Over the weekend, the indoor football team “Jēkabpils lūši / Ošukalns” played two games – on Saturday in the semi-final series of the Premier League elimination tournament against the champions FC “Raba”, and on Sunday in the semi-final match of the Latvian Cup against the vice-champions “FC Petrow / Jelgava”.
The fate of the “lynx” was decided in the fourth match of the semi-final series in Jēkabpils on Saturday. In case of a loss, they would have to play for bronze medals for the third year in a row, but if they succeed, the result would be 2: 2, and everything would be decided in the fifth match of the series.
The residents of Jēkabpils did poorly in the first half, practically not threatening the opponents’ goals and throwing six balls into them. Although 0: 6 looked pretty hopeless, the second half was a lot more fun. Vadim Atamanukov scored first, although in the minutes they were recorded as the goals of the Rabas footballer into his own goal. After that, Daniils Pavļukevičs stood up, reaching 2: 6. In the middle of the second half, there was a deep hustle and bustle, which resulted in three yellow cards for the guests and two for the hosts. In the 34th minute of the game, V. Atamanukov reached 3: 6, and from now on Jēkabpils players played for a long time with five players of the field, leaving their goal empty. At first it didn’t pay off, because the people of Riga hit an empty goal – 3: 7. But then with a great shot Yuri Halimon regained one goal (4: 7), but Maxim Potlov and again J. Halimon – two more, reaching 6: 7 and returning hope to the homeowners. The program of the Raba goalkeeper from his goal in the penultimate minute of the game turned out to be fatal for the “lynxes”, when the ball found its way into the empty goal of Jēkabpils – a loss in the 6: 8 game and in the series with 1: 3.
“Raba” and “FC Petrow / Jelgava” will compete in the final, but “Jēkabpils lūši / Ošukalns” and FK “Nikars” will determine the winners of the bronze medals in the mutual fight. The bronze series will have up to two victories. The benefits of home games will be for Nikaram.
On Sunday, the lynx’s strength could be improved after losing on Saturday by beating FC Petrow / Jelgava in the semi-finals of the Latvian Cup, but too much physical strength and emotion was left in Saturday’s match. In this game, too, Jēkabpils failed to score in the first half, while the goalkeeper capitulated twice, and 0: 2 after 20 minutes of play. At the beginning of the second half, V. Atamanukov played with a good indirect free kick with M. Potlov, and the latter beat the wall and the goalkeeper, reaching – 1: 2. Petrow answered with a third goal, but 21 seconds before the end of the game, Potlov scored 2: 3. With this result, the game also ended, and “Jēkabpils lynx / Ošukalns” withdrew from the cup.
Currently, the two strongest teams in Latvian indoor football will compete for the cup in the final – FC Petrow / Jelgava, which defeated Nikaru in the semi-finals, and FC Raba. l
