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Posted April 18, 2016 04:04 · last edited April 18, 2016 04:08

el grapadura wrote:

Ryan wrote:

Lithuania isn't a footballing powerhouse either though, and although they may be ranked above us I'd say we would be better. Like NZ Football is behind other sports in Lithuania (Basketball and Ice Hokey would be the top two imho), they have half the population of NZ, and a worse climate for football.

Would be actually an interesting contest - and by interesting, I mean cover-your-eyes awful game of football. Lithuania don't have a lot of top quality players, but play a lot together, and are generally speaking pretty tough nut to crack, especially at home.

I reckon it'd be an unwatchable 0-0 draw (or a potential 1-0 to someone, either through a set piece or horrendous defensive mistake).

I don't know what their domestic competition is like in Lithuania but I've spent a fair bit of time in Latvia and their domestic competition is ASB Premiership level if that. BFC Daugavpills home ground would be about the same capacity as Newtown Park, and that is the top team in the second biggest city in the country. While a good chunk of the national team plays in Russia I'd say more than half actually play semi-pro football in Latvia itself. A quick google shows that Lithuania is similar, which is surprising considering they are both European Union countries so their players would have an easier job getting a look in in the bigger European leagues than ours. 

So our players should be playing at a higher standard than theirs considering we would be almost entirely profesional whereas they would be 50% semi pro.

But yes, harsh conditions, passionate fans. If it was played in Lithuania they would be very tough. But played here or at a neutral venue? I don't know, we should beat them comfortably.

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Ryan edited April 18, 2016 04:08
el grapadura wrote:
Ryan wrote:

Lithuania isn't a footballing powerhouse either though, and although they may be ranked above us I'd say we would be better. Like NZ Football is behind other sports in Lithuania (Basketball and Ice Hokey would be the top two imho), they have half the population of NZ, and a worse climate for football.

Would be actually an interesting contest - and by interesting, I mean cover-your-eyes awful game of football. Lithuania don't have a lot of top quality players, but play a lot together, and are generally speaking pretty tough nut to crack, especially at home.

I reckon it'd be an unwatchable 0-0 draw (or a potential 1-0 to someone, either through a set piece or horrendous defensive mistake).

I don't know what their domestic competition is like in Lithuania but I've spent a fair bit of time in Latvia and their domestic competition is ASB Premiership level if that. BFC Daugavpills home ground would be about the same capacity as Newtown Park, and that is the top team in the second biggest city in the country. While a good chunk of the national team plays in Russia I'd say more than half actually play semi-pro football in Latvia itself. A quick google shows that Lithuania is similar, which is surprising considering they are both European Union countries so their players would have an easier job getting a look in in the bigger European leagues than ours. So our players should be playing at a higher standard than theirs considering we would be almost entirely profesional whereas they would be 50% semi pro.

But yes, harsh conditions, passionate fans. If it was played in Lithuania they would be very tough. But played here or at a neutral venue? I don't know, we should beat them comfortably.

Ryan edited April 18, 2016 04:05
el grapadura wrote:
Ryan wrote:

Lithuania isn't a footballing powerhouse either though, and although they may be ranked above us I'd say we would be better. Like NZ Football is behind other sports in Lithuania (Basketball and Ice Hokey would be the top two imho), they have half the population of NZ, and a worse climate for football.

Would be actually an interesting contest - and by interesting, I mean cover-your-eyes awful game of football. Lithuania don't have a lot of top quality players, but play a lot together, and are generally speaking pretty tough nut to crack, especially at home.

I reckon it'd be an unwatchable 0-0 draw (or a potential 1-0 to someone, either through a set piece or horrendous defensive mistake).

I don't know what their domestic competition is like in Lithuania but I've spent a fair bit of time in Latvia and their domestic competition is ASB Premiership level if that. BFC Daugavpills home ground would be about the same capacity as Newtown Park, and that is the top team in the second biggest city in the country. While a good chunk of the national team plays in Russia I'd say more than half actually play semi-pro football in Latvia itself. A quick google shows that Lithuania is similar, which is surprising considering they are both European Union countries so their players would have an easier job getting a look in in the bigger European leagues than ours. So our players should be playing at a higher standard than theirs considering we would be almost entirely profesional.

But yes, harsh conditions, passionate fans. If it was played in Lithuania they would be very tough. But played here or at a neutral venue? I don't know, we should beat them comfortably.

Ryan edited April 18, 2016 04:05
el grapadura wrote:
Ryan wrote:

Lithuania isn't a footballing powerhouse either though, and although they may be ranked above us I'd say we would be better. Like NZ Football is behind other sports in Lithuania (Basketball and Ice Hokey would be the top two imho), they have half the population of NZ, and a worse climate for football.

Would be actually an interesting contest - and by interesting, I mean cover-your-eyes awful game of football. Lithuania don't have a lot of top quality players, but play a lot together, and are generally speaking pretty tough nut to crack, especially at home.

I reckon it'd be an unwatchable 0-0 draw (or a potential 1-0 to someone, either through a set piece or horrendous defensive mistake).

I don't know what their domestic competition is like in Lithuania but I've spent a fair bit of time in Latvia and their domestic competition is ASB Premiership level if that. BFC Daugavpills home ground would be about the same capacity as Newtown Park, and that is the top team in the second biggest city in the country. While a good chunk of the national team plays in Russia I'd say more than half actually play semi-pro football in Latvia itself. A quick google shows that Lithuania is similar, which is surprising considering they are both European Union countries so their players would have an easier job getting a look in in the bigger European leagues than ours. So our players should be playing at a higher standard than theirs considering we would be almost entirely profesional.