The LVBET League Round 5 match between Valmiera FC and Rēzeknes FA turned into a truly unusual spectacle on a gusty Sunday afternoon at the Valmiera Olympic Centre stadium.
Everyone knows that weather can have a major impact on football, and teams usually adapt their game plans accordingly. But when nature takes over like it did this time — with relentless, powerful wind blowing from one goal to the other — even the best tactics can be carried away wherever the wind decides.
Before kick-off, Valmiera players were already discussing in the dressing room that if they won the toss, they should choose the side with the wind at their backs. That’s exactly what happened. It was also clear to everyone that the league leaders were facing the current bottom side, Rēzekne.
That superiority was visible on the pitch, where Valmiera dominated possession throughout the game. But there was one catch — for the entire first half, the final say belonged to the wind. Fans in the stands were entertained by the sight of every corner kick delivered by captain Mārcis Ērglis curling wildly over the goal and beyond everyone in the box. Well-intended passes suddenly doubled in speed and flew straight out of play. Most comical of all were goalkeeper Gints Silkāns’s repeated attempts to place the ball still on the six-yard line before kicking it, only for it to roll away each time.
That was the story of the first half — Valmiera never came to terms with the wind and failed to make use of the advantage, enduring a frustrating opening 45 minutes.
The second half brought no change in possession stats — Valmiera finished with 81% of the ball — but surprisingly, they played much better against the wind. In the 56th minute, Daniils Cepeļevs entered the penalty area and was brought down by the goalkeeper. Fraj Kairmani converted the penalty, lifting a visible burden from the players’ shoulders. It felt like more goals would surely follow.
But they didn’t.
Then, in the 83rd minute, Rēzekne stunned the home crowd. A costly mistake from defender Lenny Manisa gifted the visitors possession, and they raced through to beat Haralds Kalniņš, who had been largely untroubled all game. Still, questions remained whether referee Deniss Ignatjevs should have first called a foul on Wataru Abe moments earlier.
With urgency growing, coach Gatis Kalniņš made a double substitution in the 86th minute, sending on Mamadou Dembele and Ernests Kalniņš. Just four minutes later, those two combined in dramatic fashion to somehow beat the goalkeeper and force the ball into the net — 2–1.
Broken-hearted Rēzekne then conceded a third in stoppage time, when Toki Yamamura scored his second goal of the season to finally end this bizarre match, one in which the ball seemed more interested in following the wind than the players.
Next up, Valmiera FC faces fellow title contenders FK Metta this Saturday at 18:00 away at Futbola centrs “Rūpnīca”, as part of Metta’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
We’ll be waiting for your support in the stands. See you there!
