Challengers out to break Pyunik grip

FC Pyunik may have enjoyed a winning start but Armenia's perennial champions will need to overcome some stern competition this season if they are to clinch the Bardzraguyn Khumb title for an eighth consecutive year.

Five contenders
FC Banants, FC MIKA and Ararat Yerevan were Pyunik's closest challengers last term and all three clubs have begun the 2008 campaign with renewed optimism after strengthening their squads during the closed season. FC Gandzasar Kapan, fifth in the eight-team top flight last year, have also recruited heavily and cannot be discounted in what promises to be a particularly open title race.

Youthful Pyunik
Pyunik remain the team to beat, yet their inexperience could present the other contenders with an opportunity to end the Yerevan club's dominance. Aside from their two veteran Armenian internationals, Sargis Hovsepyan and Karen Dokhoyan, the Pyunik side is flushed with youth and much is expected of emerging trio Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Gevorg Ghazaryan and Karlen Mkrtchyan, all of whom have been capped by the national team.

Two-point advantage
A slender 1-0 win against FC Ulis Yerevan in the season's opening match on 6 April ensures Pyunik already have a two-point advantage over city-rivals and last year's runners-up Banants, who could only draw 0-0 with Gandzasar. That stalemate, coupled with an unconvincing penalty shoot-out win over FC Shirak in the last eight of the Armenian Cup, has put some pressure on the club's new Bulgarian coach Nedelcho Matushev, who has replaced his countryman Nikolai Kostov.

Israelyan confident
Banants, the cup holders, underlined their intentions by signing the highly-rated Armenian international Romik Khachatryan to partner Karen Aleksanyan in midfield, and club president Sargis Israelyan is optimistic for the remainder of the season. "We were missing too many players during the preparation period and that's why our form is not good at the moment," Israelyan said. "However, I'm confident we can challenge for the top places, as well as trying to repeat our success in the Armenian Cup."     
 
Comfortable victories
Ararat and MIKA, meanwhile, enjoyed perfect starts to their league campaigns, securing comfortable home victories. Varuzhan Sukiasyan's return to the Ararat dugout has had a positive impact, with an impressive come-from-behind win over Ulis in the Armenian Cup quarter-finals followed by a 5-0 league triumph over FC Kilikia. Arkadiy Andreasyan's MIKA, who are also through to the cup semi-finals, defeated Shirak 3-1 in their league encounter.

Argentinian signings
Gandzasar have been eliminated from the cup, losing on penalties to Pyunik, yet few will be taking them lightly in the Bardzraguyn Khumb. The Kapan outfit now have 14 foreign players on their books, an Armenian record, after signing five Argentinian players. Yet coach Samvel Petrosyan knows his South American newcomers - Claudio Alanis, Aleo Jelatini, Jose Rikardo, Carlos Mavilyan and Jonatan Mavilla - will need to settle quickly if the club is to mount a serious title challenge.