Latvia national under-21 football team

Latvia Under-21

Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)	Sarkanbaltsarkanie (The red-white-reds)
Association	Latvian Football Federation
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Dainis Kazakevičs
Captain	Vitālijs Jagodinskis
Most caps	Vadims Žuļevs (22)
Top scorer	Edgars Gauračs (10)
First colours Second colours
First international
Latvia 0 - 0 Lithuania (Vilnius, Lithuania; 28 October 1992)
Biggest win
Latvia 5 - 1 Romania (Riga, Latvia; 9 October 2009)
Biggest defeat
Latvia 0 - 6 Greece (Athens, Greece; 9 June 1999)

The Latvia national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Latvia and is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body of football in Latvia. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years. The team is coached by former Latvia football team and Southampton F.C. player Marian Pahars and is currently captained by defender Vitālijs Jagodinskis.

Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, under-21 football teams in Europe were formed, while Latvian team was formed only in 1991, after regaining independence from USSR. The team is exclusively for football players that are aged 21 or under at the start of the two-year campaign of the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship meaning a player can represent the national team until the age of 23. Many U-21 players later represent the senior side.

Latvia U-21 have never yet qualified for the European U-21 championships, but has produced many players, who have become regular internationals for the senior side. Oskars Kļava, Deniss Ivanovs, Edgars Gauračs and Artjoms Rudņevs have all played for the U-21 side and are now first eleven players for Latvia internationally.

Latvia U-21 team plays its home matches at the Skonto stadions, which is also the home stadium of Latvia senior side. Before the opening of the Skonto stadions the team played its home matches in many different venues all around the country, including Ozolnieki, Daugavpils and Liepāja.

History

As a team, Latvia U-21 was formed in 1992, after regaining independence from the USSR. The team played its first match in Vilnius, Lithuania on October 28, 1992 that ended in a 0-0 draw. The team firstly participated in the European Championship qualification in 1994, playing the first match in Riga against Ireland U-21 on June 6, that ended in a 1-1 draw. Since 2001 the team also participates in the Baltic Cup, winning in 2008. Since 1992 Latvia have already played more than 100 matches.

Current players

The following squad has been called up for the 2014 Commonwealth of Independent States Cup matches, taking place in Saint Petersburg, Russia in January 2014.

Players in bold have represented Latvia on senior level.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Raivo Varažinskis	(1993-03-07) 7 March 1993			Liepājas Metalurgs
	1GK	Kristers Putniņš	(1993-07-16) 16 July 1993			Metta-LU
	2DF	Reinis Flaksis	(1994-04-03) 3 April 1994			Liepājas Metalurgs
	2DF	Madis Miķelsons	(1994-01-18) 18 January 1994			Liepājas Metalurgs
	2DF	Vitālijs Barinovs	(1993-05-04) 4 May 1993			Ventspils
	2DF	Aleksejs Giļničs (captain)	(1993-05-29) 29 May 1993			AFC United Upplands Väsby
	2DF	Dmitrijs Klimaševičs	(1995-04-16) 16 April 1995			BFC Daugava Daugavpils
	2DF	Kārlis Kņūts	(1995-06-18) 18 June 1995			Spartaks Jūrmala
	2DF	Endijs Šlampe	(1994-07-24) 24 July 1994			Liepājas Metalurgs
	3MF	Vladimirs Mukins	(1993-01-28) 28 January 1993			Ventspils
	3MF	Edgars Vardanjans	(1993-05-09) 9 May 1993			Metta-LU
	3MF	Jevgēņijs Kazačoks	(1995-08-12) 12 August 1995			Spartaks Jūrmala
	3MF	Andrejs Kiriļins	(1995-11-03) 3 November 1995			Liepājas Metalurgs
	3MF	Artjoms Loginovs	(1993-07-20) 20 July 1993			Jūrmala
	3MF	Eduards Tīdenbergs	(1994-12-18) 18 December 1994			Ventspils
	3MF	Ņikita Parfjonovs	(1993-03-14) 14 March 1993			Metta-LU
	3MF	Dāvis Indrāns	(1995-06-06) 6 June 1995			Ventspils
	4FW	Kaspars Svārups	(1994-01-28) 28 January 1994			Ventspils
	4FW	Dāvis Ikaunieks	(1993-01-07) 7 January 1993			Liepājas Metalurgs
	4FW	Vladislavs Gutkovskis	(1995-04-02) 2 April 1995			Skonto Riga

