Match № 18

The match № 18 (first group stage), third tournament day

LITHUANIA – RUSSIA 0:2 (0:1)

January 5th, 2015, St. Petersburg, 3200 spectators

Referees: Pavel Shadykhanov, Vladislav Lyashko, Aleksandr Rodionov

Lithuania: Adamonis (Cirba, 84), Valvonis (Juska, 86), Miklovis (Barauskas, 46), Bracevicius, Sveikauskas (c), Lasickas, Baniulis (Donela, 73), Jurgelevicius (Blazevicius, 38), Matulevicius (Janonis, 62), Virksas, Megelaitis

Head coach: Darius Butkus

Russia: Akmurzin (Averkiev, 84), Yevtushenko, Mamin, Skopintsev (c), Yamschikov (Shanbiev, 46), Kipiani (Alibeckov, 80), Poluboyarinov (Malikov, 80), Obolsky (Mironov, 69), Melkadze (Pronichev, 46), Akhmetov, Krasilnichenko

Head coach: Sergey Kiriakov

Goals: Kipiani (22), Akhmetov (76)

Best players: Ricardas Sveikauskas, Nikolay Kipiani

After match comments

Head coach of team Lithuania Darius Butkus:

– I want to congratulate team Russia. Russian teams have always been very strong, therefore we had a dangerous opponent today. But I'm pleased with my guys' performance. After a hard game yesterday they found the strength for this match. I wish you to get to the final, and to take your place. We will solve our problems too, and set our own aims.

- You said, that yesterday was a very complicated match, and Russians had a recovery day. You think that was a rival's advantage, don't you?

– I can't say it was obvious, but in the second half guys were really tired. We had to do substitutions. And Russia have always had good players. They are able to assemble two U-18 teams with equal level, and we don't have so much players in Lithuania. We have only 25 of them, and we can't find more.

– What is the goal you were talking about? The goal of this tournament or the goal for the team in general?

– Our target is not within this tournament. We need to be prepared for autumn. However, we have some aims here too – for guys to feel each other, to achieve a teamwork. Still, the strategic one – is autumn.

– How did you manage to attract tall players from basketball schools?

– There are a lot of tall guys in Lithuania, so basketball schools are concurring with us. Still, we manage to attract them to football, because football is a sport number one not only in our country, but in the world too.

– You have substituted the goalkeeper almost at the same time with your colleague. However, if Russian coach did that to let the player to practice, to debut, you've substituted during the corner kick. Haven't you being afraid to spoil his debut of your goalkeeper?

– We also wanted to give chance to everyone, including the goalkeeper. It is very important to feel the power of international tournament. The fact that he entered the game during the corner kick – that was just coincidence. And he didn't fail.

Head coach of team Russia Sergey Kiriakov:

– I think that we must be satisfied with the match, not only with its result, but also with its content. We made good combinations, used our flanks. We knew that our opponent had a hard match yesterday, we watched it, analyzed. We knew that Lithuania would play from defense, so we build our playing schemes with active actions on the wings. I have to say that both our flanks cooperated well with the central axis and the side defenders. There were many passages to the goal area, high passes from the wings. I can reproach my players in low implementation of chances: several times we hit the bars. Several times we were unlucky. Comparing to the first match, I can say, we have improved. But I can repeat that we knew that our opponent had had a hard match yesterday and they would be tired, strengths are not endless. Anyway they made many problems for us, especially with fast counter attacks and free kicks. We were ready for it. Thank to the won points we have qualified to the next round and there we will try to reach our next aim – getting the prizes.

– Did any of your team officials watch the matches of your future opponents?

– This aspect is totally elaborated on the tournament. We do not need to sit on matches and watch the game, in 2-3 hours after the game you can easily get the recording of it. For sure we expected some teams to qualify from their groups. I think all of them are strong enough. Belarus and Slovenia are the teams of a good level. They will play with us most probably as "second number", from the defense, we must be ready for this. We have played with Belarus not long ago: on the tournament in Palanga, and won 3:0. Before it in Minsk we met them in the Final, and also won. But they brought many new players to this tournament and we have to look on their actions one more time. Slovenia will also play from defense and we also ready for it.

– Do you have a scheme of play from defense in your reserve for in the case of match with a stronger opponent?

– I can say to you for all the time I have been working with this team, we've played from defense only once – against Spain. But all the teams do the same against them. Spain has more than 70% of ball possession and there is no other way to act against. That match we practice to play from defense first time for two years. But today we obtain good attacking players in our team and won't even think about defensive manner.

– You have substituted your goalkeeper. What was the aim of it?

– We want to check all players in our team and today we gave possibility to make his debut in national team for Vadim Averkiev. He got a good chance to obtain confidence, to play with such audience, to feel the atmosphere. First match for national team – I guess he won't sleep today. These are the reasons for it.