R. Janson commented on the fantastic match in the UEFA Youth League

2024-09-21 10:58 © lff.lt

After the victory in the UEFA Youth League match, the coach and players of "Žalgiris" talked about memorable games, extraordinary emotions, while the hero of the match, who scored three goals, revealed his prophetic dream.

The "Žalgiris" youth team was trailing 1:2 against Welsh champions "The New Saints," but after the break, they turned the score in their favor and won 3:2.

"It's been a long time since I've felt such emotions. I had a few matches a couple of months ago when we became champions of the Elite Youth League. But these games are truly very, very memorable. Just think about the atmosphere, coming back from a 1:2 deficit to win. I'm very happy, very satisfied," said coach Dainius Greviškis.

According to him, the start of the match promised nothing bad, but the first half unexpectedly turned out to be unsuccessful. "We managed a high press, and a few shots on goal, leading to a goal. But as often happens in youth football, you lose concentration for a moment, and the opponents punish you. We must not forget, after all, they are the Welsh champions, they have good, agile players who can run, who are dangerous and can score. We will be better prepared for the next matches. We saw the players' strengths. They definitely have attacking players, fast ones, and defenders who can defend. Everything will be decided in the second match," said the coach.

Romualdas Jansonas, who played the role of team captain, scored all three of his team’s goals. The night before the match, he "performed” the same feat in his dream.

"We are happy that we managed to win. This victory really required a lot of energy. Thank God, we pulled through to the end and won. The night before, I dreamt that I scored 3 goals. I watched the [documentary] series about Man City last night when they won the treble, and there were indeed many Haaland hat-tricks, and somehow, it appeared in my dream as well. Coincidence. I’m glad I managed to score three goals. I hope to do it again," said R. Jansonas.

Speaking about the goals, he credited his teammates and the coach for the designed set-piece play.

"For the first goal, Martynas Šetkus made a huge contribution, attracting people to him, I found a gap, made a great pass, and managed to score. The second one came from a corner, which was a standard set by coach Justinas Baužys. We met before this match and discussed this standard. The opponents left a lot of space, and we managed to score from that standard. It’s really a significant contribution from the coach. And the third goal... I was already exhausted, but it was a great pass from Vakaris Berantas, and I managed to score into an empty net," explained R. Jansonas.

This time, 15-year-old midfielder Benas Bruzga also played in the starting lineup. "We are really happy as a team. It's great that we won the first match. Regarding the gameplay, we have a new team, and of course, it's hard to settle in at first. But before the second half, we discussed our mistakes, what we could do better, and we implemented that on the pitch, showing results. The opposing team is good, they move well, but we can overcome them in the second match. At first, I was a bit nervous, but everything was fine; I got into the game and began to feel better on the pitch," he said.

According to R. Jansonas, after receiving a telling-off from the coach in the second half, he managed to deal with his nerves.

"During the break, the coach gave us a telling-off, so to speak. We talked, got our points straight, went out, and fought. Perhaps there was a bit of anxiety in the first half, but by the second half, everyone calmed down and started to play football. When we came out of defense, what combinations... We remembered that we shouldn't struggle while playing football; we need to play football. We really succeeded in creating many beautiful attacks, which is why we scored goals; we won the second half," said the striker.

"We didn't make significant changes; I mentioned a couple of nuances to the players with the coaching staff. But the main moment of the match was that the team, after the break, heard the words I wanted to convey that we had to show character. It's a kind of a worn-out word, but they heard it, and you all saw the result," evaluated the coach.

He praised both his captain and the goalkeeper, who saved multiple times in the second half. "I wanted to praise goalkeeper Joris Aliukonis for his performance. His three saves and Jansonas' hat-trick show that we can. I think the forward needs nothing more – just score goals, and we coaches and fans will be satisfied."

The match took place at the LFF Stadium on Wednesday evening, and the most loyal "Žalgiris" fans gathered to support the youth.

"It's like having a 12th player. Everyone often says this, but it really is a significant boost. There was even some pressure when we came out because you don't always get to play in front of so many spectators. Of course, it would be nice if it happened more often. The evening match felt like the Champions League. I really think everyone enjoyed these matches. When we go [to the away match], we will give our all and hope to bring "Manchester United" [to Vilnius]," said R. Jansonas.

"The atmosphere here is fantastic. It's a huge experience for everyone, a great impression – the 'Pietų 4' fans, parents, academy students came to support. This is a wonderful experience. I hope the team remembers these matches, and we will carry that same emotion to Wales. It's a big boost for the second match because now we've seen the opponent's strengths and weaknesses. I think the team will be even better prepared for the second match because the goal is singular – to win and move on to the next stage," said D. Greviškis.

The return match will take place on October 1 in Oswestry.