Starkovs bids farewell with win
Wednesday, 17 November 2004
[1] Latvia revived their FIFA World Cup qualifying hopes and gave outgoing coach Aleksandrs Starkovs a perfect send-off with victory in Liechtenstein - although at half-time the scores were level.
Second-half clinchers
[2] The UEFA EURO 2004™ contenders were ahead early through Maris Verpakovskis but Mario Frick's equaliser gave hope to Liechtenstein, who last month gained their first four World Cup points ever by holding Portugal and defeating Luxembourg. Mihails Zemlinskis and Andrejs Prohorenkovs ensured victory for Latvia after the break, however.
Opening goal
[3] Starkovs is leaving the national team after their momentous year to concentrate on his duties with FC Spartak Moskva, but had to communicate with his bench by mobile phone as he is currently in the middle of a FIFA touchline ban. Within seven minutes he was able to celebrate as, FC Dynamo Kiev striker Verpakovskis, the key to Latvia's passage to Portugal, opened the scoring.
Penalty converted
[4] However, Latvia had managed just four points from their opening four fixtures - the same as Liechtenstein - and just after the half-hour Mario Frick levelled for the home side. The game remained level until the 57th minute, when Verpakovskis was fouled in the box by teenage defender Franz-Josef Vogt and Zemlinskis converted the resultant penalty.
Latvia in fourth
[5] Liechtenstein still retained hope until the final minute, when Verpakovskis again intervened to produce a goal, crossing for substitute Prohorenkovs to head in. Latvia are now fourth, six points off the lead but two places above Liechtenstein.
Starkovs farewell
[6] Starkovs bade farewell to his side by saying: "We were unsure what [Liechtenstein] would be like after their recent results. But I am proud of how the team played, particularly [Imants] Bleidelis and Verpakovskis." His successor, named on 1 December, will begin his competitive career against Luxembourg on 30 March.
'A lot of pressure'
[7] Four days before Liechtenstein welcome Russia, and their coach Martin Andermatt said: "After those good results there was a lot of pressure on some of our players. Perhaps that was the reason why we made so many mistakes."
Mario Frick of Liechtenstein is tailed by Latvia's Dzintars Zirnis