Armenia national team head coach Yeghishe Melikyan spoke at a post-match press conference about the 2-0 defeat to Cyprus, saying the team did not deserve to lose but that its mistakes proved decisive. “It was very painful; we did not deserve to lose. I cannot remember such an unfortunate match. We start everything well, then comes the first mistake, the second, and after that you have to save the game,” Melikyan said, according to Auroranews.am . He said the national team has suffered significant losses because of injuries. Gharibyan was supposed to be in the starting lineup but was injured during the warm-up, while Bandikyan was also injured during the match. Melikyan said the team took major risks in the second half in an attempt to change the course of the game. “I am the first one to blame; I am the head coach. The goals did not come, and we have to accept that we are all responsible. We need to regroup, work, find solutions and move forward,” he said. The coach also urged the players not to look for someone to blame among themselves following the defeat. “I will not allow one or two defeats to destroy our team, the collective that I have built with difficulty. We have to stay together, accept it and move forward together,” Melikyan said. In the group’s other match, Latvia lost 2-1 to Montenegro.