Armenia 1-0 Poland
A good day for Armenian football. The national team today beat Poland in the Euro 2008 qualifier match, making them now 3rd from bottom (Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan follow respectively). The win was surprising due to Poland’s strong side, currently first in the group.
The stadium was pretty much full, and I really do think this makes a huge difference to the morale of the players. Ian Porterfield, the Armenian national coach , kept stressing the importance of supporters to the performance of players, something I have never really heard before in Armenia. I remember numerous international matches with a half empty stadium, it seems this may be changing.
I think a win like this may well prompt a lot of young people to get into the habit of supporting our national team and following them to their matches. I hope this will happen, and that we can expect a further bout of good results.
Interestingly, Armenia and Azerbaijan’s match is due to take place soon. So far the final location hasn’t been confirmed, but it is not expected matches will take place in Yerevan or Baku due to safety concerned, despite both sides stating they would host the event.
I thought that Az is unwilling to host their leg of the match?
After the match yesterday people were going around in their cars honking their horns in the city center. According to my bf who was at the match it was crazy and afterwards people were celebrating on the street (I had just come home from two days of interpreting and showing journalists around Spitak, so I was too knocked out to want to go to the match).
These two wins should boost morale for the Armenians!
Comment by Myrthe — 6/7/2007 @ 11:51 am
Thanks to Mr Portfield who changed the team into having a winning attitude. Bless him, considering only this week he finished his chemo treatment for his cancer.
Our boys were brilliant - abris!
Go to www.yerevanunited.com to send the National Team a Hero Email.
Comment by Rose — 6/13/2007 @ 7:08 am