Gintra started the season with a draw in Riga

2025-03-08 20:35 © lff.lt

The Šiauliai "Gintra" team started the 2025 season with a draw. The Lithuanian champions played the first round of the Baltic League matches in Riga, ending in a precise 0:0 (0:0) against the local "RFS" players, and will aim for their first goal and victory next week.

Starting lineup:  G. Vasilenko, R. Beal, I. Kuku, A. Mikutaitė, T. Romanovskaja, S. Amorim (39’ min. V. Igbonoba), L. Kubiliūtė, C. Caliz, E. Šupelytė, L. Spenazzatto (84’ E. Partikaitė), K. Johnson.

In this match, the team was unable to rely on Justina Blaževičiūtė, who was on duty with the U-17 Lithuania national team, and Meida Proscevičiūtė, Augustė Baltrušaitė, and Bunmi David were also not registered for the match.

In the first half, the "Gintra" players wasted their opportunities to score – Kiyani Johnson's shot missed the target, and Laura Spenazzatto's attempt was denied by the opponent's goalkeeper. Although the team had several set pieces, they also failed to convert them into goals.

At the start of the second half, the match referee awarded a penalty kick to the Lithuanian champions' goal. Fortunately, Gabrielė Vasilenko reacted to the shot from the RFS player and saved it. "Gintra" head coach Steve Beeks was searching for the optimal lineup by making substitutions, and although they brought some energy, the result remained unchanged.

In the last moments of the game, Erika Šupelytė had a great opportunity to score and gift the team a victory, but her shot did not slip between the opponent's goalkeeper's legs. In the remaining time, neither team managed to score, and they had to part ways with a peaceful draw, sharing the points.

Next weekend, "Gintra" will begin their campaign in the Lithuanian Women's A League. They will play their first match in yellow and black on March 16, Sunday at 17:00, against league debutants Vilnius FK "Žalgiris".