In the “Skonto” stadium, the advantage belonged to the Latvian national team in the first half, but the Latvians scored only once. In the 16th minute, after a kick from Robert Savalnieks outside the penalty area, the ball was hit by Barbur Reinatred.
After the rest of the shots by the home team, the ball flew past the goal or the ball was blocked by the visitors. In the middle of the half, within three minutes, Vladislavs Gutkovskis sent the ball past the far corner of the goal with a low kick from the right side of the penalty area, but after a shot by Jānis Ikaunieks from close range, the ball flew over the goal.
After the first half, the Faroe Islands team made two changes in the midfield and attack line and began to attack more actively.
However, Latvia scored a goal in the 64th minute. In the penalty area, Ikaunieks passed the ball to Gutkovski with his chest, who played the ball from the end line on the right side of the penalty area to the center of the penalty area, from where Renārs Varslavāns sent the ball into the lower left corner of the goal – 1:0.
It was the first goal scored by Varslavāns in 11 games for the Latvian adult national team.
In the 72nd minute, the guests had a good chance to score an equalizing goal. Meinhard Olsen was able to shoot from the left side of the penalty area after a free kick, but the ball sent to the ground on the left side of the goal was blocked by the goalkeeper Rihard Matrevic.
In the 72nd minute, striker Roberts Uldriķis came on the field instead of Gutkovskis, but in the 80th minute, two more changes were made, Denis Melniks went on the field instead of Varslavans, for whom it was his first game for the Latvian national team, and Lukas Vapne came on the field in the midfield instead of Dmitri Zelenkov.
In the 83rd minute, the guests also made three changes, sending three attackers onto the field and reducing the number of players playing in the defense.
The number of dangerous goal-scoring moments in the penalty area of the Latvian national team increased, but the ball flew past the goal.
In the 89th minute, after an excellent pass by Uldrikis, Andrejs Ciganiks ran alone with the visiting goalkeeper, but his shot was blocked by the goalkeeper.
In the first minute of stoppage time, Gunnar Vatnhamar headed a cross from the right into the right corner of the goal from close range, but Matrevic was able to save the flying ball with his left hand.
In the fifth minute of compensation time of the match, the visiting goalkeeper also saved the ball after Vapne hit the ground.
On Saturday in Yerevan, the Latvian national team, making its debut in the UEFA Nations League C division, lost 1:4 to Armenia, while the Faroe Islands drew at home with North Macedonia (1:1).
The two national teams have played each other six times so far. In the first meeting in October 2016, in the World Cup qualification, the Latvians lost 0:2 at home, the next four matches ended in a draw, and three times in a row – with the result 1:1. On the other hand, on June 11 of this year, in the duel for the third place in the Baltic Cup, Latvia won 1:0 in Liepāja. Andrejs Ciganiks scored the only goal in the last of the games.
The Latvian national team ranks 137th in the FIFA ranking, but the national team of the Faroe Islands is one position lower.
In the first three seasons of the UEFA Nations League, the Latvian national team competed in the D League, from which they managed to get out in 2022, when they were defeated in the group with Moldova, Andorra and Liechtenstein. This year, the national team of Latvia has been drawn in group C4 together with North Macedonia, Armenia and the Faroe Islands.
The winner of the group will enter the B league, but the owner of the last place will have to participate in the play-offs to keep the place in the C league.
2024-09-10 18:48:38