FK Auda secured their second victory of the Tonybet Virslīga season with a 2-0 away win over FK Grobiņa in windy conditions in Liepāja. Goals from Edvin Bongemba and Hussaini Ibrahim ensured all three points for the visitors.
Grobiņa head coach Oskars Kļava made two changes to his starting lineup following the victory over BFC Daugavpils, bringing Deivids Dobrecovs and Ukrainian debutant Jose Ribeiro into the team. Meanwhile, Auda manager Didier Zanetti was forced into one change after Moussa Ouedraogo received a red card in the opening round, with Deniss Meļņiks replacing him in the starting eleven.
The match, played in strong winds in Liepāja for the second consecutive day, began with Auda controlling possession. Panamanian forward Josué Vergara was again at the centre of the action, forcing an excellent save from goalkeeper Vjačeslavs Kudrjavcevs in the 15th minute with a powerful header that denied him a second goal of the season.
Auda continued to dominate, while Grobiņa – playing against the wind – attempted to threaten on the counterattack. Their best opportunity came from a Rolandas Baravykas header following a corner kick, which flew over the crossbar. At the other end, Deniss Meļņiks flicked the ball on at the far post from a set-piece, but no teammate was able to finish the move.
The breakthrough came in the 37th minute. After a cross from Croatian defender Tin Hrvoj, French forward Edvin Bongemba rose highest to head the ball into the net and give Auda the lead. It was the first goal in Latvia for the former Montpellier academy player.
Auda continued to play attacking football in the second half. Vergara came close to doubling the lead with a powerful curling effort aimed at the top corner, but Kudrjavcevs produced another impressive save.
The visitors eventually found their second goal in the 63rd minute. A well-executed one-two between Josué Vergara and Hussaini Ibrahim – a combination that had already worked in the previous round – allowed the Nigerian forward to finish confidently past the goalkeeper for his second goal of the season.
Vergara, the 192 cm tall 18-year-old Panamanian, has already contributed one goal and two assists in his first two league matches.
With the win, FK Auda join FC RFS as the only teams with two victories from two matches at the start of the Virslīga season.
Grobiņa will play their final match before the March international break away against FS Jelgava, while Auda will host defending champions Riga FC at Mežaparks one day earlier.
FK Grobiņa vs FK Auda – 0-2 (0-1)
Goals: Bongemba 35′, Ibrahim 63′
Round 2
FC RFS
FK Auda
Daugavpils
FS Jelgava
Tukums 2000| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FK Auda |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 2 | RFS |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | Riga FC |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | FS Jelgava |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | FK Liepāja |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Grobiņa |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 7 | Super Nova |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 8 | FK Tukums 2000 |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 9 | Ogre United |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| 10 | BFC Daugavpils |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 |
