Latvia welcomes back Verpakovskis

A frenzy of excitement will hit the normally quiet town of Liepaja when Latvian superstar Maris Verpakovskis returns to the place where his career began on Wednesday. He brings legendary Ukrainian side FC Dynamo Kyiv with him to play FHK Liepajas Metalurgs in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round first leg.

EURO bonus
The 26-year-old spent the first five seasons of his professional career in his home town, representing Metalurgs before FC Skonto of Riga snapped him up in 2001. Verpakovskis remains a hero, and was even handed a €1,500 bonus by the city council for contributing towards Latvia's qualification for UEFA EURO 2004™. "Now all of Liepaja is waiting for the visit of Verpakovskis," said Metalurgs striker Aleksandr Katasonov.

Formidable strength
Even without their goodwill ambassador in tow, Dynamo's visit would have meant a certain full house at the 5,000-capacity Daugava stadium. They are one of the biggest names in the draw and the Metalurgs squad are under no illusions about their formidable strength. If there were any doubts, they would have been dispelled by a quick look at Dynamo's season-opening 4-1 win against domestic rivals FC Chornomorets Odesa on Saturday.

'Highest calibre'
"It was instantly evident that they play at a very high tempo. It will be tough for us but whatever the outcome we will remember playing against them for a long time," Katasonov said. "Dynamo are Dynamo, say no more. Everybody knows they're a European club of the highest calibre. They are big favourites to win the tie, but football is known for its unpredictability and we are not going to roll over."

Kazakh heat
They certainly did not roll over against Kazakhstani champions FK Aktobe in the first qualifying round, defying the odds to go through 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw away from home. Aktobe's players seemed confident even after losing 1-0 in Latvia, but this self-assurance was misplaced as not even searing heat and a raucous crowd could deny Metalurgs.

'Extra motivation'
"It was 25C even in the middle of the night," said Katasonov. "It wasn't just the heat that bothered us; Aktobe's stadium was very impressive and the packed stands created a magnificent atmosphere that gave them more strength as they poured forward at us. But we steeled ourselves and somehow found extra motivation."

Unhappy homecoming
Metalurgs will need no geeing up when Dynamo roll into town on Wednesday, nor will they be content to sit back and watch their illustrious guests put on a show. The Latvian champions have already shown their capacity to stand up to highly-rated opponents and will be determined to ensure Verpakovskis's homecoming is not a happy one.