Armenia coach says he went 'all-in' in Moldova friendly

Armenia head coach Yeghishe Melikyan said he was willing to take significant risks in pursuit of victory after his side was held to a dramatic 1-1 draw by Moldova in an international friendly on Tuesday.

Artur Serobyan appeared to have secured the win for Armenia when he scored in the 89th minute, netting his first goal for the national team. However, Moldova responded with a stoppage-time equalizer.

Speaking after the match, Melikyan said the result was disappointing but insisted the two friendly matches had provided valuable lessons ahead of future competitions.

“Of course, when you don't win, it means there are things that need to improve,” Melikyan said. “But in terms of our objectives and the work we wanted to accomplish, these two friendlies gave us exactly what we were looking for. The experience will help us prepare more effectively going forward.”

Melikyan praised his players for their effort and attacking intent, arguing that Armenia posed a threat throughout the match despite Moldova's attempts to disrupt its rhythm.

“The players deserve credit for the way they worked,” he said. "Moldova tried throughout the game to make things difficult for us, and at times they succeeded. But had we converted our chances and won the match, the discussion around the performance would probably be very different.”

Reflecting on his tactical decisions late in the game, Melikyan revealed he adopted an aggressive approach in search of a winning goal.

“As a coach, I went all in because I wanted to do everything possible to win the match,” he said. “I was willing to take risks, and that approach led to our goal.”