Romania crush Turkmenistan
01/28/2012 02:53:04 AM
Romania have thrashed Turkmenistan 4-0 in their first international of the year, a friendly in Turkey on Friday.
Marius Niculae and Mihai Roman both netted braces in a clash Romania, ranked 55 in the world, should have won by an even greater margin in Belek.
Forward Niculae gave Victor Piturca's side a third-minute lead, and it was an advantage they took into the break.
But Roman struck twice in five minutes after the interval, before Niculae completed the scoring with a stoppage-time penalty to cap off the thrashing of the 146th-ranked Turkmenistan.
Romania, who failed to qualify for June and July's Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine, meet Uruguay in their next friendly on February 29, while Turkmenistan will compete at the AFC Challenge Cup in March.