YEREVAN. – Armenian capital Yerevan’s residents will cheer our national football team in its match against Ireland. Armenian News-NEWS.am’s correspondent took to the capital’s streets to learn about the residents’ expectations from this crucial game. 

All respondents have but one wish: to see the squad win. But there are different predictions on the outcome of the match.

It also became clear that the youth will prefer to watch the game with beer and crayfish, whereas the older generation, with wine, Armenian brandy, and pickled purslane.   

The people also expressed their admiration toward Armenian national team’s players and head coach, and said they were pleasantly surprised by the squad’s recent success. And different people attributed this to a variety of reasons: the head coach, young players, more funding, President of the Football Federation of Armenia, etc.    

In its final Group B match in Euro 2012 qualifiers, Armenia’s national team will play an away game in Dublin, on Tuesday at 10:45 p.m., Yerevan time, against Ireland, our national team’s main opponent in the group.

Armenian footballers on Monday morning took a charter flight to Dublin, the place for the crucial game.

The Irish national team, with head coach Giovanni Trapattoni, will face Armenia, under head coach Vardan Minasyan, at Dublin’s 51-thousand-capacity Aviva Stadium, which is one of the world’s most modern sports grounds.

The Armenian national squad needs nothing but a victory against Ireland to clinch 2nd place in Group B and go to playoffs to qualify for Euro 2012.  

Inga Martinyan