Edgaras Jankauskas walked into the press room at Darius and Girėnas Stadium with the quiet confidence of a coach who knows his team gave everything – even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect it. After a 0-2 loss to Poland national football team in the FIFA World Cup qualification, the Lithuanian boss didn’t point fingers. Instead, he spoke with measured pride about his team’s bravery, intensity, and growing maturity on the pitch.
Jankauskas admitted that conceding a strange, looping goal from Sebastian Szymański’s corner just 15 minutes in changed the game’s dynamics. But he insisted his side showed character throughout. “The match itself was good in terms of quality, tactical execution, and attitude,” he said. “We had hoped to keep it tight, finish the match with a minimal deficit, and then push everything forward. But that early goal and the second one from Robert Lewandowski made things a lot tougher.”
Despite the defeat, the coach highlighted his team’s athletic performance and fighting spirit. “I want to highlight the players’ bravery on the ball, their fight, their intensity,” he said. “Looking at the physical and intensity metrics, these were some of our best numbers this year. Six players ran more than a kilometer at high intensity. We weren’t stuck in our half – we played bravely, without fear.”
But as often happens at this level, courage and effort weren’t enough. “Everything we did up until the penalty area was very good,” Jankauskas admitted. “But in football, you have to finish attacks and score goals. Unfortunately, that’s what we lacked tonight.”
The coach didn’t shy away from identifying the core issue – goal-scoring quality. “It’s a complex problem,” he said. “We need players capable of scoring goals in top-level leagues. Right now, we don’t have that kind of striker. That’s probably the main issue.”
When asked about the gap between the two sides, Jankauskas pointed to the difference in player development. “Look at where Poland’s players are – Premier League, La Liga, Serie A. That’s where the gap comes from,” he noted.
The loss won’t erase the signs of progress Lithuania showed against a top-tier European opponent. It may not have ended with goals, but it was a performance that suggested the team is learning to step onto the pitch without fear – and that might be the most important step of all.
