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Winner of the 2011/12 season Lithuanian Football Federation Cup will be determined in Marijampolė. On May 20th, starting from 16:00 at the "Arvi" football arena, the defending champions Panevėžys "Ekranas" will compete against Vilnius MFD "Žalgiris" for the cup.
After twelve years - in a new stadium
The Lithuanian Football Federation Cup tournament has been held since 1947. This year will mark the 66th winner of the cup. Traditionally, teams compete in the cup final through a one-off match on a neutral ground.
In Marijampolė, the cup final will take place after a 12-year break. It is symbolic that the final back then featured "Žalgiris" and "Ekranas". The match was held at the old "Sūduva" sports center stadium, while this time it will be played at the new stadium opened in 2008.
"We are pleased that we can host the cup final in a real football city, which has excellent infrastructure and many football enthusiasts," said LFF Director General Edvinas Eimontas. "Although the 'Sūduva' team did not make it to the cup final, the people of Marijampolė showed a great desire to organize this football celebration in their city."
The matches, along with the LFF, are jointly organized by the Marijampolė County Football Federation (MAFF) and the Marijampolė City Municipality. According to MAFF President Romas Kukis, it is pleasant that two currently leading teams in Lithuania return to the city to compete for the trophy after a long hiatus.
"Together with the city government and Mayor Vidmantas Brazys, we agreed to make it a celebration for the whole city because this year Marijampolė municipality marks its 220th anniversary. On this occasion, all spectators will be able to watch the match for free," said R. Kukis.
The cup final will also commemorate the 90th anniversary of Lithuanian football - the first Lithuanian championship match was played in May 1922. On this occasion, the LFF plans to hold celebratory events from May to the end of the year.
On May 20th, Sunday, starting from 16:00, the LFF cup final match will be broadcast live on "Lietuvos ryto" television. The official sponsor of the final duel is the smartphone "HTC One X".
The battles started from the quarterfinals
In the 2011/12 season LFF Cup tournament, a total of 65 teams from all Lithuanian football divisions competed. This season, top-tier teams in the country started their battles earlier - from the quarterfinal stage.
"Ekranas", who won the cup in the last two years, defeated Kėdainiai "Nevėžis" in the quarterfinals this season, forced Pakruojis "Kruoja" to surrender after extra time in the quarterfinals, and defeated Vilnius "REO" in the semifinals.
The team bearing the name "Žalgiris" returns to the final after a nine-year hiatus. In the 2011/12 season, Vilnius team started by defeating "Šiauliai", later they won against Gargždai "Bangos" in a penalty shootout, and in the semifinals, after a tough battle in two matches, they surpassed Marijampolė "Sūduva".
In last year's LFF Cup final held in Alytus, "Ekranas" defeated Gargždai "Bangos" 4:2 after extra time.
