N. Kesminas: ‘It doesn't pull me towards fulfilling expectations’

2025-09-08 21:11

Football journalist Nerijus Kesminas shared thoughts on the performance of the Lithuanian men's national team in the World Cup qualifying tournament on social media.

„A few reflections on national football.

More euphoria than confusion in the ruling coalition. What happened? We scared them but left Home with a victory from the Kaunas launch of the Dutch football beau monde.

The event formed two parallel realities. You have the freedom to choose one of them.

Reality one: it can't be better.

The emotion of the fans erupted in such a volcano that it became more valuable than points. The author of the thought is the coach of the Lithuanian national team, Edgaras Jankauskas.

TV commentator Rokas Grajauskas made an even stronger statement after the first Lithuanian goal with the score at 0:2, declaring that the evening had already exceeded all expectations. Well.

.. This is not the same depending on whose expectations.

Regarding emotion and points - a note from the outside: most fans, no matter how blissful the moment of spiritual uplift was, would not hesitate to say that three points would have been better. Moreover, it wouldn't harm the emotion. On the contrary - it would only strengthen it.

Reality otherwise: Malta, the Netherlands, and one point at home from the six that were on the table. Doesn't pull toward the fulfillment of expectations at all.

A part of this reality is the fact that now we are realistically fighting for fourth place in the group. No more, no less.

Therefore, one can look at the numbers in the tournament table and curse. Or one can choose what E. Jankauskas offers: to learn to enjoy the small things.

Small things - the character, courage, self-sacrifice, and unity of the national team players. The question is: if here - small things, then what, wherever the gray wolf leads you (you can curse in any foreign language, but in Vilnius, we must cherish our own), are the big things?

The fact that at the end of the match, the Lithuanians did not let the Dutch out of their penalty area for several minutes is interesting not only in terms of cognition. The situation showed that they can.

The fears that filled last month’s friendly match in Denmark were shed. The team found a hole in the rabbit fence, and once it found it, it only needs to remember the location and crawl there every time there is a necessity and opportunity.

Only then will the result come.

What is the moral of this melodramatic story? The simplest of all possible: I - with the reality where emotion rules, even at the expense of pragmatic point accounting. And you?“, – wrote N. Kesminas.