Sponsor Logo

    Cymru vs. Latvia | 2024 European Championship – Qualifying Round – Grp D

    Live

        Live ReportMatch Summary

        1. 28 March, 2023 10:40 pm

          Cymru Post-match Reaction

          In his post-match press conference, Rob Page said: “We hoped for four points. We won’t get carried away as it’s an eight game season for us.

          “We knew the challenges from them from a physical point of view and we had to defend our box really well. It’s job done.

          “We would have liked to have scored more goals as we’ve created enough chances to win the game comfortably. The goal was excellent, it was something we worked on.

          “It’s a great clean sheet for us, we know we’ve got goals in the team, but right now they’re not playing as much for their clubs as we would like. We want all our players to play more minutes.

          “There’s a good energy in the changing room, and this clean slate gives me an opportunity to put my own stamp on it. I also want to thank every supporter for coming here and getting behind us.”

        2. 28 March, 2023 10:34 pm

          Latvia Post-match Reaction

          Dainis Kazakevičs, Latvia manager, said: “Obviously we cannot be satisfied with the result. We focused on their attacking players, especially Moore and Ramsey, and the two wingers who we saw as the main threat.

          “The result of the game is the right one. The Welsh team were stronger but we could have done better. Wales had the better of the possession and the better chances, but to get a better result you need to score a goal.”

        5. Full-time Verdict

          Rob Page will be very pleased with this international camp as his Cymru team take four points from their opening two matches in UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying.

          The last-minute equaliser against Croatia – one of the best teams in the world – and a dominant 1-0 home win over Latvia is a fantastic start as Cymru aim to make it to Germany next summer.

          During the camp, debuts were handed to Jordan James, Ollie Cooper and Nathan Broadhead, as life began without several Cymru stalwarts following their retirements.

          Meanwhile, Aaron Ramsey has led from the front with the captains armband as he sees the important role he can play during this ‘transition period’.

        6. Full-time
          It’s all over at Cardiff City Stadium where Cymru have beaten Latvia 1-0 with a first-half header from Kieffer Moore.

        7. 90' + 4'

          Substitution

          CABANGO Benjamin replaces WILSON Harry

        8. 90' + 2'

          Substitution

          COOPER Ollie replaces RAMSEY Aaron

        9. 90' + 1'

          Ollie Cooper comes off the bench to make his Cymru debut. A lovely moment for the midfielder.

        10. 90'

          There will be 3 minutes of added on time.

        11. 88'

          Latvia enjoying a period of possession as Rob Page shouts orders from the sidelines to get higher up the pitch and keep things steady.

        12. 84'

          After Morrell is caught in possession, Varslavāns is presented with a chance to equalise but misses his opportunity. He pulls his shirt over his head in disappointment.

        13. 82'

          Substitution

          SAVELJEVS Aleksejs replaces ZJUZINS Arturs

        14. 82'

          Substitution

          KROLLIS Raimonds replaces ULDRIÄśIS Roberts

        15. 82'

          Latvia apply some pressure but Ward commands his box and plucks the ball out of the air before an opponent is able to connect.

        16. 73'

          Substitution

          BROADHEAD Nathan replaces JAMES Dan

        17. 73'

          Broadhead is on and he gets a huge cheer from The Red Wall, who show their appreciation for his late equaliser against Croatia in Cymru’s opening qualifying match for EURO 2024.

        18. 70'

          Substitution

          VARSLAVĀNS Renars replaces CIGAŅIKS Andrejs

        19. 68'

          Whilst Cymru feel in control of the game they don’t want to get complacent. Latvia are hoping to do to Cymru, what Cymru did to Croatia.

        20. 62'

          Yellow card

          ZJUZINS Arturs

        21. 59'

          Substitution

          JAUNZEMS Alvis replaces IKAUNIEKS Janis

        22. 58'

          Yellow card

          ČERNOMORDIJS Antonijs

        23. 58'

          Latvia counter-attack through Gutkovskis and after cutting into the box he gets a shot off his boot but is denied by Ward, who saves with his feet.

        24. 56'

          Wilson again!
          Cymru are enjoying a lot of possession around the Latvian 18-yard box. Space opens for Wilson to shoot and he attempts to curl it inside the far post but the ball edges wide.

        25. 50'

          Another chance for Cymru as Wilson shoots from close range but Steinbors blocks the effort.

        26. 49'

          Williams thought he’d doubled the lead as he cut inside on his right to leather a shot at target. Latvian goalkeeper Steinbors got a hand to the ball and tipped it onto the crossbar.

