Euro 2012 Qualifying: Montenegro Stays Perfect, Bulgaria’s Stanimir Stoilov Resigns After Falcons’ 1-0 Win

Montenegro is off to a perfect start in Group G after winning in Bulgaria on Tuesday, 1-0. The win comes after an identical result against Wales on Friday, putting Montenegro on six points and, presumably, even with England atop their quintet.

Montenegro followed a similar formula in their second qualifier that worked in their first: hold-out after an early goal. Whereas on Friday their goal came from captain Mirko Vucinic, today the goal came in the 36th minute from Elsad Zverotic.

The goal, Zverotic’s first as an international, came off a shot from outside Bulgaria’s penalty area.

Immediately after the match, Bulgaria coach Stanimir Stoilov resigned from his position, claiming two losses to start the tournament would make it difficult for the team to meet their goal of qualifying for Euro 2012.

Stoilov becomes the first coaching casualty of the Euro 2012 qualifying cycle. The 43-year-old former international defender had been in charge of the team since the beginning of 2009. This was his second stint as coach of the national team.

Goals:

35’ - Elsad Zverotic 1

Discipline:

45’ - Milorad Pekovic (Yellow)

53’ - Stiliyan Petrov (Yellow)

55’ - Branko Boskovic (Yellow)

64’ - Stanislav Angelov (Yellow)

79’ - Martin Petrov (Yellow)

Lineups:

Bulgaria: Mihaylov, Milanov (Genchev 47’), Stoyanov, Minev, Ivanov, S. Petrov, M. Petrov, Angelov, Peev (Domovchiyski 67’), Popov, Rangleov (Bozhinov 47’)

Montenegro: Bozovic, Basa, Dzudovic, Jovanovic, Dzverotic (Novakovic 68’), Pavicevic, Boskovic (Bozovic 64’), Pekovic, Vukcevic, Vucinic, Dalovic (Kascelan 77’)

Goals

3

Jermain Defoe, England

1

Wayne Rooney, England
Mirko Vucinic, Montenegro
Elsad Zverotic, Montenegro