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The new trophies should continue to rest on the shelves of the old owners. On Tuesday, the draw for the semi-finals of the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) Cup took place. It was decided that Vilnius "Žalgiris" and "Trakai" as well as Gargždai "Banga" and Klaipėda "Granitas" teams will compete for a spot in the final.
In the LFF Cup tournament, two semi-final participants - Klaipėda "Granitas" and "Trakai" - were still playing in the lower - first - league. However, they will be competing in the final as teams from the highest Lithuanian league. On Monday, LFF officially announced that there will be ten clubs in the A league, including two newcomers, which are "Granito" and "Trakų" teams.
Surprises Along the Way
The journey to the semi-finals presented more than one sensation. The farewell of Klaipėda "Atlantas," which had a chance to become the Lithuanian champion in the previous A league season, was the most notorious. With the arrival of coach Konstantin Sarsani and the financial support, the residents of Klaipėda were considered real contenders for the final, but in the fourth round, "Atlantas" faced their own demise. Vilnius "Žalgiris" players became their executioners, celebrating a victory with a score of 2:1.
In the fourth round, the struggling Panevėžys "Ekrano" club was eliminated from the cup tournament, losing 0:1 to the "Šiauliai" team, who celebrated their victory after Arminas Vaskelos converted a penalty kick.
Five A league clubs, two I league teams, and the MRU team from the South Zone of the II league made it to the quarter-finals. The university team surprised many fans but could not resist against "Trakai," while the A league clubs struggled. "Žalgiris" eliminated Pakruojo "Kruoja," and Gargždai "Banga," after losing the first match, bounced back and eliminated Alytus "Dainava."
Even though they received a seemingly weaker opponent - "Granitas" from Klaipėda - "Šiauliai" failed to take advantage of the opportunity. With a 1:1 draw at home, they couldn't score in the away game and bid farewell to the tournament as the rematch ended 0:0.
Accusations Made
In 2012, a new trophy worth sixteen thousand litas immediately ended up in the hands of the "Žalgiris" players. The men from Vilnius put an end to the two-year domination of Panevėžys "Ekrano," celebrating victory in the final after a penalty shootout.
In 2013, the sculptor Džiugas Jurkūnas' creation was attempted to be taken away from the "Žalgiris" team by the "Šiauliai" team. They posed a serious challenge to the Vilnius club. The main match and extra time ended in a 3:3 tie. The penalty shootout, won by "Žalgiris," was not short - 8:7.
After these matches, the "Šiauliai" club did not remain silent. Soon, they released a public statement expressing doubts about the transparency of the matches and the competence of referee Nerijus Dunauskas.
"Before the match, "Šiauliai" requested to change the referee brigade for several reasons. Because N. Dunauskas and his assistants are from Vilnius. "Žalgiris" leader Vilma Venslovaitienė and N. Dunauskas belong to the same political party," the club named in the official statement.
“Šiauliai” also released a video recording highlighting N. Dunauskas' mistakes.