        27. 46'

          Substitution

          JURKOVSKIS Raivis replaces SOROKINS Vladislavs

        28. 46'

          Second-half
          Play has resumed as Cymru look to capitalise on their 1-0 lead over Latvia.

        29. Half-time verdict
          Rob Page will be happy with that first half here at Cardiff City Stadium. Before Kieffer Moore headed Cymru into the lead, they created several chances and it only felt like a matter of time. However, Latvia have created several chances themselves, so the Welsh defence will want to stay vigilant in the second half.

        30. 44'

          Yellow card

          SOROKINS Vladislavs

        33. 41'

          Goal

          MOORE Kieffer

        34. 41'

          GÔL!!!! James crosses to the far post where it’s met by Moore who heads Cymru into a 1-0 lead. That was a lovely goal.

          The Red Wall sing Moore’s name in unison!

        35. 38'

          A thunderous strike from Ampadu looked set to ripple the net but it’s another Cymru chance that misses the target. Ampadu insists to the referee however, that the ball took a deflection off a defender and that Cymru should’ve been awarded a corner kick.

        36. 36'

          This is Latvia’s first qualifying match for EURO 2024.

        37. 35'

          Yellow card

          WILSON Harry

        38. 34'

          Free header for Tobers from a Latvian free kick but the Cymru defence don’t show any panic as he heads wide of Ward’s lefthand post.

        39. 31'

          Williams gets the crowd on the edge of their seats with a well hit strike but the shot is off target.

        40. 30'

          The Cymru starting XI is a familiar photo formation.

        41. 29'

          SO CLOSE! Moore shoots through a crowded box and the Latvian goalkeeper looked beaten but the ball goes wide.

        42. 21'

          The balance in the match seems to be swaying back in Cymru’s favour after Ramsey spreads the ball to James, who crosses for Moore. The Cymru striker connects with his head but the effort is wide. It’s got The Red Wall going though.

        43. 17'

          Latvia are finding their feet in this game and putting Cymru under some pressure. They force a corner and when Savalnieks crosses into the box he finds Oss, who forces an excellent save from Ward.

        44. 5'

          Wilson goes close to giving Cymru the lead but his shot is saved by Steinbors and the ball is put behind for a corner.

        45. 1'

          Latvia have kick off and get the match underway.

        46. 28 March, 2023 7:43 pm

        47. 28 March, 2023 7:38 pm

          Gareth Bale has given an emotional speech to The Red Wall following his retirement from football in January.

        48. 28 March, 2023 7:07 pm

        49. 28 March, 2023 7:05 pm

          This is how Latvia will line-up against Cymru in what is their first qualifying match for EURO 2024.

          The Latvians come into this fixture off the back of a friendly against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. Latvia lost the match 3-2 but Roberts Uldriġis scored a stunning goal from outside the box that nestled into the top corner of the net.

        51. 28 March, 2023 7:00 pm

          The players have arrived at Cardiff City Stadium as Cymru prepare to take on Latvia. Rob Page has named an unchanged line-up from the 1-1 draw against Croatia in Split on Saturday.

        52. 28 March, 2023 6:26 pm

          Gareth Bale has arrived at Cardiff City Stadium, where he will go pitch side ahead of kick off to thank The Red Wall for their support throughout his Cymru career.

        53. 28 March, 2023 6:17 pm

          Representing Cymru this evening against Latvia is…

        54. 28 March, 2023 5:13 pm

          With Cymru vs Latvia a sell out at Cardiff City Stadium, you don’t need to miss out on the action as the qualifier will be shown live on Sgorio with coverage starting at 7:25pm on S4C and YouTube.

        55. 28 March, 2023 5:09 pm

          Away from the EURO 2024 qualifier, it’s a momentous day for Cymru’s Under 17 Men’s Team as they qualified for the UEFA Under 17 Championship Finals in Hungary.

          The tournament will be held from 17 May to 2 June. The draw for the tournament will take place on Monday, 3 April at 4:00pm.

        56. 28 March, 2023 4:48 pm

          The UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier between Cymru and Latvia is officially sold out at Cardiff City Stadium.

          The Red Wall is sure to create an incredible atmosphere for Rob Page’s team as they take to the pitch this evening.

        57. 28 March, 2023 11:02 am

          Everyone loves a last minute equaliser, particularly when it’s against a team that finished third in the FIFA World Cup.

          Get yourself in the mood for the match against Latvia at Cardiff City Stadium by experiencing Nathan Broadhead’s dramatic goal in the unique extended match highlights from Cymru’s draw in Croatia over on RedWall+.

