LIMASSOL, CYPRUS –Armenia came from a goal down to beat Canada 3-1 in a friendly played in Limassol, Cyprus, on Wednesday.
The match was part of the team’s preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign commencing next fall.
Captain Kevin McKenna gave Canada a fifth-minute lead at Tsirio Stadium but the Armenians took control as the game wore on and had far more scoring chances.
Brazilian-born Marcos Pizzelli then scored an equalizer for Armenia in the 23rd minute with a shot from outside the penalty area. The striker found the back of the Canadian net for the second time in the 69th minute. AFC Ajax player Araz Ozbilis, who debuted for Armenia in the match, scored the third goal in the 90th minute by converting a penalty kick awarded for the poor tackle on Artur Sarkisov within the penalty area. Armenian players dominated in the field during most of the match and had many more chances to score.
The Wednesday match was the second friendly played by Armenia within a space of two days. On February 28, the national team lost to Serbia 0-2. Most key players did not take part in that game.
Armenia is expected to play its next friendly against Greece in Austria on May 31.
Armenia is ranked 41st in the world, compared to No. 71 for Canada.
Sign Up for Our Newsletters
Get notified of the latest updates from MassisPost.
