Riga FC concluded their European campaign on a high note, defeating Czech giants Sparta Prague 1-0 at home. However, the victory wasn’t enough to overturn the first-leg deficit, and Sparta advanced 2-1 on aggregate. After the match, Riga’s left-back Raivis Jurkovskis shared his thoughts with Sportacentrs.com Agris Suveizda.
“Looking back at our away leg, we conceded a second goal late in Prague, and that ultimately proved decisive,” Jurkovskis explained. “Still, we created far more chances today than we did in the first match. I genuinely believe we could have scored a second goal and forced extra time. Everyone on the team felt it was possible, because playing at home against Sparta is completely different than facing them away. Away from their 17,000 fans, they don’t play as openly. A first goal shifts momentum, and we almost had enough time to capitalize on that.”
He highlighted the progress Riga has made in European competition. “This squad has matured. Many players from last year stayed on, which allowed us to build a strong core and good on-field understanding. With only a few summer additions, the team is more cohesive than ever. Switching from artificial turf to natural grass has also allowed us to showcase a different style of football compared to the spring.”
On the tactical side, Jurkovskis explained the game plan. “We initially looked to play long balls behind their defenders, since their center-backs are not the fastest and maintain a high line. As the match progressed, we focused more on wing play, which suited us better. Our approach was to remain patient and not rush forward recklessly – after scoring the first goal, we knew we could build on it. The coach reminded us of previous matches, where we scored multiple second-half goals, so we wanted to stay composed and avoid conceding immediately. Sparta have talented attackers, and if anyone stood out, it would be Slovak captain Lukáš Haraslín, who often cuts inside from the left and has scored many goals this way.”
Despite the heartbreak of elimination, Jurkovskis saw positives in Riga’s campaign. “We proved we can compete with teams that regularly appear in the Champions League. Even though we didn’t reach the main stages, this European run shows that Latvian football is capable of challenging high-level opponents. The experience gained here will be invaluable for the future.”
Source: https://sportacentrs.com/futbols/eirokausi_fut/28082025-jurkovskis_eirokausos_padarijam_labu_darb