          To visit the FAW’s free streaming service that brings you live matches, highlights, documentaries and features, go to redwallplus.wales.

        58. 27 March, 2023 7:37 pm

        59. 27 March, 2023 7:36 pm

          Giorgi Kruashvili will referee the match between Cymru and Latvia on Tuesday. The 36-year old from Georgia refereed the World Cup qualifier between Belarus and Cymru back in September 2021 when a hat-trick from Gareth Bale earned Rob Page’s side a valuable three points on their way to qualifying for the finals in Qatar. Kruashvili has officiated matches in the UEFA Nations League and the Europa League this season.

        61. 27 March, 2023 7:27 pm

          Latvia manager Dainis Kazakevičs spoke to the media in Cardiff earlier this evening. His side open their EURO 2024 campaign against Cymru tomorrow night having narrowly lost 3-2 to the Republic of Ireland in a friendly last week.

          “This will be our first game in a new qualification cycle and we are ready to fight for points,” said Kazakevičs. “I think Wales is professional enough and I don’t think they will underestimate us.”

        62. 27 March, 2023 7:23 pm

        63. 27 March, 2023 7:22 pm

          The Cymru squad were back on the training ground this afternoon as manager Rob Page put his players through their final preparations ahead of the EURO 2024 qualifier against Latvia at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday night. The group were in good spirits following the 1-1 draw with Croatia and Page confirmed in his press conference earlier in the day that his squad are fully fit and ready for the challenge ahead.

        64. 27 March, 2023 7:20 pm

        66. 27 March, 2023 1:42 pm

          Cymru manager Rob Page was in a positive mood when he sat down with the media on Monday afternoon to discuss EURO 2024 qualifying following the 1-1 draw with Croatia on Saturday night, and confirmed that there are no new injury concerns ahead of the match against Latvia on Tuesday.

          “They are all in good spirits,” said Page. “We’ve had a great days recovery after a great result. We’re back on the grass this afternoon and we will work on our game plan. That result is the reference point for us now, that we’ve been able to go to a great team in Croatia and pick up a point without a full squad. Its credit to the players for the attitude they showed. We stayed in the game until the last minute and it was down to Broady to come on and show his worth.

          “Our supporters were immense again. You can’t beat that feeling and connection when Broady ran to the crowd. The new players and coaching staff have brought a fresh energy and its a good environment at this moment in time. Its going to be tough game for different reasons. They wont have the threat of Croatia and it will be a different type of game, but we will have a plan.

          “Its always great when you see a substitute that you have made come on and score the equaliser like Broady did. He’s fitted in straight away as the group know him from the U21’s. I’ve worked with him before and I know he has an eye for goal. I know he will create chances and get goals for us.

          “We have to focus on ourselves, we can only do what we can do. You cant guarantee anything, but we will stick to a game plan that means we can win the game. We want consistent performances across the board whoever we are playing against, then the result will take care of itself.”

        67. 27 March, 2023 1:36 pm

        68. 27 March, 2023 1:33 pm

          Cymru captain Aaron Ramsey spoke to the media at the team base on Monday lunchtime to reflect on the 1-1 draw with Croatia and look ahead to the EURO 2024 qualifier against Latvia on Tuesday evening.

          “It felt absolutely unbelievable to lead the boys out in a great stadium against a great team,” said Ramsey. “It was right up there with those special nights we’ve had in recent years. We left it quite late but we came away with something. It felt like a fresh start with the changes to the staff and players, and it was great for us to start there with a point in one of the toughest games of the campaign. It was difficult at times but it was huge for us terms of momentum to get a point on the board ahead of a massive game now on Tuesday.

          “We have a few players who haven’t been playing as much as they would to at their clubs. These players are hungry trying to make their mark and make their own history. It was brilliant for Broady to come on and score that late equaliser and you could see afterwards how emotional he was getting with the fans. All the celebrations in the dressing room were for him so it was a great moment for him and his family.

          “We need to take care of our home games which we’ve done in recent campaigns. The fans have played a big part in that. With them right behind us and us being at home we need to take advantage of that and hopefully come away with all three points.

          “It’s a clean start for us and a chance for us to make our own history again. The players can take so much from that game and it will give us a huge amount of confidence going forwards. For us to put the World Cup behind us is important and now we want to capitalise on it and look to the future.

          “I’ve experienced a lost of things over the 12 years. It feels right now. It was a really proud moment for me and hopefully it can be a special campaign. We’re expecting a different game, the pressure is on us to take the initiative and come up with solutions to break them down. We’ve down the first part and now we need to back that up with three points on Tuesday. I’m sure if we are mentally right well have a good night.”

