In the game in which the 2023 Latvian champion RFS and the Estonian champion team Tallinn “Flora” participated, RFS won with 3:0 (2:0).
RFS took the lead in the 16th minute. Dmitrijs Zelenkovs hit the goal from the left side of the penalty area, the ball did not fly to the goal, getting stuck in the player’s legs, but Jānis Ikaunieks was the first to get to it, sending the ball into the lower right corner of the goal from the left corner of the goalkeeper’s area – 1:0 in favor of the home team.
In the 24th minute, after a corner kick by Robert Savalnieks, from the left side of the goalkeeper’s area, Stefans Paničs headed the ball into the right corner of the goal – 2:0.
RFS made ten substitutions in the second half but held on to the lead. The goal was scored only in the 74th minute, when Valery Lizunov scored a goal from the line of the penalty area in the counterattack after a pass by Adam Markhiev – 3:0.
The match between the champion teams of the two countries in 2023 was originally supposed to take place in the summer, however, due to the mismatch of calendars, it was not possible to organize the match at that time.
This season, RFS won the Latvian championship, triumphed in the Latvian Cup, and also reached the group stage of the UEFA European League. On the other hand, “Flora” finished the Estonian Championship in the fourth position, but did not pass the third round of UEFA Conference League qualification.
The Livonia Cup was previously played in 2003-2005, 2008, 2011, 2018 and 2023, when “Flora” won 2:0 over “Valmiera” and won the trophy for the third time in a row.
Before that, the Livonia Cup was won three times by Riga “Skonto” and once by “Ventspils”.
The initiators of the Livonian Cup competition with the participation of the teams of the countries of the current territory of the historical Livonian Order were once representatives of the Estonian side. The Livonia Cup is a trophy of unknown origin obtained before the Second World War, which has been restored by goldsmith Jaaks Tammist. Last year, the Livonia Cup also got its own identity, created by artist Jānis Burmeisters.
This year, in January and February, the Livonian Winter League tournament was held for the first time, which served as a pre-season preparatory competition for the clubs of both countries.
Source: www.diena.lv
