Terim ends with a win
Turkey 2 – 0 Armenia
ESPN
Updated: October 14, 2009, 8:00 AM UK
Fatih Terim’s second reign as Turkey boss came to an end with a comfortable,
if unspectacular, ten-man victory over Group Five’s basement side Armenia.
The Turks had not been expected to push group winners Spain too hard in the
qualifiers but their inability to challenge Bosnia-Herzegovina for second
spot – a play-off berth – led to Terim’s announcement this week that he
would stand down after this match.
Goals from Halil Altintop, in the 16th minute, and Servet Cerin after 28
minutes, ensured Terim’s tenure would end on a positive note, but that the
hosts failure to increase the margin – a pursuit not helped by Ceyhun
Gulselam’s first-half red card – was symptomatic of their struggles in
recent times.
The match started slowly but Arda Turan was working hard to inject some life
into proceedings, taking control in the 15th minute and lifting the ball to
captain Tuncay Sanli. The Stoke forward was in the six-yard box when the
ball was delivered and attempted an acrobatic overhead kick which sailed
over the crossbar.
Arda tested goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky seconds later with a long-range
effort but he successfully deflected the ball away from danger. It was Arda
again who teed up the opener, dribbling down the left flank and reaching the
byline before crossing for Altintop to head home at the near post.
Ceyhun Gulselam took on the role of creator 12 minutes later, feeding Servet
in the area. The defender rounded his man neatly before sending a shot into
the top right corner of the net.
Ceyhun saw red in the 33rd minute, for a second yellow card, and Armenia
almost scored from the resulting free-kick after Turkey goalkeeper Volkan
Demirel misjudged Karlen Mkrtchain’s effort.
Altintop crossed for Arda before the half was out but his shot just failed
to beat Berezovsky.
The next chance at either end was not until the 61st minute, Arda once more
the man with the shot, which Berezovsky palmed onto the crossbar.
In the 67th minute Arman Karamian had Armenia’s only meaningful effort,
although his strike was cleared off the line by the alert Ismail Koybasi.
Emre’s cross played in Arda for one last spectacular effort but it remained
2-0.
SCORING SUMMARY
Turkey Armenia
Halil Altintop (16)
Servet Cetin (28)
MATCH INFORMATION
Stadium: Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Turkey
Attendance: 14,000
Match Time: 19:00 UK
TEAMS
Turkey Armenia
1 Volkan Demirel 1 Roman Berezovsky
2 Servet Cetin 4 Sargis Hovsepyan
7 Gokhan Gonul 17 Aghvan Lazarian
13 Ismail Koybasi 5 Robert Arzumanyan
17 Ayhan Akman 15 Grayr Mkoyan
10 Tuncay Sanli 13 Hovhannes Goharyan
6 Hamit Altintop 10 Artavazd Karamyan
5 Belozoglu Emre 7 Ararat Arakelian
14 Arda Turan 3 Karlen Mkrtchain
4 Ceyhun Gulselam 11 Arman Karamyan
9 Halil Altintop 9 Henrikh Mkhitarian
Substitutes
12 Recber Rustu Gevorg Kasparov 12
3 Hakan Kadir Balta Vahagn Minasian 16
16 Ibrahim Kas Eguia Javrouian 2
15 Yusuf Simsek Artur Yedigarian 6
18 Colin Kazim-Richards Eduard Kakosyan 18
8 Nihat Kahveci Samvel Melkonyan 14
11 Gokhan Unal Marcos Pinheiro Pizelli 8
Substitutions
Ibrahim Kas for Tuncay Sanli (46)
Samvel Melkonyan for Hovhannes Goharyan (53)
Nihat Kahveci for Gokhan Gonul (58)
Eduard Kakosyan for Arman Karamyan (77)
Colin Kazim-Richards for Hamit Altintop (83)
Recber Rustu for Volkan Demirel (90)
Yellow Cards
Ceyhun Gulselam (3)
Hovhannes Goharyan (25)
Arman Karamyan (68)
Grayr Mkoyan (68)
Red Cards
Ceyhun Gulselam (33)
· Club Squads: Turkey | Armenia