Armenia's answer to Messi: Columbus Crew star Zelarayan already shining after switching allegiances

The Cordoba-born forward was one of the brightest lights in a FIFA week which dented the nation's hopes of a first World Cup

Almost 14,000 kilometres lie between Lucas Zelarayan's birthplace of Cordoba and the Armenian capital of Yerevan.

Columbus Crew's Argentine playmaker has never set foot in the city, nor indeed the landlocked country, and upon meeting up with his new team-mates in Frankfurt he completed his first-ever trip to European soil.

However, the 29-year-old – the Lionel Messi of the Caucasus, if you will – arguably represents Armenia's best hope of clinching an historic place at the next World Cup

Zelarayan was called up for the first time by Armenia for the October qualifying double-header, eligible for inclusion by virtue of his family ancestry.

“It wasn’t a decision made in one day; it was a well-thought step,” the dead-ball specialist told the Armenian Football Federation's official website upon switching allegiances in September.

“I have spoken to the FFA president Armen Melikbekyan and the national team head coach Joaquin Caparros during the last year. They presented the program of the federation to me.

“I knew about my Armenian roots, but I haven’t had close relations with the Armenian community in Argentina. That’s why I needed time to make this important decision.

"But after discussing everything with my family in September, I made a decision to join the Armenian national team. Now, I am really excited about it.”

It did not take long for El Chino to make his mark. Just over 30 minutes into his debut against Iceland, one of his trademark corners found the head of Kamo Hovhannisyan, who nodded Armenia into the lead in the Group J clash.

Zelarayan was later withdrawn by Caparros, and Iceland fought their way back into the qualifier to tie 1-1. He was then left on the bench for Monday's trip to Romania and Armenia paid the price, falling behind during a tepid 45 minutes.

When the Crew star entered the action, the entire team was lifted. Zelarayan's brilliant passing and crossing ability kept Romania on the ropes, and if an off-colour Henrikh Mkhitaryan had not spurned two clear chances supplied by his new team-mate, the visitors could well have taken a crucial point.

As it stands, Armenia lie fourth in Group J going into next month's final round, but still with a chance of making what would be the nation's first-ever World Cup.

Romania lie just a point ahead in second, albeit with a rather more straightforward end to the competition; while Ianis Hagi & Co. face Iceland and Liechtenstein, their rivals host North Macedonia, ahead of them on goal difference, and already qualified Germany.

It will be a stiff challenge, but then Zelarayan at least has more than proved his credentials as a winner.

Having burst through as a teenage prodigy at local club Belgrano, being named the best player of the Primera Division in 2015, the forward was linked with some of Argentina and Brazil's biggest clubs, as well as several teams in Europe, before finally opting to sign with Mexico's Tigres.

To see him off, almost 60,000 Belgrano fans packed the Estadio Mario Kempes to give him a rousing ovation.

“It was crazy, an enormous emotion. It’s something that will forever stay with me. It was a dream completed,” he recalled to Golazo Argentino .

His five seasons in Monterrey yielded no fewer than three league titles and a total of seven major trophies, and he has carried on much in the same vein since crossing the Rio Grande to MLS.

In 2020, Zelarayan was named the competition's Newcomer of the Year and MLS Cup MVP as he scored twice in the final to deliver the Crew their first crown since 2008.

Just before heading off to international duty, he was at it again, turning in a man of the match-winning performance to help Columbus down Cruz Azul 2-0 and take the Campeones Cup.

No wonder that the club's fans have well and truly taken him to their hearts, just like Tigres and Belgrano before them, and possibly very soon the Armenia faithful.

The ties between Argentina and Armenia go back a long way.

The South American nation was one of the principal destinations for refugees and migrants fleeing the horrors of the Turkish Armenian genocide that coincided with World War One and the end of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the upheaval caused by the Russian Civil War in the same period.

Up to 150,000 citizens of Armenian ancestry call Argentina their home, making it the second-largest diaspora population outside Europe, behind the United States.

The community's centre lies close to the border of the Buenos Aires neighbourhoods of Palermo and Villa Crespo, and includes churches, cultural centres and some of the city's most under-rated gastronomic delights for diners weary of the typical steak and pasta fare.

Sporting ties between the two nations are also strong. Former tennis ace David Nalbandian is another sporting star of Armenian descent, while Boca Juniors forward Norberto Briasco, whose mother is from the country, has also featured during this qualifying campaign, although he was not called up for the latest round of matches.

A team founded by members of the community, Deportivo Armenio, enjoyed a run in the Primera Division during the 1980s and currently compete in the third-tier Primera B tournament.

For players like Zelarayan, who faced an almost insurmountable, Messi-shaped barrier on the path to the Albiceleste senior squad, the option to switch allegiances proved tempting for more than one reason.

“Being realistic, I know I don't have much chance of making the Argentina team,” he added. “This is a great opportunity to play the UEFA World Cup qualifiers, taking on great players who I haven't had the chance to face. That will benefit me in the long term.

“I had never been in Armenia before, so in that sense I don't have a connection. But I knew my surname and heritage is Armenian, so while this is mostly about the football side, there is a real family connection.”

The outlook might not look too bright for Armenia right now, but Caparros' charges have already comfortably outstripped their 2018 qualifying efforts and, no matter what happens, are on track to record their best-ever UEFA campaign.

Zelarayan, meanwhile, has all the talent to rival Mkhitaryan as his new nation's top footballing hero – and could yet spring a surprise or two that could propel them into the play-offs.

Source: Goal