© EuroFootball.com
On Tuesday evening, the national football teams of Lithuania and Armenia concluded a brief warm-up for their upcoming match in Kaunas on Wednesday. The coaches of the teams spoke before the match, stating that it will be important to test new players and prepare for the EURO 2012 qualifying matches in September.
Test for the national team's substitutions
The coach of the Lithuanian national team, Raimondas Žutautas, stated that these matches will be a good opportunity to simulate the game for the autumn qualifying matches and test younger and less frequently played players in the national team.
"I'm glad that everyone who was invited to the national team is healthy. The players' fitness levels vary, as some are just starting the season. This time we won't have a few veterans, so we need to test other national team players. You never know when they might need to replace the veterans," said the team's strategist.
He mentioned that both nominal forwards Tadas Labukas and Ričardas Beniušis should have a chance to show their skills. "In the remaining three qualifying matches, we will be aiming for victories, so it will be important to score. In the last matches, we struggled with this, so this time we will try to create as many dangerous moments as possible and score at least once. I believe the forwards will be enough for these matches, as we play with one emphasized forward. Both can play at least one half," considered R.Žutautas.
Potential national team debutant - Vytautas Andriuškevičius, a defender for Gdansk's "Lechia" team. This year, the player who represented the Lithuanian youth national team is gradually getting used to the national team and awaits his debut in the stadium where he represented FBK "Kaunas" for many years.
"For now, I'm trying to get used to the team, get to know my teammates better. I feel at home in Kaunas, the S. Dariaus and S. Girėno stadium is familiar to me. It would be nice to play here. My family and friends will come to watch tomorrow's match," said V. Andriuškevičius.
Impressions from the opponents' game
The national team coaches and players analyzed the game of the Armenian national team in the last European Championship qualifying matches. R. Žutautas stated that in the Armenian national team, there are several leaders, but focusing all attention on them would be a mistake.
"Their dangerous forwards are Jura Movsesjan, naturalized Brazilian Marcos Pizzeli. They know how to defend and attack quickly. In the middle of the field, the game is well organized by Henrikh Mkhitaryan. But everything depends not only on individuals, but on how the team plays," said the national team coach.
Defender Saulius Mikoliūnas said that based on Armenia’s matches with Russia, it can be judged that a tough match awaits: "The Armenians created many opportunities to score. They are a team with many individually well-prepared players. I think the match will be intense."
One of the senior players of the national team, who firmly established himself in the main lineup of the Kiev "Arsenal" (Ukraine) team at the beginning of this season, did not rush to celebrate the coach's trust: "I'm trying to do what the coach demands, but this is just the start of the championship. I have not reached my best physical form yet, but it improves with every game."
Rehearsing for the match against the Slovaks
Armenian national team coach Vardan Minasyan said they came to Lithuania to prepare for the qualifying matches with Andorra and Slovakia.
“We will also play against Andorra away, and I would compare the playing style of the Lithuanian national team to Slovakia. It would be nice to achieve a good result, but we will also try out new players. We have many young football players. They play with great patriotism and give their heart. Perhaps this is the main reason why we are doing well in the European Championship qualifying,” said V. Minasyan.
He mentioned that he watched the Lithuanian national team matches with Liechtenstein and Norway. "It's strange that the Lithuanians lost to Liechtenstein. You controlled the game, but two accurate shots from the opponents - and you lost. Sometimes it happens in football. I think Lithuania is a really strong team, with many players playing in strong clubs. I believe that Lithuanians still have a chance in their qualifying group," said V. Minasyan.
On Wednesday at 19:00, the national teams of Lithuania and Armenia will meet at the Kaunas S. Darius and S. Girėnas Sports Center stadium.