        70. 26 March, 2023 11:04 am

          Qualifying for EURO 2024 marks a special anniversary for the Latvian Football Association as it was in the same competition 20 years ago that they made history by becoming the first Baltic nation to qualify for the EURO finals. Portugal hosted the EURO 2004 competition and it remains the one and only time that Latvia have appeared at the finals of a major tournament. Under the guidance of manager Aleksandrs Starkovs and inspired by the goalscoring exploits of Māris Verpakovskis in the final stages of qualification, Latvia reached the finals with a play-off victory over Turkey.

          As a striker, the manager spent the majority of his playing career with Daugava RÄŤga, and took over the national team in 2001 when he was promoted from assistant. He combined his international duties while also managing Skonto FC, making his achievements all the more impressive. It would be the first of three spells in charge of the Latvian national team for Starkovs, but it would be without doubt his mist successful era.

          Latvia were drawn in Group D for the finals where they would take on the Czech Republic, Netherlands and Germany. Verpakovskis continued where he had left off in qualifying to put his side ahead in the opening match against the Czech Republic in Aveiro, but two late goals spelled a 2-1 defeat. An impressive 0-0 draw with Germany followed for Latvia, but a 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands in their final group game would confirm their elimination from the tournament at the group stage. Incredibly, it was Germany would also find themselves exited the competition along with Latvia having failed to register a victory.

          Despite the early exit, qualification in itself was a huge success for Latvian football, even though they could not build on the achievement during the next campaign. Verpakovskis remains the only player in Latvian football history to score at the finals of a major tournament with the most famous of his 29 goals in 104 appearances for his country. Although they entered the competition as underdogs, it would prove to a successful tournament one small nation in particular, as Greece defied to odds to defeat host nation Portugal in the final and complete one of the most remarkable upsets in international football history.

        73. 26 March, 2023 10:56 am

          Nathan Broadhead inevitably claimed the headlines on Saturday as he scored the equalising goal for Cymru in Croatia after coming off the bench for his senior international debut. However, there was also a senior debut for 18-year old Jordan James as the highly-rated Birmingham City midfielder replaced Joe Morrell in the final minutes of the match. Having already played almost 50 games in the Championship, James will be looking to establish himself in the squad during the course of this EURO 2024 qualifying campaign.

        75. 26 March, 2023 10:48 am

          Surprisingly, there has only been one previous meeting between Cymru and Latvia. The friendly international took place in the Latvian capital city of Riga in August 2004 as two goals in the final 10 minutes from John Hartson and Craig Bellamy earned a 2-0 win for Mark Hughes’ side. However, Hughes would only remain in the role for another month as he stepped down in September to take charge of Blackburn Rovers.

          “Mark Hughes couldn’t have asked for more from a friendly,” explained former Cymru striker Ian Wales to BBC Sport Wales after the match. “It was competitive, played at a good tempo, Wales scored goals and kept a clean sheet. The fitness levels showed, especially with the movement off the ball and unselfish running in the second half, and they gelled as a team in the new 4-4-2 formation.

          “What is more, the big hitters have come out and performed to such a level that there is no chance of Mark Hughes leaving them out. The younger squad members impressed at the end of last season and there was a lot of talk about Rob Earnshaw and all his goals. But, on the Latvia performance, if Wales are going to play two up front they have to be Craig Bellamy and John Hartson.”

          TEAM SHEET: LATVIA 0-2 CYMRU – 18 AUGUST 2004 – RIGA
          Latvia: Koļinko (GK), Isakovs, Stepanovs, Zemļinskis, Blagonadeždins (Korabļovs 74), Laizāns, Lobaņovs, Prohorenkovs (Rimkus 66), Rubins, Miholaps (Semjonovs 61), Verpakovskis.
          Goals: None
          Cymru: Jones (GK) (Crossley 46), Delaney, Melville (Collins 24), Page, Thatcher, Koumas (Robinson 89), Pembridge (Roberts 69), Savage (Johnson 46), Speed, Bellamy, Hartson (Taylor 84).
          Goals: Hartson (80), Bellamy (89).

        76. 26 March, 2023 10:47 am

        77. There is no live report available for this match

        Lineups

        Starting

          Substitutes

            Starting

              Substitutes

                Match Info

                Stadium

                Date & Time

                Referee

                Fourth Official

                Assistant Referees

                Learn more from FA Wales

                Sign up to receive all things FAW, from team news, tickets, domestic, grassroots, to exclusive offers and prize draws.

                We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data – view our privacy policy by clicking here.