Latvian national team scores with the help of Maltese footballers, fights in a draw in the League of Nations / Article / LSM.lv

On Sunday, the Latvian men’s football team played 1: 1 with Malta in the second duel of the first group of the UEFA Nations League D. Latvia scored the only goal in the first half, when the opposing footballer threw the ball into his “fortress”.

At the beginning of the match, the owners of the field attacked more actively, who in the seventh minute of the game cleared the Latvian national team goal post. Raiens Kamendzuli did not have a good day today, often losing his footing on the muddy pitch. Pavel Steinbor also took part in the game five minutes later, but before that the back was fixed.

In the 14th minute after Jānis Ikaunieka’s pass, Artūrs Zjuzins hit the ball into the penalty area, but the opponent’s goalkeeper was also in his place. However, a minute later Joseph Mbongs played Raivi Jurkovski and passed to Kīriena Nvoko in front of the goal – the Maltese footballer sent the ball into the goal without the resistance of the Latvian center defenders.

In the 24th minute of the game, Andrejs Cigaņiks also checked the vigilance of the opponents’ goalkeeper. In the next minute, after a corner kick, the ball from Kaspara Dubras hit the player Malta Maltese Metjū Giljomēru and reached the goal – 1: 1.

The next dangerous episode at the Maltese goal was taken care of by the debutant Raimonds Krollis, who in the 38th minute hit the ball from the close distance on the goalkeeper. The home side responded with a counterattack, kicking Steinbor with the fingertips.

The second half started with a few halves at the Maltese goal and a fierce fight between the players of both teams. In the 62nd minute of the match, Dāvis Ikaunieks took part in the game, replacing Krollis, but five minutes later, the injured Roberts Savaļnieks was replaced by Ritvars Rugins.

In the last ten minutes of the game, Malta took care of a couple of more dangerous moments at the visitors’ goal. Latvia had a chance to take the lead on Jānis Ikaunieka’s dazzling drive up the left, but the opportunity fizzled away as his shot went just over the bar after 83 minutes. In the next attack, from about 11 meters, the goalkeeper hit Cigaņiks on top.

Four minutes before the end of regular time, Zjuzin was replaced by Krišs Kārkliņš, who became the second debutant of the Latvian national team in this game. There were no significant turning points in the final minutes of the match, which would break the course of the fight, and the game ended in a draw 1: 1.

The duel was judged by Stefania Frapartta from France, who last year supervised the women’s World Cup final and was also the chief judge in the UEFA Super Cup match.

On Sunday, the same group played the Faroe Islands 1-0 (1: 0) against the guests of Andorra, scoring the only goal for Clementin Olsen.

In the first group of the D league, after two games, the leader with six points is the Faroe Islands team, followed by Latvia with two points, but Malta and Andorra are in points.

In the first match of the first group of the League of Nations D, the Latvian national team played 0-0 with Andorra in the first match of the Daugava stadium on Thursday, while Malta capitulated to the Faroe Islands in its first tournament match 2: 3 at the very end of the game.

Malta has not felt the taste of victory in the last 11 games, while Latvians defeated Austria 1: 0 in the last game of the European Championship qualification tournament on November 19 last year.

The two national teams have met twice before, having played each other in 2010 and 2011 in the European Championship qualification tournament. It is significant that in both games Latvia won with 2: 0.

The Latvian national team has managed to score only three goals in the last 11 games, while the Maltese have stood out four times in the same period. Significantly, Malta has remained “dry” in the last eight of the 11 games.

Latvia ranks 137th in the FIFA rankings, while Malta ranks 184th.

It was already known that the Latvian national team would not be able to help in this match Vladislavs Gutkovskis, who responded to the provocation of the opponent’s player in the game against Andorra, as a result of which he received a red card.

Also, Robert Uldrik, who plays in Switzerland, could not be seen on the offensive line, because his team “Sion” did not allow the football player to go to Malta. Dāvis Ikaunieks continued to heal the injury, and his play on Sunday was under question.

Due to the lack of attackers, Kazakevich invited 18-year-old Kroll to the national team for the first time, who was scheduled to debut in the U-21 national team this September.

The winner of the first group of the League of Nations D will secure a place in the C league of the next season or in the third level by force. The weakest national teams in the D league play.

The second game in the League of Nations in September will also be the last for the Latvian national team, but on October 7 a test match is planned with the Montenegrin national team. Three days later, in the League of Nations, a trip to the Faroe Islands will take place, but on October 13, the Maltese team will visit Latvia.

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