Riga rocking, RFS in recovery, Auda short of players, Liepāja starting to leap & a real mid-to-low league yo-yo

by Frank Marr

As Latvia’s Virslīga hits the halfway point, the season has delivered surprises, struggles, and shifting power dynamics, with Riga FC surging ahead, RFS chasing inconsistently, Auda grappling with a shrinking squad, and Liepāja mounting a determined climb up the table—all while the rest of the league rides a thrilling rollercoaster of form and fortune.

As the Latvian Virslīga reaches its halfway stage, this season is already shaping up to be markedly different from the last.

This campaign’s been a good one. With Valmiera missing, the league has undergone a quiet recalibration. Their absence has redistributed top-tier talent across the league, making this year’s title race much more competitive. Yet the void they’ve left behind—a third title-challenging force—can be felt in the wide points difference between the current team sitting in third and the top two. Enter Liepāja? Possibly. Auda? Less likely.

Auda: ambition meets attrition

Auda started with intent, asserting themselves as a genuine threat, but have fizzled. On paper, they’ve still got quality, but reality has bitten in terms of a shortage of defenders and local players. Their squad lacks depth, they’re painfully short of a striker, and it’s increasingly obvious they need a fresh goalkeeper after losing Rihards Matrevics, who moved to Czech side Dukla Prague. Defensively, they’re exposed and alarmingly short of options. Their reliance on imported trialists, especially from Africa, has raised eyebrows. It’s time the owners dipped into their pockets and also sourced some better local players.

The exodus hasn’t helped. Abiodun Ogunniyi, arguably their standout star and recent Player of the Month, has jumped ship to FK Liepāja. Meanwhile, the dependable and goal-assisting maestro, local wing-back Emīls Birka, has joined league leaders Riga FC. Their recent tactical decision to field just three defenders against Riga backfired spectacularly, with crosses raining in and attackers left unmarked in the box. Auda are still in fourth, on 31 points from 19 games, but their grip on that top-four spot is slipping. If they want to secure European football, urgent reinforcements are needed.

Liepāja: something brewing on the Baltic coast

Liepāja are being… well, Liepāja. Always promising in pre-season, often erratic in reality. They recruited smartly, adding established Virslīga names—but a lack of club culture and consistency in leadership left them adrift early on. Step forward Andreas Alm. Since taking over, the Swede has stabilised the ship, collecting 17 points from nine matches. Now third in the table with 32 points, their trajectory is upward, if still a little fragile. With Ogunniyi added to the mix, they may yet become the disruptors this league needs.

Riga FC: hungry, harmonised, and in full flow

Then there’s league leader Riga FC, who look like Virslīga’s most complete team right now. Top of the table with 48 points from 19 games, they’ve dropped points just four times all season. The last derby against RFS was a masterclass: confidence, cohesion and quality. Players like Diop, Toņisevs and national team keeper Krišjānis Zviedris have transformed from fringe figures into highly effective first-team players who are in form. For once, Riga isn’t playing like a bunch of individuals. They’re a team—hungry, connected, and ruthless.

Their attacking game is fluid and enjoyable to watch. But they still switch off occasionally when tracking back, and defensively they’re not untouchable. That said, they’re the favourites—and rightly so.

RFS: still in it, still searching

RFS, who are five points behind Riga FC, are hanging in there. But it’s been a scratchy, inconsistent season. Their form feels emotionally volatile—brilliant one week, passive the next. There’s still enough quality in the squad to challenge, especially with Darko Lemajić in lethal form up front as the league’s top scorer. But they need to find rhythm, consistency, and more bite in transitions. Their style works against weaker sides, but against the elite, they look a step off the pace, particularly in defensive-to-attacking transition play.

Mid-table mayhem

BFC Daugavpils, sitting fifth on 26 points, have both the reward and responsibility of European qualifiers ahead. They’ll face a tricky Albanian outfit Vllaznia in the UEFA Europa Conference League. In the league, they remain inconsistent, but capable of bloodying noses: victories over Auda and even Riga FC prove their potential. But the squad needs more self-belief if they’re to go beyond brief flurries of form.

Jelgava, just behind on 24 points, are one of this season’s better-balanced sides. Sensible recruitment, a mix of youthful hunger and veteran grit, and a difficult opponent for anyone.

The wildcards and whirlpools

Super Nova, with leader Ošs marshalling the backline and tactician Ervīns Pērkons on the touchline, have been tactically intriguing. They’ve drawn nine of their 19 games—more than anyone—showing they’re hard to beat but still lacking the edge to climb higher. They sit 8th but have enough bite to frustrate the top half.

Grobiņa (7th) have their moments but haven’t strung together enough consistency to threaten the upper tiers. Their -19 goal difference tells the story of defensive frailty.

Tukums and Metta—both in the relegation zone—are stuck in neutral. Tukums (15 points) have talented individuals, including top scorer Ingars Pūlis, but the whole remains less than the sum of its parts. Metta (14 points) are predictably youthful, full of energy but lacking composure. Losing Kristaps Grabovskis hasn’t helped either. Leadership and a stronger spine are urgently needed.

The Virslīga in 2025 is an unpredictable beast. Riga FC might be on course for glory, but there’s drama brewing just beneath. Liepāja are rising. Auda are spiralling and need to strengthen their squad if they want to salvage the season. RFS are… lingering, but like a caged lion, could suddenly be let loose and cause damage. And the mid-to-bottom merry-go-round? As chaotic and compelling as ever.