Zhiperi 3 - 4 Nameja (381530804)

19400 spectators had come to ZIP Arena this cloudy day. Ben Foster was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Patricio Hircañaupa and Luca Segãrceanu. Zhiperi had chosen a strategic 4-4-2 formation. They fielded: Circenis - Koposov, Derishev, Chapialevich, Vilniņš - Tirmantiņš, Torņakalns, Paeglis, Krūze - Ārgalis, Mellužs.

Nameja decided to use a 4-4-2 set up. The following players had been chosen: Zhdan - Lazdiņš, Evseviev, Skripchinsky, Geners - Lugavy, Volbets, Buldurs, Pridanov - Vientiesis, Vītolds.

After some beautiful movement down the left wing, M. Mellužs scored for Zhiperi putting them ahead 1 - 0, after 7 minutes. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave S. Paeglis from Zhiperi a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 8 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! S. Paeglis should probably have put his team up another goal after 27 minutes, but some great goalkeeping by D. Zhdan kept the visitors in the game. The crowd was silenced 38 minutes into the match as the visiting team's H. Lugavy came in from the left, levelling the score to 1 - 1. The teams went for the halftime break at 1 - 1. Nameja had most of the ball, with 56 percent of possession.

The terraces were silenced after 68 minutes when Nameja's R. Buldurs put the guests ahead 1 - 2, following an attack on the right. Against a lesser team, Nameja could very well have succeeded with their smart indirect free kick routine after 70 minutes. A trio of passes took the ball all the way past the defenders, but by then the intended recipient was already blocked off and the keeper could make a leisurely save. After 73 minutes, K. Lazdiņš sent the corner kick right to A. Geners who headed it sharply past the keeper. 1 - 3! After 74 minutes M. Mellužs could have reduced the lead with a blistering strike from the left wing, had it not been for an excellent block by the visitors' keeper. M. Volbets's inexperience was obvious when his continual hesitation to put in a tackle allowed S. Paeglis plenty of time to pick an unguarded area of the goal for his shot, marking one for Zhiperi. 2 - 3. The visitors' M. Volbets took advantage of a misunderstanding between the home side's goalie and centre backs 81 minutes into the match. 2 - 4 for Nameja. The home team's supporters got excited again when R. Torņakalns broke through the visitors' central defence and caught their keeper off guard, making it 3 - 4. Possession in this half belonged to Nameja, who controlled the ball 56 percent of the time.

Most important Zhiperi player was F. Koposov. On the other hand, S. Paeglis's play was disheartening. Nameja's best player was H. Lugavy. M. Volbets on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 3 - 4.