Team ethic crucial for Ventspils

FK Ventspils coach Roman Grigorchuk said his team's "united" approach was the catalyst behind their charge to a second consecutive Latvian title.

Second title
Ventspils won 1-0 against Skonto FC on Wednesday to secure the Virsliga title with one round of matches left to play, becoming only the second club in Latvian history to win the league more than once. In the years following independence, Latvian football was dominated by Skonto, who won a world record 14 championships in a row before finishing as runners-up behind FHK Liepājas Metalurgs in the 2005 season.

Togetherness
With Ventspils 12 points adrift of Metalurgs midway through the season, another title triumph looked unlikely but a run of eleven straight victories starting on 13 August propelled Ventspils to the summit. Grigorchuk is keen to give his squad credit for that, saying: "We won the title because we were united. Striker Vits Rimkus is 34 but he has had his best season yet [20 goals so far]. However, it was not a year for individuals but a year when the whole team contributed. The young and experienced players all improved. In the middle of the season we looked at the table and saw we could win the title if we won eleven matches in a row, and we did it."

Taste for success
Defender Deniss Kacanovs believes that last season's success and the experience of UEFA Champions League left his team hungry for more of the same. "We have now had the experience of playing in big games and we did not want to lose the opportunity to do so again. After you win something you always want to do it again. Now we have a chance to play strong European teams which is a great motivation."

Closer championship
Ventspils success, coupled with that of Metalurgs two years previously, would suggest that the championship is becoming more competitive, something which Ventspils attacking midfielder Vladimirs Kolesničenko, who won eight titles with Skonto can now appreciate. "We had no rivals when I played for Skonto," he said. "It was much easier to win the title then but now the standard has improved in every respect."

League expansion
While Ventspils have secured a berth in UEFA Champions League first qualifying round next season, Skonto, Metalurgs and FK Riga can earn one of Latvia's two 2008/09 UEFA Cup places in the final round of games on Sunday. Metalurgs play FK Jurmala, Riga take on lowly JFK Olimps while Skonto host FC Dinaburg. The winners of the Latvian Cup, the quarter-finals of which will be played next June, will claim the remaining slot. All eight Virsliga sides are still involved. No teams will be relegated this season as the top division will be expanded from eight to ten teams for 2008.