It is clear to us what prevents us from winning / Article / LSM.lv

On Sunday, the candidates of the Latvian national football team will start preparing for the games planned for mid-November, in which the team is expected to perform better in order to forget the disappointments so far. At the press conference on Thursday, the head coach of the national team Dainis Kazakevičs expressed confidence that the shortcomings have been identified and that the upswing should start in the test game on November 11 in San Marino.

IN SHORT:

• The Latvian national team plans to start the rise with a successful test match against San Marino.
• In the game, San Marino’s task will be to prepare for the League of Nations match at home against the Faroe Islands.
• The team must improve the effectiveness of attacks and neutralize the standard situations of opponents.
• 28 candidates are invited to the selection – more than usual, because Covid-19 must be taken into account.
• Good performance in the club FK “Liepāja” for striker Artūrs Karašauskas does not provide a place in the national team.

28 footballers were invited to the training camp, which is more than usual. Kazakevich explained that the situation in the conditions of a pandemic is very dynamic and the coaches must take into account that not all those invited will be able to join the national team.

Kazakevičs sees the shortcomings of the Latvian national team in the previous games as insufficiently effective in neutralizing the standard situations of the opponents, while the realization of the goal scoring opportunities is not good enough. The coach of San Marino plans to use the test game to prepare for the match of the League of Nations on November 14 in Riga against the Faroe Islands both in tactics and to gain the team’s greater confidence in their strength.

“More positive dynamics need to be gained against San Marino,” Kazakevich argued for the need to win a test match against the world rankings.

Kazakevich considers balancing players of different functional readings in the composition to be an important task.

Some footballers have spent more time in clubs in self-isolation, while others will only play in the Latvian Cup final on Sunday, November 8.

Compared to the training camp held in October, the team will not include the injured main goalkeeper Pavels Steinbors, as well as midfielders Gleb Klushkin and Kristers Tobers, who are subject to restrictions due to Covid-19. Kazakevich admitted that Tober has two positive Covid-19 tests, so there is no hope for the football player to participate in the national team in November. Klushkin is in quarantine, as is the entire Lithuanian team “Sūduva” he represents. However, Robert Uldriķis is waiting for the team, although in the Swiss club FC “Sion”, which he represents, 13 footballers were found to be infected with the coronavirus in the beginning of November.

Robert Ozols has the role of the first goalkeeper in the national team.

Defenders Kaspars Dubra and Antonijs Chernomordijs returned to the national team. Dubra’s previous training camp was released after a positive Covid-19 test, while Chernomordy has recovered from an injury.

Instead of Klushkin, Kazakevich invited “Riga” FC footballer Vladimir Kamets to the national team for the first time. Kazakevich sees problems in the position of a winger and found Kamesh’s candidacy to be the most suitable addition.

Ingars Sarmis Stuglis, the midfielder of FC “Liepāja”, has also been invited to the national team. He previously played in the national team for the only time in the 2018 test match against South Korea.

Kazakevičs considers FK “Liepāja” striker Artūrs Karašauskas to be still not meeting the selection requirements,

who finishes the TOP 10 in the sniper list of the Super League season. Kazakevičs explained that he does not doubt Karašauskas’ good performance in the club, but in the team evaluates the player of each position in several components, both with and without the ball and on the field. The coach doubts whether in an active physical game with high pressure on Karašauskas the field would be more useful than the invited candidates, even though the footballer’s performance is bright enough and improves. Kazakevich stressed that Karašauskas will be invited to the team when he sees the right moment.

Until the end of the League of Nations tournament, the Latvian national team will have a meeting with Andorra on November 17 after the match against the Faroe Islands. However, even before the last games, it is clear that the team led by Kazakevich will not be able to achieve the goal of finishing in the group in the first place.

A convincing leader in the group of four teams of the League of Nations is the Faroe Islands team, which has won three games in four games and fought against Latvia at home. Latvia, on the other hand, ranks 3rd in a four-team competition with three draws and one loss.

Candidates for the Latvian national football team for the games in November

Goalkeepers: Roberts Ozols (“Riga” FC), Kaspars Ikstens (RFS), Dāvis Ošs (Jūrmala “Spartaks”).

Guards: Igors Tarasovs (Kuopio “KuPS”, Finland), Elvis Stuglis, Antonijs Chernomordijs, Ritvars Rugins (all “Riga” FC), Roberts Savaļnieks, Vladislavs Sorokins (both RFS), Mārcis Ošs (FC “Lugano”, Switzerland), Krišs Kārkliņš (“Valmiera” FC), Raivis Jurkovskis (FK “Liepāja”), Kaspars Dubra (“Oleksandriya”, Ukraine).

Bibs: Artūrs Zjuzins, Jānis Ikaunieks (both RFS), Eduards Emsis (“Noah”, Armenia), Andrejs Cigaņiks (Luhansk “Zorja”, Ukraine), Vladislav Fyodorov, Vladimirs Kamesh (both “Riga” FC), Alvis Jaunzems (“Valmiera”) FC), Mārtiņš Ķigurs, Ingars Sarmis Stuglis, Eduards Tīdenbergs (all FC “Liepāja”), Daniels Ontužāns (Munich “Bayern”, Germany).

Attackers: Vladislav Gutkowski (Czestochowa “Rakow”, Poland), Robert Uldrik (FC “Sion”, Switzerland), Dāvis Ikaunieks (“Mlada Boleslav”, Czech Republic), Raimonds Krollis (FC “Metta”).

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