May 9, 2023
These diaries reviewed the 2020 Latvia Virsliga season back in December 2020 so a return visit was long overdue. Riga FC won the 2020 title, their third in a row, finishing three points ahead of Rigas Futbola Skola ( RFS ). Tukums finished last of the 10 sides in the league, and as the town was a comparable size to Gorodeya in Belarus, they were dubbed a “Gubbins Village Outfit” by one contributor to the Belarus forums at the time. It is 65km west of the capital Riga and has a population of 16,000.
In addition to the relegation of Tukums, FK Jelgava did not receive a licence for the 2021 season, and with only Noah Jurmela promoted, the 2021 league started with just 9 teams. It got worse as Noah and FK Ventspils both withdrew during the season with financial problems, leaving just 7 sides to complete the season, as RFS won their first ever title, and Riga FC finished a distant 4th behind Valmiera FC and FK Liepaja.
For the 2022 season, three sides were promoted to restore the league to 10 sides, namely FK Auda, SK Super Nova and FK Tukums 2000. The league saw another first-time title winner as Valmiera finished as champions, ahead of Riga FC and RFS. Tukums ended in 6th place, their highest ever placing in the Latvian top flight.
For this season, FS Jelgava were promoted but Spartaks Jurmela did not receive a licence so bottom placed SK Super Nova were reprieved from relegation. Also, VAR has been introduced to the Virsliga for the first time this season.
Tukums went into today’s match in 8th place in the table with a 2-2-6 record, two points ahead of the bottom two sides, and were unbeaten in their last three matches – FK Auda ( A 3-0 ), Jelgava ( H 2-2 ) & BFC Daugavpils ( A 3-3 ). Lithuanian striker Fautas Steponavicius, who is on loan from RFS, had 5 goals to his name whilst Raivis Kirss, on loan from FK Auda, had scored three times. Keeper Sergejs Vilkovs is another player on loan from RFS but the loanees from RFS were not permitted to play against their parent club today. Midfielder Ingars Stuglis has one cap and Nikita Kholodov is Moldovan and previously played for Floresti in his home country.
As their full name suggests RFS originally started as a football academy and have worked their way up the leagues to become one of the leading sides in the country. In 2022 they moved from the 1,000 capacity NSB Arkadija stadium to the newly-built LNK Sporta Parks, which has 2,300 seats.
RFS started the day in second place in the Virsliga but unbeaten with a 6-4-0 record. They were 7 points behind Riga FC but with a game in hand. Their away record was 2-4-0 with wins at Jelgava ( 2-0 ) and BFC Daugavpils ( 5-0 ) but had been held by Valmiera, Riga FC, FK Auda and Metta. In 10 matches they had only scored 15 times, but conceded a miserly 3 goals. Serbian Andrej Ilic was the top scorer with 4 goals, followed by ex-Viktoria Zizkov & Mlada Boleslav Czech International defender Petr Mares ( 3 caps ) with 3.
Five players who figured in the 2020 season are still with the club, defenders Vladislavs Sorokins ( 9 caps ), Vitalijs Jagodinskis ( 31 caps ) & Slovenian defender Ziga Lipuscek, plus Brazilian midfielder Emerson Deocleciano, who is also known as Santana, and Ivorian forward Cedric Kouadio. Two players from 2020 champions Riga FC are now at RFS, Serbian midfielder Stefan Panic ( 1 cap ) and defender Elvis Stuglis ( 9 caps ).
Three Latvian Internationals started for RFS, full-back Roberts Savalnieks ( 46 caps ), centre-back Marci Oss ( 22 caps ) and keeper Jevgenijs Nerugals ( 1 cap ). In addition to Panic and Mares, the other international starting for RFS was Lithuanian midfielder Karolis Uzela ( 3 caps ) whilst midfielder Alexsej Golijanin comes from Bosnia, and Mikaza Nagasawa is Japanese. There were also three Latvian internationals amongst the RFS substitutes.
