CHALLENGERS OUT TO BREAK PYUNIK GRIP
by Khachik Chakhoyan

UEFA.com
April 14 2008
Switzerland

FC Pyunik may have enjoyed a winning start but Armenia’s perennial
champions will need to overcome some stern competition this season
if they are to clinch the Bardzraguyn Khumb title for an eighth
consecutive year.

Five contenders FC Banants, FC MIKA and Ararat Yerevan were Pyunik’s
closest challengers last term and all three clubs have begun the 2008
campaign with renewed optimism after strengthening their squads during
the closed season. FC Gandzasar Kapan, fifth in the eight-team top
flight last year, have also recruited heavily and cannot be discounted
in what promises to be a particularly open title race.

Youthful Pyunik Pyunik remain the team to beat, yet their inexperience
could present the other contenders with an opportunity to end the
Yerevan club’s dominance. Aside from their two veteran Armenian
internationals, Sargis Hovsepyan and Karen Dokhoyan, the Pyunik side
is flushed with youth and much is expected of emerging trio Henrikh
Mkhitaryan, Gevorg Ghazaryan and Karlen Lazarian, all of whom have
been capped by the national team.

Two-point advantage A slender 1-0 win against FC Ulis Yerevan in
the season’s opening match on 6 April ensures Pyunik already have
a two-point advantage over city-rivals and last year’s runners-up
Banants, who could only draw 0-0 with Gandzasar. That stalemate,
coupled with an unconvincing penalty shoot-out win over FC Shirak
in the last eight of the Armenian Cup, has put some pressure on the
club’s new Bulgarian coach Nedelcho Matushev, who has replaced his
countryman Nikolai Kostov.

Israelyan confident Banants, the cup holders, underlined their
intentions by signing the highly-rated Armenian international Romik
Khachatryan to partner Karen Aleksanyan in midfield, and club president
Sargis Israelyan is optimistic for the remainder of the season. "We
were missing too many players during the preparation period and that’s
why our form is not good at the moment," Israelyan said. "However,
I’m confident we can challenge for the top places, as well as trying
to repeat our success in the Armenian Cup."

Comfortable victories Ararat and MIKA, meanwhile, enjoyed perfect
starts to their league campaigns, securing comfortable home
victories. Varuzhan Sukiasyan’s return to the Ararat dugout has had
a positive impact, with an impressive come-from-behind win over Ulis
in the Armenian Cup quarter-finals followed by a 5-0 league triumph
over FC Kilikia.

Arkadiy Andreasyan’s MIKA, who are also through to the cup semi-finals,
defeated Shirak 3-1 in their league encounter.

Argentinian signings Gandzasar have been eliminated from the cup,
losing on penalties to Pyunik, yet few will be taking them lightly
in the Bardzraguyn Khumb.

The Kapan outfit now have 14 foreign players on their books, an
Armenian record, after signing five Argentinian players. Yet coach
Samvel Petrosyan knows his South American newcomers – Claudio Alanis,
Aleo Jelatini, Jose Rikardo, Carlos Mavilyan and Jonatan Mavilla –
will need to settle quickly if the club is to mount a serious title
challenge.