Balkan Barrier a Blessing?: Armenia, anyway, fails to “help” Turks in soccer qualification

Armenia missed their few chances and let the visitors score twice (and miss a penalty) to take a deserved win and collect all three points from Yerevan. Fortunately or unfortunately, this latest defeat increases Armenia’s chances for a less ‘aggressive’ Turkish side when they travel across the River Arax for a ‘fence-mending’ sporting event later this year.

Armenia missed their few chances and let the visitors score twice (and miss a penalty) to take a deserved win and collect all three points from Yerevan. Fortunately or unfortunately, this latest defeat increases Armenia’s chances for a less ‘aggressive’ Turkish side when they travel across the River Arax for a ‘fence-mending’ sporting event later this year.

Bosnia-Herzegovina’s 2-0 victory in a FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifier at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium Saturday night proved a massive step for the Balkan outfit to finish their current campaign in the second place and hope for their first-ever World Cup finals qualification through a playoff. If successful, the rising Balkan team will leave their strong rival Turkey out of contention for one of the dozen or so European qualifying spots for the Soccer Mundial in South Africa next summer.

With only three rounds to go in the European Zone Group Five tournament, Bosnia-Herzegovina continue to hold a four-point lead over Turkey, World Cup 2002 third-place winner and Euro-2008 semifinalist. Their encounter in Zenica on Wednesday might decide who finishes as runner-up to reigning European champions Spain, the most likely winner of the Group, and progresses to the playoff stage.

Interestingly, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s victory in the September 9 qualifier will put the Balkan team out of reach for Turkey in the remaining two rounds of matches that will also include the Turkey-Armenia fixture in the middle of October, thus potentially taking off pressure sport-wise in an otherwise sensitive encounter in Bursa. (Though Turks are known to play aggressively all their matches, especially at home, regardless of match status.)

Armenia lost all chances for qualification early on, suffering several crushing defeats at the start of the campaign, including a 0-2 defeat from Turkey in Yerevan on September 6, 2008. That match, however, kick-started so-called ‘soccer diplomacy’ between the two historical foes that has so far resulted in the mutual agreement to start “internal political discussions” on two protocols on establishing diplomatic ties and developing bilateral relations. The accord between Ankara and Yerevan is expected to be signed when Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan visits Turkey on October 14 to attend the soccer match.

Soccer-wise, Armenia currently have only one point in seven matches. The team is at the bottom place in the six-nation qualifying group that also involves Belgium and Estonia. They look highly unlikely to catch up with Estonians in the remaining matches.

A group of Armenia fans attending the Saturday game in Yerevan felt so disappointed at the result that they held a banner saying “Stop Disgracing Us”. They also chanted demands for the resignation of the Football Federation president. Police moved quickly to remove the banner and prevent any possible aggressive behavior. They could not, however, “remove” the sense of disillusionment among thousands of fans at the stadium that lingered on during and after the game.

Speaking at a press conference after the match, Armenia head coach Vardan Minasyan reacted to the fan disappointment.

“I’m ready to go if my resignation can change anything,” Minasyan said, according to sport portal Sportinfo.am.

Meanwhile, Armenia will play two more home games, namely against Belgium on September 9 and Spain on October 10, before traveling to Turkey for the ‘fence-mending’ match.