In addition to that, other players were capped or are under consideration of the team management to be capped during the year 2014.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Oskars Darģis	(1993-06-03) 3 June 1993			Skonto Riga
	1GK	Dmitrijs Grigorjevs	(1992-03-12) 12 March 1992			Skonto Riga
	1GK	Jānis Krūmiņš	(1992-01-09) 9 January 1992			Jūrmala
	1GK	Georgijs Čižovs	(1992-07-26) 26 July 1992			BFC Daugava Daugavpils
	2DF	Vitālijs Jagodinskis (captain)	(1992-02-28) 28 February 1992			Dynamo Kyiv II
	2DF	Kārlis Plendišķis	(1994-12-10) 10 December 1994			Wilhelmshaven
	2DF	Edijs Joksts	(1992-07-21) 21 July 1992			Oldham Athletic
	2DF	Dmitrijs Hmizs	(1992-07-31) 31 July 1992			Spartaks Jūrmala
	2DF	Vjačeslavs Isajevs	(1993-08-27) 27 August 1993			Skonto Riga
	2DF	Artis Ojārs Ostrovskis	(1993-01-31) 31 January 1993			Metta-LU
	2DF	Agris Otaņķis	(1993-10-06) 6 October 1993			Liepājas Metalurgs
	3MF	Artis Jaudzems	(1995-04-04) 4 April 1995			Metta-LU
	3MF	Artjoms Lonščakovs	(1992-06-11) 11 June 1992			Stahl Thale
	3MF	Roberts Savaļnieks	(1993-02-04) 4 February 1993			Jagiellonia Białystok
	3MF	Gļebs Kļuškins	(1992-10-01) 1 October 1992			Daugava Rīga
	3MF	Edgars Jermolajevs	(1992-06-16) 16 June 1992			Daugava Daugavpils
	3MF	Daniils Ulimbaševs	(1992-03-12) 12 March 1992			Jūrmala
	3MF	Iļja Šadčins	(1994-07-02) 2 July 1994			Liepājas Metalurgs
	3MF	Romans Mickevičs	(1993-03-23) 23 March 1993			Spartaks Jūrmala
	3MF	Alekss Regža	(1994-07-16) July 16, 1994			Wuppertal
	3MF	Mārtiņš Milašēvičs	(1992-02-12) 12 February 1992			Metta-LU
	4FW	Valērijs Čistjakovs	(1992-11-27) 27 November 1992			Daugava Rīga
	4FW	Igors Denis Rei	(1993-02-08) 8 February 1993			Jeunesse Villenavaise Bordeaux
	4FW	Artūrs Karašausks	(1992-01-29) 29 January 1992			Skonto Riga
	4FW	Deniss Rakels	(1992-08-20) 20 August 1992			Cracovia Kraków
	4FW	Valērijs Šabala	(1994-10-12) 12 October 1994			Skonto Riga
	4FW	Elvis Stuglis	(1993-07-04) 4 July 1993			Skonto Riga
	4FW	Sergejs Vorobjovs	(1995-10-09) October 9, 1995			AlbinoLeffe
	4FW	Toms Gucs	(1992-04-28) April 28, 1992			Liepājas Metalurgs

Staff

Head Coach	Dainis Kazakevičs
Assistant Coach	Anatolijs Čebans
Assistant Coach	Sergejs Golubevs
Goalkeeping Coach	Aleksandrs Proskurņins
Fitness Coach	Andrés Carrillo Fernández
General manager	Ilvars Grīslis
Doctor	Boriss Novikovs
Physiotherapist	Dmitrijs Jefremenkovs

Recent results

Recent and forthcoming matches

Date	Tournament	Location	Opponent	Result	Latvia scorers
26 March 2013	Friendly match	Legionowo	Poland	1:4	Roberts Savaļnieks
11 June 2013	2015 EC qualification	Jūrmala	Liechtenstein	4:0	Valērijs Šabala 2x, Deniss Rakels 2x
14 August 2013	Friendly match	Jūrmala	Georgia	0:4
5 September 2013	2015 EC qualification	Jūrmala	Switzerland	0:2
14 October 2013	2015 EC qualification	Jelgava	Ukraine	1:5	Igors Denis Rei
15 November 2013	2015 EC qualification	Eschen	Liechtenstein	2:0	Roberts Savaļnieks, Artūrs Karašausks
19 November 2013	2015 EC qualification	Pula	Croatia	1:3	Igors Denis Rei
18 January 2014	Friendly match	Marijampolė	Lithuania	2:1	Dāvis Indrāns, Vladimirs Mukins
25 January 2014	CIS Cup 2014	Saint Petersburg	Moscow	1:0	Artjoms Loginovs
26 January 2014	CIS Cup 2014	Saint Petersburg	Belarus	1:0	Dmitrijs Klimaševičs
28 January 2014	CIS Cup 2014	Saint Petersburg	Kazakhstan	0:0
29 January 2014	CIS Cup 2014	Saint Petersburg	Estonia	0:2
31 January 2014	CIS Cup 2014	Saint Petersburg	Kazakhstan	1:3	Dāvis Ikaunieks
2 February 2014	CIS Cup 2014	Saint Petersburg	Lithuania	0:1
8 June 2014	2015 EC qualification		Ukraine
3 September 2014	2015 EC qualification		Croatia
8 September 2014	2015 EC qualification		Switzerland

Most capped players

#	Name	Career	Caps	Goals
1.	Vadims Žuļevs	2008–2010	22	1
2.	Aleksandrs Koļinko	1994–1997	21	0
3.	Artūrs Karašausks	2011-Present	14	3
4.	Oļegs Malašenoks	2005-2008	13	3
5.	Edgars Gauračs	2007–2010	12	10
	Ritvars Rugins	2008-2010	12	1
	Artūrs Zjuzins	2010–2012	12	1
	Artūrs Vaičulis	2009–2012	12	0
	Kaspars Gorkšs	2001–2003	12	0
10.	Jevgēņijs Kosmačovs	2007–2010	11	3
	Vitālijs Maksimenko	2009–2012	11	2

Players in bold are still active.

See also

• Latvia football team
• Latvia U-19
• Latvia U-17

External links

• www.lff.lv