© E. Žaldario
During the first year-end control match, Lithuanian champion Vilnius "Žalgiris" provided an opportunity for young players to show their skills. In the duel with Kėdainiai "Nevėžis", two seventeen-year-olds - Gustas Jarusevičius and Gabrielis Nikonovas - and twenty-year-old Karolis Uzėla appeared in the starting lineup, and nine players aged 17 to 21 ran onto the field in the second half. 17-year-old G. Jarusevičius had a rare opportunity to show his skills from the first minutes. According to the player, it wasn't easy to play after a couple of weeks of hard training. "Returning after the holidays, the first match was tough. We trained quite hard for two weeks. Going onto the field felt uncomfortable. But we showed that we can play our football and win even in discomfort," said G. Jarusevičius. In the first half, he played in the right-back position, and in the second half - as a right midfielder. In the middle of the second half, he managed to score. "There was a shortage of players in that position, so I had to step into that role. There were a few mistakes, but I played well. In the second half, I played as a right midfielder, showed that I can score a goal," said the midfielder. "I saw the attack developing on the left side, O. Verbickas got the ball, I cut inside the penalty area, saw an open corner, and scored with my left foot. Every goal gives motivation to continue pursuing your goals, work hard. Maybe that goal will add more confidence in the future." After a longer break, 18-year-old forward Meinardas Mikulėnas appeared in the main team. He scored a penalty from 11 meters. "We started preparing recently, many things went well in the first matches, but many did not. We tried to follow the coach's instructions and play our game. A good game, not just moving the ball forward smartly," emphasized M. Mikulėnas. "The first match after a long break, I played with the first team, had to adapt to the new players, communicate with them, feel them. The match was not bad, I managed to score a goal. I am happy that my teammates trusted me and let me take the penalty. I am very happy about that." "Žalgiris" coach V. Čeburinas noted that in the first preparation stage, the main emphasis was on physical preparation. "We had two preparation weeks, which allowed us to improve physical fitness. We mainly worked to help establish the foundations of physical fitness. We executed what we planned to do according to the plan. Also from a tactical, technical perspective," said the coach. In the second half, more young players appeared on the field, and Žalgiris players were more productive - scoring three times - but also made two mistakes in defense, allowing the opponents to score two goals. "These matches were aimed at getting game practice. All healthy players had the opportunity to perform - both young players and main team members. Players had the chance to test what we worked on in training. There were mistakes, but that is normal because we just started working on what I would like to see on the field. There are things you want to see in the connections between players. It is visible what needs to be corrected, but that's why these matches are, so we can work even harder and fix mistakes in the future," said V. Čeburinas. The next control match for Žalgiris is planned to be played on February 6th with "Riteriai".
