2024-04-01 13:08:29
Vilnius beat Kaunas Žalgiris 1:0 away after Liviu Antalis’ goal in the first half.
“The first half was more cautious. Lots of ball control in the middle. If our team based the game more on sharp passes, then the opponents organized attacks longer. Therefore, we kept up with the actions of our rivals. That goal and good attacking moves were all good in the first half. In the second half, the opponents played more aggressively. We should have spent more time in our own half. We tried to get ahead, but we made a lot of mistakes. It can be said that the pitch had an impact, both teams lacked inertia in the attack. I congratulate the fans on the victory and on St. Easter. The most important thing is the victory, we are moving forward”, coach Vladimir Cheburin reviewed the match.
“This is a very important away win against a strong opponent. I think the match was very difficult, especially the second half. However, it is good for the team that we stayed together in a difficult moment, defended together and as a result we achieved a positive result”, said Giedrius Matulevičius.
“Difficult match. It was difficult to create chances. It’s nice to have fulfilled one possibility. But we showed character, we defended to the end. There are matches where the game does not go well, but in a disciplined manner, with some success in defense. We managed to keep the result, which I think will give us more confidence for the next match”, said Paulius Golubickas in an interview immediately after the match.
This match was the first after the break, and the first this season that the teams played on natural grass.
“It felt a little bit that we didn’t play together during the break. Obviously, the fact that we played on grass, and we train on artificial surfaces, also has its influence. It all came together, in the second half some kind of fatigue appeared, there were more mistakes, we didn’t keep the ball. That was the reason why we “sat down” a bit, G. Matulevičius assessed.
“I want to practice on the grass before the match. But we are professionals, we know our job, we know the fields. It is necessary to adapt during the warm-up. It wasn’t easy, it was hard. Fast pitch, but I knew because I had to play with the national team, I passed to my teammates. I hope it will be better next time”, said P. Golubickas.
The only goal of the match was scored after a pass by G. Matulevičius. The midfielder himself noted the important contribution of his teammates: “Martynas Šetkus intercepted the ball, he played well in a duel. I caught the ball, as usual, Liviu perfectly exposed himself to the spaces, I just gave it forward, he cut in and completed it perfectly. Good goal, I’m happy for the team.”
In the second half, Žalgiris had to defend more, but managed to keep a clean sheet.
“There was a lot of play in the middle of the pitch. Although both teams tried to create. We made more sharp passes, the opponent tried to hit from further away. However, our players defended themselves. There was that defensive density when 8-10 players were close to the penalty area and it was difficult to score a goal from a distance. There is something to work on, something to strive for,” said V. Čeburinas.
“Such a victory is very important for the team, because it shows that the team has character in a difficult moment. When it was necessary, we all defended together, held each other. It was hard, but we stayed together. Such a victory is even sweeter. It is very important that we did not concede a goal. We’ve missed quite a few of them lately. We stressed before the match that we need to keep a clean sheet. As a result, one goal was enough for us to win the match”, stated G. Matulevičius.
Martynas Šetkus, who replaced O. Verbick after he suffered an injury in the first half, played in the middle of the field, instead of on the wing where he is more used to. It was the ball intercepted by the 18-year-old player that allowed the Žalgiris team to score a goal.
“I am glad that the youth are helping the team when they come out on the field. Yes, there are mistakes, but everyone made them. Maybe the quality of the lawn was a bit of a hindrance. Both Šetkus and Matyžonokas played. The most important thing is that their eyes burn. They really want to play. We also have Mikulėnas and Jansons. Other people will also mature. I have already said that we will pay more attention to our youth, those who grew up in the academy, because it is a full part of the club. The fact that those young players appeared on the field will be a stimulus for all young people who are training at the academy”, emphasized V. Čeburinas.
After defying the predictions, after five rounds, “Džiugas” leads the championship by one point, ahead of “Hegelmann” and “Žalgiris” by one point, while the champion “Panevėžys” is in the last place.
“That’s spring football. Every year there are teams that have a harder start, some are not successful. Now to look at the tournament table… Yes, it is possible to see the results. However, a clearer picture in the table will be after 8-9 rounds”, – V. Čeburin did not emphasize the table.
“I am very happy that that level is growing, more competitive teams are appearing, the championship is more interesting, it is more difficult to compete. It’s always fun, I’m happy for all the teams, but our goal is the same. We set the highest goals. Only victory in every game. There will be competitiveness, but we will always go for the three points”, P. Golubickas assured.
“Žalgiris” will play the next match on April 7. at 3 p.m. at home against the Šiauliai team.
2024-04-01 13:08:29