VAN BUYTEN EARNS BELGIUM WIN

uefa.com 1998-2006
Wednesday, 6 September 2006

A Daniel Van Buyten goal ensured Belgium returned to winning ways
with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Armenia. René Vandereycken’s
team could only draw 0-0 with Kazakhstan in their opening UEFA EURO
2008â~D¢ 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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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress