HISTORIC ARMENIAN WIN

ESPN
Sept 9 2009

Armenia caused a shock with their first victory in World Cup qualifying
Group Five as goals from Hovhannes Goharyan and Sargis Hovsepyan saw
off Belgium.

Prior to this evening’s game in Yerevan the hosts had only taken one
point from seven previous games in the group and still remain a point
behind Estonia in the fight to avoid the wooden spoon.

Bayern Munich defender Daniel van Buyten pulled one back for Belgium
in second-half stoppage time but it was not enough to prevent the
1986 World Cup semi-finalists’ miserable campaign sinking to a new low.

Belgium made the better start and Standard Liege forward Igor de
Camargo was the first to go close before the hosts carved out their
first opportunity in the 17th minute.

Goharyan played in Arman Karamyan who advanced through on Jean-Francois
Gillet, and the goalkeeper did enough to turn his close-range effort
onto the post.

The chance gave Armenia confidence and BATE Borisov forward Goharyan
put them in front six minutes later when he fired in a rebound after
Gillet had parried Henrykh Mkhitaryan’s shot.

The home team could have added a second before the break, with captain
Hovsepyan missing the best of the chances they created between scoring
the opener and the half-time whistle blowing.

Pyunik player Hovsepyan made amends in style by doubling Armenia’s
lead five minutes into the second period.

Belgium finally stepped up their efforts but Van Buyten and Tom de
Sutter missed good opportunities to halve the deficit. Gevorg Kasparov
did brilliantly to save a close-range header from De Camargo in the
86th minute before Van Buyten scored right at the death, too late to
rescue even a point.

It was an incredible result for Armenia, who had only scored three
goals in their previous seven qualifiers.

Teams Armenia Belgium 1 Gevorg Kasparov 1 Jean Francois Gillet 4
Sargis Hovsepyan 5 Daniel Van Buyten 17 Aghvan Lazarian 6 Olivier
Deschacht 5 Robert Arzumanyan 2 Gill Swerts 15 Grayr Mkoyan 3
Timmy Simons 2 Hovhannes Goharyan 11 Maarten Martens 10 Artavazd
Karamyan 8 Steven Defour 7 Ararat Arakelian 10 Wesley Sonck 6 Artur
Yedigarian 7 Igor De Camargo 11 Arman Karamyan 9 Kevin Mirallas
9 Henrikh Mkhitarian 18 Moussa Dembele

Substitutes 12 Stepan Ghazarian Davy Schollen 12 16 Levon Pachajyan
Nicolas Lombaerts 4 8 Davit Grigorian Sebastien Pocognoli 15 3 Karlen
Mkrtchain Toby Alderweireld 14 14 Eduard Kakosyan Eden Hazard 16 18
Artak Grigorian Tom De Sutter 13 13 Ilia Yavruyan Roland Lamah 17

Substitutions Karlen Mkrtchain for Ararat Arakelian (13)

Tom De Sutter for Maarten Martens (55)

Ilia Yavruyan for Hovhannes Goharyan (31)

Eden Hazard for Kevin Mirallas (72)

Eduard Kakosyan for Artur Yedigarian (88)

Roland Lamah for Wesley Sonck (81)

Yellow Cards Henrikh Mkhitarian (18) Wesley Sonck (54)

Ilia Yavruyan (56) Timmy Simons (58)