Valmiera FC returned to winning ways in the Altero.lv LIIGA, securing a 3:0 away victory over FK Aliance at the Riga 49th Secondary School football stadium.
On a sweltering Sunday afternoon, with the temperature hitting 28°C in the shade, teams from opposite ends of the A group table met on the sun-baked turf. Aliance, still without a win this season and firmly rooted at the bottom of the standings, might have lulled Valmiera’s starting eleven into a false sense of security. The first half showed little sign of a clear difference in quality — filled with scrappy duels, flashes of emotion, and only a handful of half-chances. Even the scoreboard seemed to sense the slow tempo and didn’t bother to light up.
But the second half told a different story.
As soon as the game resumed, Valmiera took control, and as Aliance began to tire, individual class began to shine through. In the 69th minute, after a corner and some chaos in the box, Daniils Cepeļevs pounced on a loose ball and smashed it in — 1:0.
Then, in the 77th minute, Yusuke Omori, relentless as ever, broke down the flank and fired a shot from a tight angle. The ball deflected off a defender, wrong-footing the keeper and finding the net — 2:0.
To cap it off, Richmond Owusu added a third. Cutting in near the box, the left winger struck with his weaker right foot, sending a laser-guided shot into the corner. The keeper didn’t even move — 3:0.
In the end, Valmiera’s mix of young talent and seasoned experience — including veterans Edgars Gauračs, Niks Savaļnieks, and Mārcis Ērglis — showed the mentality of winners. They rebounded strongly after the frustrating 0:2 loss to JFC Viola, proving they could dig deep and deliver under pressure.
Next up: JDFS Alberts-2 come to Jānis Daliņš Stadium on July 26 at 14:00.
Be there — every point matters.
