The 22-year-old Urartu forward, Nicholas Kaloukian, made his debut for the Armenian national team on March 20. He took the field in the UEFA Nations League play-off match against Georgia.
Kaloukian entered the game in the 57th minute, replacing Artur Miranyan. Two minutes later, Georgia extended their lead to 3-0.
For Kaloukian, who only moved to Urartu this winter from a U.S. university team, this was his first match at such a high level. He looked confident, successfully holding up the ball in attack several times and showcasing his strengths—his aerial ability and pressing activity.
Nicholas Kaloukian's statistics vs. Georgia:
- 37 minutes
- 2 accurate passes out of 3
- 1 duel won out of 2
- 1 aerial duel won out of 1
- 2 ball losses
- 1 foul drawn
- SofaScore rating: 6.4
After the match, Armenia's head coach John van 't Schip commented on the debutant’s performance:
"He is a physically strong player. We have been following him in the league and wanted to see him in the national team. He got a chance to experience the level of international football. He has potential for growth. Moreover, we don’t have many options in his position, so he will have more opportunities to prove himself," the coach stated.
Nicholas Kaloukian joined the Armenian league in February of this year and has already scored a goal and provided an assist in three matches for Urartu.