Tomorrow, September 20, the Nākotnes līga’s promotion battle reaches boiling point when Riga Mariners face Ogre United at Salaspils Stadium. With just one point between them, both clubs are chasing a first-ever place in the Virslīga, and neither is hiding its ambition.
The journey of both clubs is certainly worth following for it is as different in its outline as it is similar in the hunger and passion that they bring to Latvian second tier this season. Riga Mariners have oft been somewhat dismissed during this season as an extension of Riga FC on account of personal threads binding the two organisations together, however, their head coach Sergejs Kožans – formerly assistant coach at Riga, Auda and CSKA Sofia – when asked about the club’s links to Riga FC, pushed back firmly: “We’re the last in line for training pitches, sometimes left to train in parks. Riga FC do not want us in the Virslīga.” That sentiment was previously underlined in the Latvian Cup, where Riga FC named a full-strength side and dismantled Mariners 10–0.
For Ogre, the motivation is historic. Co-founder Emīls Latkovskis spoke of a once-fractured football scene in the city that his club aims to unite: “It’s a realistic goal. With passion, volunteers and strong support from the municipality, we can do it. Ogre has deep football traditions, but never a Virslīga team. We want to change that.”
The margins are fine. Ogre won the first meeting 3–2, but Mariners have not lost in the league since and lead by a single point. Their talisman Aļģirds Gražis tops the scoring charts with 19 goals, while Ogre’s Haralds Silagailis has 13. Both sides have relied on late drama to scrape past opponents, highlighting just how fierce the fight for promotion has become.
With seven rounds left, JDFS Alberts and JFK Ventspils remain in the hunt, but Saturday’s result could define the season. “If we beat Ogre, we’ll have room for one mistake,” Kožans admitted. “The fight will go all the way – as it began, with anyone able to beat anyone.”
The game kicks off at 17:30 and will be streamed live on Futbols.tv.
Source: https://sportacentrs.com/futbols/1_liga/19092025-virsligas_ambiciju_sadursme_apvienota_ogr
