Today, the final playoff match for a spot in the Virslīga determined the 10th and last team for the 2025 Virslīga season. Rodrigo Gaučis shone with two goals, helping Grobiņa SC/LFS secure their place in the top-tier league for another year.
The first half of the match was exciting and did not disappoint the spectators, as the game moved dynamically from one end of the field to the other. In the 26th minute, Grobiņa SC/LFS was awarded a penalty after a handball by a JDFS Alberts player. However, the experienced JDFS Alberts goalkeeper, Germans Māliņš, made a remarkable save, stopping Deivids Dobrecovs’ penalty shot. Just 10 minutes later, in the 36th minute, Dobrecovs hit the crossbar, but Rodrigo Gaučis was the quickest to react, sending the ball into the net. The scoreline moved to 1–0. Only six minutes after that, following a pass from Rūdolfs Meļķis, 18-year-old center forward Rodrigo Gaučis struck again with a precise shot, securing his second goal of the game. The first half ended with Grobiņa leading 2–0. This brought the aggregate score across two matches to 4–3 in favor of Grobiņas SC/LFS.
The second half saw fewer dangerous moments overall, with both teams attacking but failing to create excellent scoring opportunities. In the 70th minute, players from both teams clashed heads, but the referee allowed play to continue. This decision greatly upset JDFS Alberts coach Artūrs Zakreševskis, who expressed his dissatisfaction vocally and ended up receiving a red card. Despite the intense emotions and the aggressiveness on the field, the atmosphere in the stadium remained lively and enjoyable for the spectators. With the conclusion of this match, all the teams for the 2025 Virslīga season have been determined, provided that all of them successfully obtain the necessary licenses:
FC RFS; Riga FC; FK Auda; Valmiera FC; BFC Daugavpils; FK Liepāja; FK Metta; FK Tukums 2000/TELMS; Grobiņas SC/LFS; SK Super Nova
Lineups:
Grobiņas SC/LFS: Malysh – Džeriņš, Družiņins, Rupeiks – Galata, Fjodorovs, Krušatins, Meļķis – Sdaigui (77′ Knapšis), Dobrecovs – Gaučis (71′ Kruglaužs)
JDFS Alberts: Māliņš – Ozoliņš (84′ Strautmanis), Guliaks, Maksimovs, Augusts – Krišjānis (46′ Pirktiņš), Indrāns – Andersons, Priedītis, Zēģele (72′ Brahmanis) – Prohorenkovs (68′ Adītājs)