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• Soccer: Armenia solid in Spanish test before “fence-mending” game in Turkey

chess doesn't need resources, it needs smart people. But football needs resources (football fields, physical therapy, foreign camps....) and Turkey's resources cannot be compared to Armenia's. So its ok, let it be a fun and balanced game to watch......

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On Monday morning Armenia’s national soccer team left for Turkey where they will be involved in midweek action against the neighboring nation’s team that is likely to go beyond just the game of soccer.

On October 14, Turkey and Armenia will play in the northwestern city of Bursa, some 90 kilometers to the south of Istanbul, in a sporting event that will mark the completion of more than a year-long “soccer diplomacy” initiated by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in the middle of 2008 ahead of the two teams’ first-leg match in Yerevan.

This internationally supported diplomatic effort culminated last Saturday in the signing of two protocols between Yerevan and Ankara on establishing diplomatic ties and developing bilateral relations.

Sargsyan is now expected to attend jointly with Abdullah Gul the Bursa game that will also be the last qualifier for the two teams in the FIFA World Cup 2010 campaign. The two leaders watched the first game in Yerevan on September 6, 2008. Turkey then won 2-0.

As the protocols were being signed in Zurich, Switzerland, Armenian soccer players were entertaining a star-studded Spanish side at the Republican Stadium in Yerevan.

Spain’s Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas opened the score for the European champions in the 33rd minute. A few minutes earlier, Armenia’s Hovhannes Goharyan set up a one-on-one chance for Arman Karamyan, but the striker failed to beat the Spanish goalkeeper Reyna.

Despite the huge gulf in class between the two teams, Armenia kept working hard and eventually managed to equalize in the 58th minute due to a powerful header by defender Robert Arzumanyan that followed a Karamyan volley from a set place. Six minutes later, however, Armenia’s veteran goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky toppled a Spanish forward in the penalty box, leading to a successful penalty kick awarded by the Czech official. Armenia attempts to equalize in the remaining half hour or so led to no success, putting the final score at 2-1 to the visitors.

At a press conference after the match Spain’s head coach Vincent Del Bosque said that “Armenia created a lot of difficulties for our team.”

Armenia head coach Vardan Minasyan expressed satisfaction with “the good play of the team.”

Meanwhile, Turkey suffered a major setback Saturday night missing out on qualification for the World Cup 2010 finals in South Africa after losing to Belgium 0-2 and seeing their main rival Bosnia-Herzegovina beating Estonia and progressing to the playoff stage. Turkey head coach Fatih Terim said Wednesday’s match with Armenia will be his last in charge of the national side.

This circumstance might bode well for Armenia as the Minasyan charges will be playing an unmotivated side led by a retiring coach. The Turkish side, however, is known as a tough opponent under all circumstances and playing in front of a huge home crowd always provides some extra motivation for this team.

At the press conference on Saturday, Minasyan also briefly talked about the upcoming fixture in Turkey.

He said he would hate the political factor that surrounds the game to affect the performance of his players.

“I’d like my players to think only about soccer during this game,” stressed Minasyan.

Turkey v Armenia is at Ataturk Stadium in Bursa on Wednesday, October 14 (kickoff: 11.00 pm Yerevan time).