The Lithuanian Cup Round of 32 concluded today with FK Sūduva’s 4:0 win against third division side Vilnius FA. One significant surprise emerged in this round as the second league side BE1 was eliminated by fourth division club FK Kazlų Rūda. Additionally, two A Lyga teams were eliminated from the competition: FK Riteriai lost to FA Šiauliai, and DFK Dainava Alytus fell to FK Žalgiris.
Last month, the tournament featured 50 teams, including 10 A Lyga teams that entered in the second round, 11 Pirma Lyga clubs, 16 third division teams, 8 fourth division clubs, and five spots allocated to Lithuanian Sunday League clubs (the fifth tier).
Only one of the five fifth-tier clubs advanced to the second round, largely due to the luck of the draw. Vilnius Trivartis was one of four teams to receive a bye in the first round. Unfortunately for them, Trivartis faced a tough opponent in former A Lyga champions FK Paņevežys, suffering a heavy 0:13 defeat. Ariagner Smith and Kwadmo Asamoah from Paņevežys each scored a hat trick.
We witnessed two A Lyga teams being eliminated from the competition. Struggling DFK Dainava Alytus, who are in search of a new coach, suffered a significant 0:6 loss to A Lyga champions FK Žalgiris. Meanwhile, FA Šiauliai rallied from being down a goal to defeat FK Riteriai 2:1, scoring a late second-half goal to secure their advancement.
Some A Lyga clubs faced challenges against lower league teams in the Round of 16. FK Kauno Žalgiris required extra time to defeat Pirma Lyga club Klaipeda Neptūnas, with 19-year-old Nidas Vosylius scoring the only goal in the 111th minute. Similarly, FC Džiugas Telšiai nearly squandered a three-goal lead, allowing two late penalty kicks against fourth division side FK Cementininkas, ultimately winning 3:2.
The biggest surprise of the Round of 16 occurred in Kazlų Rūda, a small city 27 kilometers from Marijampole, with a population of just over 5,500. The local fourth division team, FK Kazlų Rūda, played against Pirma Lyga club FK Be1, who narrowly missed promotion to A Lyga last season, losing in the relegation/play-off battle via penalty kicks against FK Sūduva. Kazlų Rūda’s Ignas Maciulaitis scored the only goal of the match in the 89th minute, securing a shocking 1:0 victory over the visiting Be1 side.
The draw for the Round of 16 will take place in the coming days, and matches are scheduled for later this month.
Lithuanian Cup Round of 32 full results:
- FK Ņevežis (2) vs FK Minija (2) – 1:3
- AFK Vilnius (4) vs FK Pempininkai (4) – 4:2
- FK Kazlų Rūda (4) vs FK Be1 (2) – 1:0
- FK Atmosfera (2) vs FK Banga Gargždai (1) – 0:2
- DFK Dainava (1) vs FK Žalgiris (1) – 0:6
- Vilnius FA (3) vs FK Sūduva (1) – 0:4
- Klaipedos FM (3) vs Jonava (2) – 2:3 After extra-time
- FK Sirijus (3) vs FK TransINVEST (2) – 0:5
- FK Garliava (3) vs FK Ekranas (2) – 1:0
- VGTU Vilkai (4) vs FC Hegelmann (1) – 0:6
- FK Utenos Utenis (3) vs FK Tauras (2) – 1:5
- FK Sveikata (3) vs FK Babrungas (2) – 0:2
- FC Neptūnas (2) vs FK Kauno Žalgiris (1) – 0:1 After extra-time
- FK Riteriai (1) vs FA Šiauliai (1) – 1:2
- FK Trivartis (5) vs FK Paņevežys (1) – 0:13
- FK Cementininkas (3) vs FC Džiugas Telšiai (1) – 2:3