Victory a must for Lithuania in Liechtenstein
Friday, May 27, 2011
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Liechtenstein welcome Lithuania to Vaduz hoping to get off the mark in Group I, while the visitors know three points in the principality would revive their hopes of finishing second.
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Liechtenstein host Lithuania seeking their first points of the campaign in what is the sole Group I fixture in the latest round of UEFA EURO 2012 qualifiers. Lithuania are fourth in the five-team section with four points from as many matches. A second away victory would lift Raimondas Žutautas's squad to within two points of the Czech Republic in second spot, albeit still eight points behind runaway leaders Spain. The two sides meet again when the group resumes on 2 September.
3 June: Liechtenstein v Lithuania
Liechtenstein
Hans-Peter Zaugg has selected only 19 players, though he has placed FC Balzers duo Fabian Eberle and Ivan Quintans on standby. The most experienced player in the party is SV Ried's Martin Stocklasa, who has 91 caps.
Goalkeepers: Peter Jehle (FC Vaduz), Cengiz Bicer (Mersin İdmanyurdu SK), Benjamin Büchel (USV Eschen/Mauren).
Defenders: Andreas Christen (USV Eschen/Mauren), Fabio D'Elia (USV Eschen/Mauren), Olcay Gür (FC Schaan), Daniel Kaufmann (FC Balzers), Marco Ritzberger (FC Vaduz), Martin Stocklasa (SV Ried).
Midfielders: Martin Büchel (RC Deportivo de La Coruña), Franz Burgmeier (FC Vaduz), Philippe Erne (FC Vaduz), Wolfgang Kieber (FC Balzers), Rony Hanselmann (FC Balzers), Nicolas Hasler (USV Eschen/Mauren), Michele Polverino (FC Aarau).
Strikers: Thomas Beck (FC Balzers), Benjamin Fischer (FC Vaduz), Mathias Christen (FC Linth 04).
Lithuania
Either Ernestas Šetkus or Mindaugas Malinauskas will make their competitive debut in goal for Lithuania, who are without established custodians Žydrūnas Karčemarskas and Paulius Grybauskas through injury, along with the talented Vytautas Černiauskas.
Žutautas said: "Every goalkeeper will have a chance and we will only decide who will play after our training camp." Arūnas Klimavičius and Gediminas Paulauskas return in defence, Mantas Savėnas comes back in midfield and Vitalijus Kavaliauskas is recalled as an attacking option.
Goalkeepers: Ernestas Šetkus (Olympiakos Nicosia FC), Mindaugas Malinauskas (Debreceni VSC), Šarūnas Jurevičius (FC Šiauliai).
Defenders: Marius Stankevičius (Valencia CF), Arūnas Klimavičius (FC Zhetysu Taldykorgan), Tadas Kijanskas (Jagiellonia Białystok), Ramūnas Radavičius (FK Ekranas Panevėžys), Andrius Skerla (Jagiellonia Białystok), Gediminas Paulauskas (FC Illychivets Mariupil).
Midfielders: Kęstutis Ivaškevičius (Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv FC), Mindaugas Panka (RTS Widzew Łódź), Deividas Česnauskis (Aris Thessaloniki FC), Edgaras Česnauskis (FC Rostov), Deividas Šemberas (PFC CSKA Moskva), Saulius Mikoliūnas (FC Arsenal Kyiv), Linas Pilibaitis (Győri ETO FC), Marius Papšys (1. FK Příbram), Mantas Savėnas (FC Gazovik Orenburg), Dominykas Galkevičius (Zagłębie Lubin).
Forwards: Darvydas Šernas (RTS Widzew Łódź), Tomas Danilevičius (AS Livorno Calcio), Vitalijus Kavaliauskas (FK Liepājas Metalurgs), Tadas Labukas (Arka Gdynia).
