Latvia at the UEFA European Championship
Latvia qualified once for a UEFA European Championship, the 2004 edition. After finishing second in their qualifying group, they won the two-legged play-offs against Turkey (3–2 on aggregate) to secure their first appearance at the end stage of a major tournament.[1][2] In doing so, Latvia became the first and (as of 2014) still the only Baltic team to qualify for a European Championship.[1][2]
At the Euro 2004, Latvia were drawn in Group D, alongside Germany, Czech Republic, and Netherlands.[3] Latvia faced Czech Republic in their opening match on 15 June 2004, with Māris Verpakovskis scoring before half-time.[4] However, the Czechs would later come back to win the game 2–1.[4] Four days later, Latvia earned a respectable 0–0 draw against World Cup vice-champions Germany to earn their first point in a major tournament.[5] They lost their final match with 3–0 against Netherlands,[6] and were eliminated, finished fourth, with one point from their draw and two losses.[7]
Euro 2004
|  | |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Czech Republic
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 9 |
 Netherlands
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 4 |
 Germany
|
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | –1 | 2 |
 Latvia
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | –4 | 1 |
Czech Republic vs Latvia
| Czech Republic | 2–1 | Latvia |
|---|---|---|
Baroš  73'Heinz 85' |
Report | Verpakovskis 45+1' |
       Czech Republic
|
     Latvia
|
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Latvia vs Germany
Latvia
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    Germany
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Netherlands vs Latvia
| Netherlands | 3–0 | Latvia |
|---|---|---|
| Van Nistelrooy 27' (pen.), 35' Makaay 84' |
Report |
    Netherlands
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     Latvia
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Overview
| UEFA European Championship record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
| 1960 to 1992 | Part of  Soviet Union
| |||||||
| 1996 to 2000 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 2004
|
Group Stage | 14th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 2008 to 2016 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| Total | Group Stage | 1/15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
References
- ^ a b "Joyful Latvia make history". Unions of European Football Associations. 20 November 2003. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Latvia claim historic win". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 19 November 2003. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ "Euro 2004 draw". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Czech Rep 2–1 Latvia". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 15 June 2004. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ "Latvia 0–0 Germany". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 19 June 2004. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ "Holland 3–0 Latvia". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 23 June 2004. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ "Group D". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 28 May 2004. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ "Milan Baroš". Union of European Football Associations. 15 June 2004. Archived from the original on 24 June 2004. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Michael Ballack". Union of European Football Associations. 19 June 2004. Archived from the original on 24 June 2004. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Ruud van Nistelrooij". Union of European Football Associations. 23 June 2004. Archived from the original on 26 June 2004. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
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