Mindaugas Kalonas
Encyclopedia
Mindaugas Kalonas is a Lithuania
n football
midfielder
. His current club is FC Metalurh Zaporizhya
.
, then moved to FC Saturn
where he impressed some SC Braga
scouts who took him to play for them. But he didn't make it through to the first team, playing only for Braga B. He then moved to Latvia
where he played with FHK Liepājas Metalurgs
, who went on to win the 2006 Latvian cup, coming second in the league.
After a spell with FC Kuban Krasnodar
, he signed for FK Riga
, playing for the club in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
, where he impressed Bohemian F.C.
manager Pat Fenlon
. On 31 July 2008, he signed a contract with Bohs
until the end of the season and made his debut for the Gypsies in 3–0 win over Cobh Ramblers
at Dalymount Park
on August 1. Kalonas adapted well to the League of Ireland
and netted his first goal for Bohs in a 2–0 win over Galway United on August 22. He scored in 2010 world cup qualifying against Romania. He quickly became a fan favourite, netting the winner in a game against rivals Shamrock Rovers and the deciding penalty in a shoot-out to claim The Double
in the FAI Cup
Final against Derry City.
He also became the first Lithuainian to play in an FAI Cup Final.
In 2009, he signed a 3-year contract with FC Metalurh Zaporizhya
. In his first season, Kalonas has played 11 games and scored 1 goal, which came against FC Metalurh Donetsk
.
Kalonas has made 33 appearances for the Lithuania national football team
.
Bohemian F.C.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. His current club is FC Metalurh Zaporizhya
FC Metalurh Zaporizhya
FC Metalurh Zaporizhya is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Zaporizhia. The club has always been in the top league, since the first season in 1992 until the season 2010/11 when it took the last position and was relegated to the Ukrainian First League.- Early years :The...
.
Football career
He played in the youth teams of FC Dynamo MoscowFC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
, then moved to FC Saturn
FC Saturn Moscow Oblast
FC Saturn Ramenskoye was a Russian football club, based in the Moscow suburb of Ramenskoye. It is also known as FC Saturn Moscow Region . The club was founded in 1946...
where he impressed some SC Braga
SC Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga , commonly known as Sporting de Braga or just Braga, is a Portuguese sports club, from the city of Braga. Its football team plays at the AXA Stadium, also known as The Quarry, which was built for UEFA Euro 2004...
scouts who took him to play for them. But he didn't make it through to the first team, playing only for Braga B. He then moved to Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
where he played with FHK Liepājas Metalurgs
FHK Liepajas Metalurgs
FK Liepājas Metalurgs is a Latvian football club, based in the city of Liepāja and playing in the Virslīga. They play at the Daugava Stadium...
, who went on to win the 2006 Latvian cup, coming second in the league.
After a spell with FC Kuban Krasnodar
FC Kuban Krasnodar
FC Kuban is a Russian football club based in Krasnodar. In 2011 will play in the Russian Premier League after having won the Russian First Division in 2010....
, he signed for FK Riga
FK Riga
FK Rīga was a Latvian football club based in Riga. They played in the Virslīga, the top division in Latvian football. They played their home games at Latvijas Universitates Stadions. In 1999, its first year of existence, the club won the Latvian Cup, beating Skonto at the final. The club also...
, playing for the club in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
, where he impressed Bohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
manager Pat Fenlon
Pat Fenlon
Patrick "Pat" "Nutsy" Fenlon is an Irish former footballer and manager. He is currently in charge of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian....
. On 31 July 2008, he signed a contract with Bohs
Bohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
until the end of the season and made his debut for the Gypsies in 3–0 win over Cobh Ramblers
Cobh Ramblers F.C.
Cobh Ramblers Football Club . is an Irish football club playing in the A Championship, the third tier of Irish football. The club, founded in 1922 and elected to the league in 1985, hails from Cobh, County Cork and play their home matches at St. Colman's Park...
at Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park is an Irish football stadium situated on Dublin's Northside. It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as 'Dalyer' by fans, it was also historically the "home of Irish football" holding Irish internationals and FAI Cup...
on August 1. Kalonas adapted well to the League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
and netted his first goal for Bohs in a 2–0 win over Galway United on August 22. He scored in 2010 world cup qualifying against Romania. He quickly became a fan favourite, netting the winner in a game against rivals Shamrock Rovers and the deciding penalty in a shoot-out to claim The Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
in the FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
Final against Derry City.
He also became the first Lithuainian to play in an FAI Cup Final.
In 2009, he signed a 3-year contract with FC Metalurh Zaporizhya
FC Metalurh Zaporizhya
FC Metalurh Zaporizhya is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Zaporizhia. The club has always been in the top league, since the first season in 1992 until the season 2010/11 when it took the last position and was relegated to the Ukrainian First League.- Early years :The...
. In his first season, Kalonas has played 11 games and scored 1 goal, which came against FC Metalurh Donetsk
FC Metalurh Donetsk
FC Metalurh Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. The club currently plays in the Ukrainian Premier League.- Pre-history :...
.
Kalonas has made 33 appearances for the Lithuania national football team
Lithuania national football team
The national football team of Lithuania is under the auspices of the Lithuanian Football Federation. It played its first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match as a new nation against Georgia on...
.
Honours
FK Liepājas Metalurgs- VirsligaVirsliga-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
Champions: 2005 - VirsligaVirsliga-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
Runners-up: 2004, 2006, 2007 - Latvian Cup Champions: 2006
- Latvian Cup Runners-up: 2005
- Baltic LeagueBaltic LeagueThe Baltic League is a Baltic football club tournament, launched in 2007 inspired by the now defunct Scandinavian tournament Royal League and by the Baltic Basketball League. The top four club sides from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania take part in the competition...
Champions: 2007
Bohemian F.C.
- League of IrelandLeague of IrelandThe League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
Champions: 2008 - FAI CupFAI CupThe Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
Winners: 2008
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6 September 2008 | Gruia stadium, Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
3–0 | 3–0 | FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 2. | 14 October 2009 | Suduva stadium Suduva stadium Arvi arena Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Marijampolė, Lithuania. The stadium was built using funds from the European Union and opened on July 6, 2008. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FK Sūduva... , Marijampole Marijampole Marijampolė is an industrial city and the capital of the Marijampolė County in the south of Lithuania, bordering Poland and Russian Kaliningrad oblast, and Lake Vištytis. The population of Marijampolė is 48,700... , Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark... |
1–0 | 2–1 | FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |