Latvian clubs continued their preparations for the new Virslīga season, which will begin on 6 March, with a busy schedule of pre-season friendlies both abroad and closer to home.
Bronze medallists Liepāja played their second of four matches at a training camp in Spain, coming from behind to draw against Ukrainian Premier League side Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, who finished fifth last season. The equaliser early in the second half was scored by 20-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder Filipe Vieira, who spent last season in Slovakia’s second division. Latvia international forward Ingars Pūlis remains sidelined through injury. On Wednesday, Liepāja will face Spanish fourth-tier club Alcoyano.
Cup holders Auda, like champions Riga, have headed to a second winter training camp abroad, this time in Turkey after an earlier trip to the UAE. Auda are set to play Dinamo Tbilisi on Tuesday, having recently drawn 1–1 with Serbian second-tier side Voždovac. Runners-up RFS have also travelled to Turkey and will face Danish second-division club Kolding, while Riga will play Ukrainian leaders LNZ Cherkasy in their second Turkish friendly on Thursday.
Jelgava suffered a 2–0 away defeat on Saturday against Estonian bronze medallists Nõmme Kalju. Their official pre-season programme has also included losses to Lithuanian cup winners Panevėžys (0–2) and a 4–1 win over Estonian second-tier champions Nõmme United, who featured last season’s Czech standouts Adam Dvořák, David Holoubek and Filip Hašek. This Saturday, Jelgava will play in Panevėžys against Šiauliai, coached by Jurģis Pučinskis, who defeated Daugavpils 1–0 on Monday.
Elsewhere, Tukums 2000 drew 2–2 with Telšiai-based Džiugas, with Raivis Ķiršs and a trialist scoring for the Latvian side. Virslīga debutants Ogre United narrowly lost 1–0 away to Estonian champions Flora Tallinn, conceding the only goal in the 75th minute.
Grobiņa, who retained their Virslīga status through relegation play-offs, recorded a 5–0 win over Lithuanian second-tier runners-up and promotion play-off losers Neptūnas Klaipėda. Artjoms Puzirevskis and Maksims Sidorovs each scored twice, with Dāvids Družiņins adding another. Super Nova also won 5–0, defeating RFS’s reserve team in a dominant display.
Source: https://sportacentrs.com/futbols/virsliga/09022026-liepajai_un_audai_siltajas_nometnes_neizs
