Match №18

The match № 18, group stage, fifth tournament day

LITHUANIA – MOLDOVA 2:0 (1:0)

January 22nd, 2013, Saint-Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 200 spectators

Referees: Aleksey Matushin, Rashid Abusuev, Yuri Grechishkin

Lithiuania: Lidakevicius (c), Bagdonavicius, Miskinis, Benetas, Dauksa, Dapkus, Verbitckas (Sendzikas, 85), Norvilas (Ribokas, 80), Veliulis (Laukzemis, 76), Spalvys (Gedminas, 83), Kazlautskas (Birskys, 79)

Head coach: Mindaugas Neoras

Moldova: Koselev, Prodan (Sandu, 69), Focsa, Bogdan (Matei, 46), Jardan (Svedul, 46), Solomin, Zasavitchi (c), Rata, Anton (Patic, 58), Cociuc, Milincianu (Nemerenco, 46)

Senior coach: Alexandr Сurteian

Goals: Kazlautskas (35, 69)

Yellow card: Solomin (68)

Best players: Donatas Kazlauskas, Cociuc Eugeniu

After match comments:

Head coach of the team Lithuania Mindaugas Neoras:

– The situation before the game was difficult: the winning was necessary for us. It doesn't matter, what's your level of playing, the necessity of the victory presses on the players. It constrains and hinders to play confidently. It took us two games to figure out who and at what position can play with the maximum efficiency. So, our today's line-up was the most balanced. When we scored the first goal – it became a little bit easier, after the second we even let ourselves to relax a little. Twenty minutes before the end of the match we started making substitutions. But those, who took the pitch also wanted to score, so the team continued playing the attacking football.

Head coach of the team Moldova Alexandr Сurteian:

– There is nothing for me to say. We came here to play football, not just walk on the pitch wearing t-shirs of the national team. That's not right. Though our main goal is not to get the best result at this tournament, that's not right to play like this. Moreover, our key players, so-called key players couldn't lead their teammates. Nevertheless, our plan was neither to lose the match against Lithuania, nor to end it with the draw nor to let in 2-3 goals. We were preparing only for the victory. We came here to win. What's more, the score 0:1 or 0:2 is the failure as well, and I haven't even thought that it could be fine for us. But the game has gone bad, the guys lost their enthusiasm and managed to create scoring moments only at the very end of the match. Before that some of them got the legs' jitters.