Dutch specialist John Van’t Schip officially took over as the head coach of the Armenian national football team on March 1. On Saturday, the 61-year-old Dutchman attended the Armenian Premier League match between Pyunik and Ararat-Armenia.
His first day on the job coincided with a protest: for over an hour, Van’t Schip had to observe not only the game but also the protesting fans. However, the match eventually took place.
Two potential goalkeepers for the Armenian national team, Stanislav Buchnev and Henry Avagyan, were on the field in this game. Several candidates for the national team also played in the defensive line: experienced Pyunik center-backs Varazdat Haroyan and Taron Voskanyan, as well as Ararat-Armenia’s full-backs Kamo Hovhannisyan and Edgar Grigoryan.
Among the midfielders, Solomon Udo played 78 minutes for Pyunik, while Armen Hambardzumyan played the entire match for Ararat-Armenia. Meanwhile, David Davidyan, Hovhannes Harutyunyan, and Jirair Shagoyan received limited playing time, missing the chance to showcase their skills in front of the new head coach.
Photo: Urish Football.