The final Riga FC vs Valmiera FC match of the Tonybet Virslīga this year turned out to be quite an unusual affair, taking place on Thursday evening at Skonto Stadium in Riga. Two contrasting halves, a single goal, and a happy victory for Riga FC over a team they had failed to defeat in their last four encounters, dating back to August 26, 2023.
In the first half, Gatis Kalniņš’s team had to work hard to keep their opponents at a safe distance from Dāvis Ošs’ goal. For the most part, they succeeded, except for an unfortunate moment in the 15th minute when Ivan Erquiaga scored for Riga FC. Riga’s ball possession in the first half caused significant headaches for our players. Despite this, Valmiera could have netted two goals with better finishing, especially at the end of the half when Shuhei Kawasaki weaved past several defenders and set up Jason Bahamboula right in front of goal, but unfortunately, Jason’s shot was unsuccessful.
Then came the second half, where the introduction of Meissa Diop and Jérémy Porsan-Clémenté immediately after the break shifted control of the ball to Valmiera. They maintained possession until the end of the match, relentlessly attacking Nils Toms Puriņš’ goal. Sadly, it was one of those nights where the ball stubbornly refused to find the back of the net. Puriņš also showcased his best performance in goal. The best chance of the game likely belonged to Djibril Gueye, whose header late in the match was denied by the crossbar.
Points are not awarded for good play—ultimately, Valmiera suffered their second consecutive defeat.
On September 28 at 2:00 PM at Jānis Daliņš Stadium, Valmiera will face FK Auda, a team aiming for fourth place in the league standings.