Tukums’ average attendance this season has been 293 whilst the best in the division is Riga FC with 470. RFS have averaged 415 so far.
Tickets for today’s match were €4 for adults and €2 for concessions, and it was free to watch on One Football.com with a commentary in Latvian, and with no commentary on Eleven Sports and Bet365.com. The bookies made RFS 1/6 short-price favourites to win, with Tukums at 14/1 and the draw at 5/1.
The first meeting between the two sides had finished in a 1-0 win for RFS in Riga.
The temperature at the 17.00 local time kick-off was 19 degrees and it was sunny. Tukums were in all green, whilst RFS were in an all-blue kit, and it looked like there were 15-20 RFS fans in the away section.
The 1,000 capacity Tukuma Pilsetas Stadions resembles a lower league regional Belgian ground with its large adverts behind the open rows of seats. The other three sides of the ground are enclosed by large wire fences but the artificial surface looked worn in places.
After kick-off, an injury to Tukums Stuglis after less than 60 seconds held up play for a couple of minutes. He appeared to hurt his leg jumping for a header and when play restarted RFS were passing it around nicely, patiently probing for openings.
The opening goal of the game arrived in the 8th minute. Mares took a long-throw down the left touch-line, Golijanin headed it on to Ilic who flicked the ball over Butovskis, where Emerson took possession, held off Sidorovs to steer past advancing keeper. 1-0 to RFS.
The visitors should have doubled their lead in the 13th minute but from 6 yards, Jolijanin missed his header to a cross from the left-wing and the ball hit Ilic and bounced to safety. At this stage Tukums had not strung 3 passes together and looked a little in awe of their opponents, and RFS were in control.
Tukems finally started to get into the match and in the 15th minute Anmanis had a shot blocked on edge of area, then a cross by Sidorovs from the left needed a good header away by Mares to prevent Puzanovs having a chance at the far post.
Remarkably the scores were levelled in the 20th minute. After a piece of scrappy play on the left side of the field, a clumsy foul by Uzela on Anmanis just inside the area saw the referee award a penalty, and Kirss calmly sent the keeper the wrong way from spot for his 4th goal of season.
A good spell then followed for Tukums. Krancmanis saw his 25-yarder blocked, Kirss intercepted loose pass to run towards the RFS area but his long-range shot went a couple of feet wide, escorted by the watchful RFS keeper who had it covered.
Tukums now looked a lot more confident and after a RFS corner was cleared, Krancmanis ran 60 yards deep into the RFS half and laid the ball off to Melkis, but his effort hit Savalnieks for a corner.
In the 30th minute a hurried clearance from the RFS defence ricocheted to Puzanovs free inside the area, but lacking composure his shot was hurriedly sliced high and wide.
The game took an unfortunate turn for the home side a minute later as Kirss went down injured with Nagasawa in close attendance but it looked more a case of his foot being caught in the astrotruf rather than a foul. With Kirss off receiving treatment RFS ruthlessly took advantage of the having the extra player. Nagasawa found space on the right, and with Ilic not being tracked by Butovskis, the cross to the 6 yard box was powerfully headed home by the Serbian striker to give RFS a 2-1 lead. Kirss was immediately replaced.
Tukums responded well and a cross from the left caused panic in the RFS defence and could only be hacked clear as far as Stuglis just outside the penalty box, but his first time 20 yarder drifted a few feet wide.
Emerson was increasingly coming to the fore with strong runs inside the Tukums half and after bursting into the home area he won a corner from a tight angle. The corner was taken by Mares and Ilic again made a good run to evade his marker to head home from just outside the 6 yard box for his 6th goal of season to move to the top of the scoring charts in the Virsliga, and to give his side a 3-1 lead.
A minute before the interval Emerson made another impressive run and from his ball into area, Golijanin mis-kicked from 8 yards and scuffed wide.
A 1-3 half-time scoreline looked a little harsh on Tukums but in Emerson, RFS had the best player on the park, and Tukums defending had left a lot to be desired.
