays off R. Standard de Liège midfielder Geraerts then
volleyed wide as the visitors continued to pepper the hosts’ goal. The
Belgians reaped the reward for their pressure four minutes before
half-time when Van Buyten’s header from Jelle Van Damme’s cross found
the top corner.

Belgium comfortable In the second period, Feyenoord defender Pieter
Collen was forced off through injury just before the hour, with
Anderlecht’s Anthony Vanden Borre coming on. Despite the enforced
switch, the Belgians coped comfortably with Armenia’s attemps to
restore parity to secure the first win of their Group A campaign.

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