September 14, following an annual tradition, a friendly football game was held by the International Relations and Operations Group of the Ministry of National Defence at the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Headquarters Battalion. The MoD football team tried to match with the team of foreign Defence Attachés accredited to Lithuania.
The host team won a particularly difficult victory by 4:3 and kept the cup secured last year.
Major Ričardas Uzelka scored two of the winning team’s goals and was named the most valuable player of the match. Defence Attaché of the United Kingdom, Squadron Leader Steve Gleisinger, Defence Attaché of Hungary Lieutenant Colonel Lajos Szalavari and Luka Uchadze representing Georgia scored goals and demonstrated exceptional game on the side of the second place winner team.
MoD Defence Policy Director Vaidotas Urbelis captained the team defending the MoD honor against the guests from the Czech Republic, Denmark, U.S., UK, Netherlands, Hungary and Georgia.
The traditional match was held for the 10th consecutive year: the football contest between foreign Defence Attachés to Lithuania based in Vilnius and MoD personnel has been held annually since 2012.
After the match, for the first time, a penalty shootout was organized to win Alvydas Koncevičius name award. The Hungarian Defence Attaché, Col. ltn. L. Szalavari won the shootout and took the award from the former Žalgiris Vilnius goalkeeper himself.
This year the MoD team took some serious training before the match in a friendly encounter with Lithuania’s popular public figures’ team. The team led by Edgaras Jankauskas, Deividas Šemberas and Deividas Česnauskis has won against the MoD players 8:4.