Tukums started the second half well and made a determined effort to get back into the match. Almost immediately, substitute Rogovs’ cross from right found Krancmanis free and in a good position, but the finish was weak and Nerugals was able to dive and save. It was a great chance missed.
In the 48th minute Anmaris saw his 20 yard pile-driver force a good diving save from Nerugals to punch away, then Lipuscek’s poor clearance to a cross from right wing went to Rogovs but his first-time snap shot went across goal and just wide of far post.
As the pressure built on the RFS defence Ozols beat his marker on right but the cross was well by claimed by the keeper. It was a spirited start to half by Tukums, and when the ball was worked inside area to Melkis the toe-poke at goal hit a defender, and on 60 minutes the lively Sidorovs shot just wide from 20 yards just wide after winning a tackle with Zelenkovs.
RFS had to do something to stop the tide and they made two changes, and one of the new men, Finn Adam Markhiev produced a low shot but it was straight at keeper Cevers.
Tukums responded but a 25-yard attempt from Melkis was optimistic and went several feet wide, then in the 66th minute RFS struck the decisive blow. Savalnieks’ pass from the touchline on half-way reached Zelenkovs and with Anmanis not closing him down, Zelenkov was able to send a 25-yard left footer into bottom corner of the net. Keeper Cevers was very slow to move though and really should have done better, and all round it was a poor goal to concede.
Tukums did get the ball into the net in the 73th minute. Sidorovs pass to Melkis was flicked on for Krancmanis to go clear and slip the ball under the keeper as he dived at this feet, but offside was given and the goal was chalked off.
A minute after the reprieve, Ilic pushed over Anmanis but no foul was given, and a flowing move linking Ilic, Emerson and Kouadio put Ilic in space on right wing, but as Ozols and Jansons ran in different directions to leave Emerson completely unmarked, Ilic’s pin-point cross set up the Brazilian 6 yards out but he mis-hit his volley into the ground, enabling Cevers to tip the bouncing ball over bar. The chance should have been buried and it was a poor miss.
Tukums were tiring and RFS were increasingly dominant. A Vlalukin corner flashed across goal and away to safety, and the next goal came in the 76th minute. Anmanis was dispossessed near half-way by Markhiev. Jansons made a hash of trying to intercept the pass from Ilic to Emerson, leaving the Brazilian a simple finish from close to the penalty spot to make it 5-1.
Vlalukin then went marauding down the right onto Markhiev long ball and crossed to Emerson, who took one step back to move away from Sidorovs and shot across goal for his hat-trick.
Tukums still bravely went looking for a consolation goal and after Anmanis had bravely won a tackle just inside own half, Melkis showed good skill to turn away from his marker, but the long-range shot was deflected well wide for a corner.
In the 90th minute, Kouadio took advantage of the home side’s tired legs to run down left and his ball across the face of goal was met by Vlalukin at the back post to steer to the opposite corner of the goal despite Emerson’s attempted to get a touch on it.
Sympathetically the referee played only one extra minute to swiftly put Tukums out of their misery. The 7-1 scoreline was harsh as Tukums had put RFS under a lot of pressure at different times in the match and they had looked decent going forward, and with the return of their two loanees from RFS they should be confident of picking up enough points to stay clear of relegation. However, their defending was awful and was regularly exposed by the quality play from Emerson and Ilic. For RFS stronger challenges await !
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1xeRd3qbrc&t=185s
FK Tukums 2000 – Cevers – Ozols, Butovskis, Jansons, Sidorovs – Kirss ( Kholodov ), Anmanis, Stuglis – Melkis, Puzanovs ( Rugovs ), Krancmanis ( Udris )
Rigas Futbola Skola : Nerugals – Savalnieks ( Stuglis ), Oss, Lipuscek, Mares ( Vlalukin ) – Uzela ( Kouadio ), Panic, Golijanin ( Markhiev ), Nagasawa ( Zelenkovs ) – Emerson Deocleciano, Ilic
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