15th place in the World Cup qualifiers, taken by the Lithuanian beach soccer team, returned home from Azerbaijan on Monday. Despite playing eight matches, the Lithuanians won four games and suffered as many losses.
However, the Lithuanian path could have been considerably shorter if not for a successful performance in the preliminary qualifying stage.
"The victories against Malta, Sweden, and the Czech Republic demanded a lot of effort. It is important not to forget that Baku was scorching hot, and we played every day. The most crucial match was against the Czech footballers.
They were considered favorites, but through disciplined play, we managed to defeat them. Yes, at the end of the match, we made two completely unnecessary fouls and were punished for it, but overall - we were stronger.
I think that if not for those three matches, we would have performed better in the main qualifiers. Nevertheless, I am proud of what the guys have done," said the national team's head coach Sahib Mammadov upon returning to Lithuania.
As the group's winner, the Lithuanian national team entered the main qualification, where they were joined by the beach soccer teams of Poland, Spain, and Ukraine. In all three group matches, losses were experienced.
"Let's be open - Spaniards and Ukrainians are of a higher level, and for now, we cannot match them. Speaking of Poland, that is the team we must compete with. We recently played friendly matches against them and showed that we are capable of winning against them.
Why didn't it work out this time? The main reason is that it was our fourth match, and their first. The perceived temperature was almost 40 degrees, so you can imagine how important good rest is in such conditions. We didn't have it, so we simply ran out of energy," stated S. Mammadov.
Finishing fourth in the qualification group, Lithuania played for the 13-16 places. The first match was lost, the second was won after a penalty shootout.
"We have never played eight matches without any breaks, so at the end of the tournament, we were simply exhausted. Nevertheless, one hundred percent dedication, desire, and experience that we gathered playing friendly matches against Thailand and Poland this year allowed us to defeat Greece. We all wanted to finish the tournament victoriously and gain additional ranking points," said S. Mammadov.
After two months (in September) on the island of Sardinia in Italy, the Lithuanian beach soccer team awaits the start of the European Championship B Division. According to the coach, the goal will once again be to qualify for the elite European division.
"No matter what, these are the most important matches of the year. Every year we set a goal to break through among the strongest, but something always missing. I really want to believe that the experience gained in the World Cup qualifiers will help us take that decisive step towards the A division," concluded the coach.
Meanwhile, this weekend, the second stage of the 2023 Lithuanian Beach Soccer Championship will take place at the Kupiškis Sea Beach Soccer Field.
