Friday night at the Valmiera Olympic Centre Stadium turned into a memorable occasion — not just because of the emphatic 8:0 victory over FK Limbaži in the opening round of the Latvian Football Cup, but also thanks to the electric atmosphere created by a strong turnout of home supporters.
From the outset, there was no doubt about the balance of power. Valmiera FC dominated both physically and technically, and the only thing keeping the scoreline respectable early on was the heroics of Limbaži goalkeeper Andis Kārkliņš, who made several key saves in the first half.
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute, when Rojs Bušs fired in from a tight angle — a shot that Kārkliņš mishandled as the ball found its way into the net — 1:0. Just 12 minutes later, Oskars Stupelis showed no hesitation inside the box, turning and smashing the ball home for 2:0. Defender Daniel Adelakun then made it 3:0 right before halftime after a well-worked play near the goalmouth.
The second half was more of a slow burn, with Valmiera struggling at first to capitalize on their chances. Meanwhile, Limbaži failed to register a single real threat to Haralds Kalniņš in the Valmiera goal.
Coach Gatis Kalniņš introduced fresh legs throughout the half, and with time ticking down, the floodgates opened. Five more goals poured in during the closing 11 minutes:
79’ – A stunning strike from Yusuke Omori from the left flank – 4:0
81’ – Returning from injury, Daniils Cepeļevs bundled one in – 5:0
85’ – Ēriks Maurs-Boks added his name to the scoresheet – 6:0
86’ – Niks Savaļnieks made it seven – 7:0
88’ – A second for the Cepeļevs brothers, this time via a slick counterattack and Kristians Kovačs’ assist – 8:0
With this convincing win, Valmiera FC marches into the second round of the Latvian Cup, where another local showdown awaits — May 16 at 19:00, once again at home, this time against FK Cēsis.
Will you be there to cheer them on?
