© LFF
Lithuania's efootball national team continued their journey to the main eEuro 2020 tournament on Monday. After a few weeks among the strongest European efootball teams, the Lithuanians have a new goal - to qualify for the main championship. "In this stage, Lithuania will face many strong teams with professional esports athletes who live for esports. Perhaps our main advantage is that we are amateurs, so we have nothing to lose. However, our goal is to play as best as we can and continue to promote Lithuania in the global esports," said Donatas Grabarčiukas before the knockout stage.
The knockout rounds started with a cold shower as the eEuro 2020 knockout matches did not go as expected. After analyzing the Lithuanian game well, the Danish efootballers took the initiative from the start of the match and were ahead in every aspect of the game. Their assured play allowed the Danes to secure a convincing 3-0 victory.
The second pair played evenly, but Lithuania managed to create more opportunities. After a series of chances, the Lithuanians were able to open their goal count, with P. Golubickas scoring a precise goal in the 60th minute, and V. Andriuškevičius adding a second goal after a corner. However, Lithuania failed to score a third goal, and the match ended 2-0. Lithuania lost to Denmark 2-3.
The first win - against Kazakhstan
The second match of the night was expected to please all ardent football fans. Both Lithuanians and Kazakhs had opportunities to score in the first few minutes. However, Kazakhstan's efootballers found a flaw in the Lithuanian defense and scored the opening goal. Despite this, Lithuania focused heavily on ball control after conceding a goal, and the fast attacks from the Kazakhstanis doubled the result. Nevertheless, the Lithuanians managed to even the score and played the first half 2-2.
The match with the Turks - a festival of goals
The match with the Turks started energetically as expected. In the first 15 minutes, the Turkish team had three opportunities to score, but the shots all missed. However, the Turks continued to create chances, and at the end of the first half, they gained a minimal advantage. Early in the second half, C. Tosun doubled the score with a beautiful shot, but P. Golubickas immediately responded with a precise shot. However, C. Tosun's quick goal helped the Turks pull away. D. Petravičius and P. Golubickas found gaps in the Turkish defense and scored, but Y. Malli's accurate shot secured Turkey's 4-2 victory.
The start of the return match showed that the intensity in this confrontation will surely rise. Early on, the Turks spoiled the Lithuanian plans, and strategic changes had to be made in the first half. Knowing they had a significant advantage, the Turks began to control the game and did not rush to give the ball to the opponents. Ultimately, Lithuanian efforts paid off, as a quick attack resulted in a goal. While the Lithuanians equalized, a moment of decreased concentration in defense led to a conceded goal and a loss.
Lithuania and Spain match - UEFA focus
The Lithuanian match against the Spaniards made it to the list of UEFA-recommended evening matches! However, the match, scheduled for 21:15, started considerably late - the Spanish faced internet connectivity issues and took a long time to stabilize the situation. Eventually, after resolving the issue, the match began. Both Spanish representatives are professional efootballers representing the German giant Munich's "Bayern". The Lithuanians gave their all, but experience prevailed - sharp passes and bold decisions allowed the Spaniards to secure a victory with a narrow 2-1 result.
The second half played open and attractive football. Most of the match with zeros quickly turned into a staggering 4-0 result. Unfortunately, the Spaniards made good use of their chances, proving their high skill once again and winning with a total of 6-1.
"A bit disappointing. We had a good plan, but we couldn't execute it right away. Nevertheless, the players deserve praise for their efforts and thanks for the victory against Kazakhstan. All teams in this phase are very capable, but we saw that we can compete with each of them. I am sure that knowing our opponents better in the second round will lead to better results. We must repeat the qualification tournament's scenario and fight for a place in the next stage in the decisive matches of the second round. Reaching the dreamed European championship is possible," said coach Martynas Bendikas.
"Today, the Lithuanian Football Federation's efootball team faced the most serious challenge as we met teams whose players live for esports. We saw and felt firsthand what even small mistakes and details, which we may not have noticed before, mean. This is a good experience that will help us in the second round. Hope is still alive, and we can definitely qualify for the main championship. We thank all the fans who actively supported us during the broadcasts. I also want to thank the administration of Kaunas College and students for their help in organizing today's qualifying tournament matches," said LFF esports manager Edgaras Abromavičius.
Tournament Group B table: 1. Spain - 9 points; 2. Denmark - 6 points; 3. Turkey - 4 points; 4. Lithuania - 3 points; 5. Kazakhstan - 1 point.
The second round of return matches will take place on April 27.
