34th round of Optibet Virsliga brought together Valmiera FC and FK Metta for the final time this season. The outcome? Unexpected and rather harsh as the hosts of Rigas Hanzas Vidusskola stadium took a 4:1 victory.
From the point of view of the standings – a significant fight for both teams. Valmiera FC is in search of third place, while Metta plans to escape from the relegation for remaining in the league. It is clear to everyone that an extensive battle is expected on the pitch. We had to wait until then because the home team had not ensured the presence of an ambulance and the start of the game was postponed by 30 minutes.
At the start of the game, Valmieri looked confident, attacking, and controlling the ball, and in the sixth minute 1:0. Meissa Diop entered the penalty area through the left flank, sent the ball to the front of the goal, where it found Niks Sliede in the hustle and bustle, the goal was assured by an opponent – Oskars Vientiess.
After the scored goal, the team got into a small crisis and the game’s result quickly became a draw. The opponent’s player hit the ball in the upper corner of the goal with his left foot, an accurate long shot.
Leo Gaucho then created the best goal-scoring moment of the game – he went alone against the goalkeeper, but his shot was wholly inaccurate and missed the goal. Later it turned out that this very moment could be fatal.
In the second half, a very sharp, physical battle continued – with cards flying both ways. At the beginning of the half, Metta also took the first lead. We had to come back, so Jurģis Kalns sent Djibril Gueye and Alioune Ndoye to the pitch. Djib had a great chance to make it 2-2, but it didn’t work out.
Soon after the goal-scoring situation, a huge turnaround. Djibril hits the opponent’s knee with his foot and the referee with a little hesitation, but still pulls out the red card. A turning point? Definitely.
Although we tried to score goals in attacks, to get back into the game, the opponents had better arguments. First, in the 81st minute, 1:3 was achieved, and then two minutes later 1:4. Metta also had a chance to increase the lead, but it didn’t happen due to an offside.
We will play our next game on Sunday (05.11) when the team will go to the Zemgale Olympic Center, where they will play against the FS Jelgava team.
