Round 16 of Optibet Virsliga – action at Jana Dalina stadium. Packed stands, an amazing atmosphere but that wasn’t enough to grant Valmiera FC a victory. FK Metta used one of their rare opportunities and a tie was registered. 1:1 is the final score.
The first half brought an uptempo football, back and forth between the sides. Daniels Balodis and Roberts Veips had the best chances to reach an early goal, however, just like most stuff everything went over the goal.
As things went Jurgis Kalns decided to make three substitutions for the second half. The game picked up the pace even more, both on the pitch and in the stands. The visitors quickly earned a goal advantage.
Lukass Vapne found his teammate in the 56th minute, and Carlos Olses made a crucial error. It seemed like the situation was over when it was clearly not. From a sharp angle, the ball was sent into the goal, despite the efforts of the defenders.
The wave of attacks continued and just six minutes later an equalizer was reached. Fraj Kairmani found Gustavo Silva in the penalty area. Wasting no time the ball was sent past the goalkeeper. The stands cheered and the team celebrated.
For Metta, the pace of the game was gone, while the home side was visibly hungry for a victory. Offense versus defense, but the opponents were granted one last hope at grabbing three points. Pape Yare Fall with an irrational trip in the penalty area and Vapne stood at the 11-meter point. Olses made a key save.
The boys fought hard and tried to do everything in their power to secure a victory, and sometimes it came with a cost. Ivan Zhelizko challenged an opponent, it seemed clear as a day, but the referee decided to award him with a yellow card. He will be out for the next match. Attempts were made, but it wasn’t meant to be – the game ended in a draw. A gift for opposing coach Andris Riherts who celebrated his birthday.
Our next game will be played on Monday (05.06) when the team will travel to Zemgales Olympic Center to play against this year’s debutants – FS Jelgava. Kick-off is set for 19:00.
