CNN International
Sept 6 2008
Tuncay puts Turks on road to Cup victory
CNN) — Tuncay Sanli and Semih Senturk scored second-half goals to
give Turkey a 2-0 win over Armenia in their World Cup qualifying Group
5 game in Yerevan.
Tuncay gave the visitors the lead in the 61st minute, scoring from
close range. Senturk made it 2-0 in the 79th, capitalizing on a
defender’s mistake in the box.
Mehmet Aurelio had an early chance for Turkey but his powerful shot
from 14 meters four minutes into the game was blocked by goalkeeper
Roman Berezovsky.
Armenia replied with a chance in the 8th when Volkan Demirel saved
Gamlet Mkhitarian’s drive from 25 meters.
Neither side dominated the game before half-time, but Turkey looked
more organized.
The visitors came close midway through the first half when Emre
Delozoglu shaved the crossbar from the edge of the box in the 27th
minute. Three minutes later, Mevlut Erdins broke down the left flank
only to hit the outer side of the net.
The match was being played against the backdrop of decades of
animosity rooted in the WWI-era atrocities that began in 1915.
The two neighbors have no diplomatic ties. Turkey President Abdullah
Gul attended the match, becoming the first Turkish leader to visit
Armenia since the ex-Soviet nation declared independence in 1991.