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In a friendly match in Ilz (Austria), the Lithuanian B national team played evenly with the future participant of the U-20 World Championship final stage, the Saudi Arabian team, ending in a 1-1 draw.
"The result was not important. We saw where and how much our players need to improve, and that Saudi Arabia knows how to play good football," said Raimondas Žutautas, the head coach of the Lithuanian national team who tested all football players.
Opponents are preparing for the World Championship.
The Saudi Arabian youth team continued their preparations for the final stage of the U-20 World Championship, taking place in Colombia at the end of July. The team camping in Austria played their third match this month.
In the first two matches, the Saudis played Belarus and North Macedonia to 0-0 and 1-1 draws. These matches and the game against Lithuania were broadcasted live by one of "Al Jazeera's" sports channels.
The Lithuanian opponents had a better start to the game, as Yahya Dagriri scored with a header in the 10th minute after a raid down the left side and a close-range pass. The Lithuanians threatened the opponents' goal at least twice in the first half, but Nerijus Astrauskas lacked accuracy, and one dangerous pass from Marius Papšys did not reach his teammates.
Many substitutions were made.
After the break, five substitutions were made in the Lithuanian B national team. Four more changes were made during the half, involving all 19 players who traveled to Austria with the team. With frequent changes of players, both teams lacked accuracy in attack.
The most dangerous Lithuanian attack came around the 70th minute when Deivydas Matulevičius' shot from the edge of the box was blocked by a defender in the final moments. Three minutes before the end of the game, Lithuania equalized - Eivinas Zagurskas' long range shot caught the unprepared opponent's goalkeeper.
The next friendly matches for the Lithuanian national team are planned for August.
Match statistics:
Saudi Arabia U-20 - Lithuania B 1:1 (1:0)
Goals: 10th minute Yahya Dagriri (Saudi Arabia U-20), 87th minute Eivinas Zagurskas (Lithuania B)
Lithuania B national team composition:
Marius Rapalis (46 min. Šarūnas Jurevičius), Vaidas Slavickas (74 min. Arnas Ribokas), Algis Jankauskas, Mantas Fridrikas, Egidijus Vaitkūnas (46 min. Eivinas Zagurskas), Vaidotas Šilėnas (64 min. Arminas Vaskela), Karolis Chvedukas, Povilas Leimonas (57 min. Andrius Urbšys), Marius Papšys (46 min. Ramūnas Radavičius), Tadas Eliošius (46 min. Arsenij Buinickij), Nerijus Astrauskas (46 min. Deivydas Matulevičius).
Post-match comments:
Raimondas Žutautas, head coach of the Lithuanian national team: "We let everyone play. I would like to thank the players for giving their all. Playing against foreign opponents today, we evaluated the level of A league champions. The result was not important, but I hope that the men will draw conclusions. We saw where our players need to improve, and that they need to train more.
If the players do this and strive, the results will come. I believe that some of them will join the national team's core in the near future. I think the goal of the camp was achieved - we played a match against a truly strong opponent.
Also, today we saw that the Saudi Arabian team knows how to play good football. This team did not create many dangerous opportunities, but by controlling the ball well on the field, they made us work twice as hard. We were somewhat tired, many players played their second match in the last few days."
Eivinas Zagurskas, defender of the Lithuanian B national team: "The match was very difficult; we faced technical opponents who move intelligently on the field, understanding each other perfectly. This match showed that we still need to work a lot, especially without the ball. But I am very pleased that I managed to score a goal while playing for the national team. It's a special feeling - completely different from scoring for a club. I dedicate this goal to my mother, who is celebrating her birthday today."
Khalid Al Koroni, head coach of the Saudi Arabia U-20 team: "It was a tough match for both teams. I believe that this game provided tangible benefits to both us and the Lithuanians. Our opponents constantly pressed us, but we managed to maintain a high level of ball control.
I got the impression that the Lithuanian team was more tired. However, the Lithuanians demonstrated disciplined football, their passes from the edges of the field and long-range shots constantly posed a threat to us. The opponents also won many aerial duels. I am satisfied with my team, but we wanted a victory and an emotional boost before the World Championship."
