Republic of Ireland Secures Crucial Win Against Armenia in World Cup Qualifier
Finn Azaz remarked that Armenia's captain, Tigran Barseghyan, "lost his head" after headbutting Republic of Ireland midfielder Azaz during Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Dublin.
The pivotal moment of the match occurred seven minutes into the second half when Barseghyan was sent off for thrusting his head into Azaz's face during a sideline clash.
With a numerical advantage, the Republic of Ireland eventually broke the deadlock in the 70th minute, thanks to a header from Evan Ferguson, securing a vital first win in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Azaz highlighted the red card as a significant turning point for the hosts, who had previously fought back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Hungary last month after Roland Sallai was sent off.
"It was a heated game, full of emotion and physicality, and moments like that can occur," Azaz told BBC Sport NI. "He lost his head, and the consequence was that they went down to ten men. I felt the contact from the headbutt."
Having been included in the starting lineup by coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, Azaz added, "There’s not much more to say about it; it was a heat-of-the-moment incident that changed the game, which is part of football."
Looking Ahead: 'We Can Do Something Special Against Portugal'
The narrow victory in Dublin elevates the Republic of Ireland to third place in Group F, just one point behind Hungary, who enhanced their playoff prospects with a dramatic late draw against Portugal.
With two matches remaining, the group is finely balanced. If Hungary defeats Armenia in their next match, the Republic of Ireland will need at least a point to keep their hopes alive in their upcoming trip to Budapest on November 16.
The Republic of Ireland's campaign has been marred by late goals, including a 91st-minute strike by Ruben Neves that resulted in a 1-0 defeat to Portugal in Lisbon last Saturday.
However, Azaz remains optimistic that the Irish squad can build on their recent performances, aiming to challenge Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates in Dublin on November 13.
"We know it’s going to be tough, but we’ll draw confidence from last week's performance and this crucial win. We believe we can achieve something special," Azaz stated.
"It’s going to be a significant occasion. We’ve shown we can compete against top players, and we’ll be fully prepared for it."
Armenia’s coach, Yegishe Melikyan, confirmed that Barseghyan apologized to his teammates following the match. "Of course, the red card changed the game. It was a mistake," Melikyan said. "He took responsibility and apologized to the entire dressing room. However, if a player makes a mistake, it’s also my mistake, and I apologize for that as well."
"If we had played 11 against 11, I believe we could have secured a good result. I thought we could have won, but we must move forward, and I am confident we can achieve positive results in the near future."