2015 Latvian Higher League

Latvian Higher League

Season	2015
Champions	Liepāja
Champions League	Liepāja
Matches played	55
Goals scored	123 (2.24 per match)
Top goalscorer	Dāvis Ikaunieks (15)
Biggest home win	Skonto 4-0 FS Metta/LU (5 June 2015)
Biggest away win	FS Metta/LU 1-5 Skonto (10 August 2015)
Highest scoring	FS Metta/LU 1-5 Skonto (10 August 2015)
Longest winning run	3 matches Skonto FK Liepāja FK Jelgava
Longest unbeaten run	13 matches Ventspils
Longest winless run	7 matches FS Metta/LU
Longest losing run	4 matches FS Metta/LU
← 2014 2016 →

The 2015 Latvian Higher League is the 24th season of top-tier football in Latvia. FK Ventspils are the defending champions. The season started on 13 March 2015.^[1]

Teams

FC Jūrmala relegated at the end of last season, and was replaced by FB Gulbene, which returned to the highest level after two years. Because FC Daugava did not obtain a license to play in the 2015 Higher League, and FK Daugava was dissolved before the beginning of the new season, the league started with 8 participants. On 3 June 2015, FB Gulbene was expelled from the top league and their results expunged on suspicion of match-fixing.^[2]

Stadiums and locations

Daugavpils

Gulbene

Jelgava

FK Liepāja

FS METTA
Skonto

Spartaks

Ventspils

Locations of the 2015 Latvian Higher League teams

Club	Location	Stadium	Capacity
BFC Daugavpils	Daugavpils	Celtnieks Stadium	3,980
FB Gulbene	Gulbene	Gulbenes Sporta Centrs	1,500
FK Jelgava	Jelgava	Zemgales Olimpiskais Sporta Centrs	2,200
FK Liepāja	Liepāja	Daugava Stadium	6,000
FS Metta/LU	Riga	Stadions Arkādija	500
Skonto FC	Riga	Skonto Stadium	10,000
FK Spartaks Jūrmala	Jūrmala	Slokas Stadium	5,000
FK Ventspils	Ventspils	Olimpiskais Stadium	3,200

Kits manufacturer and sponsors

Club	Kit manufacturer	Sponsor
BFC Daugavpils	Adidas	Intergaz
FB Gulbene	Jako
FK Jelgava	Nike	Igate
FK Liepāja	Adidas
FS Metta/LU	Nike
Skonto FC	Jako	SA Football Agency
FK Spartaks Jūrmala	Nike	Hanseatisches Fußball Kontor
FK Ventspils	Adidas	VK Tranzīts

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Liepāja (C)	24	15	7	2	48	23	+25	52	Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round
2	Skonto (R)	24	13	6	5	43	23	+20	45	Relegation to Latvian First League[lower-alpha 1]
3	Ventspils	24	11	10	3	39	16	+23	43	Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round[lower-alpha 2]
4	Jelgava	24	11	8	5	26	18	+8	41
5	Spartaks Jūrmala	24	5	6	13	20	36	−16	21
6	BFC Daugavpils	24	2	8	14	14	37	−23	14
7	METTA/LU (O)	24	3	3	18	19	56	−37	12	Qualification to Relegation play-offs
—	Gulbene (D, R)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Exclusion[lower-alpha 3]

Source: UEFA Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Matches won; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Fairplay ranking; 8) Play-off.^[5][6]
(C) Champion; (D) Disqualified; (O) Play-off winner; (R) Relegated.
Notes:

1. Skonto failed to obtain a licence to play at the Higher League.
2. Jelgava qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2015–16 Latvian Football Cup
3. On 3 June 2015, Gulbene were excluded from the top league and their results were expunged after suspicion of match-fixing.^[3][4]

Relegation play-offs

The 7th-placed side will face the runners-up of the 2015 Latvian First League in a two-legged play-off, with the winner being awarded a spot in the 2016 Higher League competition.

Valmiera Glass FK/BSS v FS METTA/LU

21 November 2015 15:00

Valmiera Glass FK/BSS	1–3	FS METTA/LU
Bruno Bērziņš  48'		Ingars Stuglis  50' Gatis Kalniņš  70' Roberts Uldriķis  81'

Jānis Daliņš stadium, Valmiera

---

FS METTA/LU v Valmiera Glass FK/BSS

25 November 2015 19:00

FS METTA/LU	6-2	Valmiera Glass FK/BSS
Roberts Uldriķis  18', 49' Gatis Kalniņš  37', 90+2' Armands Pētersons  55' Rendijs Šibass  75'		Jānis Lapss  70' Valts Jaunzems  77'

Hanzas vidusskolas laukums, Riga

FS METTA/LU won 9–3 on aggregate.

Results

First half of the season Home ╲ Away BFC JEL LIE MLU SKO SPJ VEN BFC Daugavpils 0–1 1–1 2–0 0–0 0–1 1–1 Jelgava 2–0 1–2 1–0 0–0 1–1 0–0 Liepāja 1–1 2–1 3–1 3–2 0–0 0–0 METTA/LU 2–1 1–1 1–4 0–1 1–2 0–3 Skonto FC 4–1 1–0 1–0 4–0 2–1 1–1 Spartaks Jūrmala 1–1 0–0 1–2 2–2 1–0 0–2 Ventspils 3–0 0–0 3–3 2–0 0–0 2–0 Updated to games played on 19 August 2015. Source: Virslīga 2015 (Latvian) 1 ^^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column. Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second half of the season Home ╲ Away BFC JEL LIE MLU SKO SPJ VEN BFC Daugavpils 0–2 0–4 0–0 2–3 0–2 1–1 Jelgava 1–0 1–1 3–1 0–2 1–0 0–0 Liepāja 1–0 1–0 2–0 2–2 4–1 3–2 METTA/LU 0–2 2–4 0–4 1–5 3–2 0–2 Skonto FC 0–0 2–3 1–2 3–1 2–1 0–2 Spartaks Jūrmala 2–1 0–1 0–2 0–3 1–3 0–0 Ventspils 4–0 1–2 3–1 3–0 1–3 3–1 Updated to games played on 7 November 2015. Source: Virslīga 2015 (Latvian) 1 ^^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column. Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Season statistics

Top scorers

As of 7 November 2015

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Dāvis Ikaunieks	Liepāja	15
2	Vladislavs Gutkovskis	Skonto	10
	Ndue Mujeci	Ventspils
4	Ģirts Karlsons	Ventspils	8
	Andrejs Kovaļovs	Skonto

Updated to match(es) played on 7 November 2015.
Source:UEFA

References

1. Rolands Eliņš (2015-03-13). ""Liepāja" un "Skonto" Virslīgas jaunās sezonas pirmajā mačā". Sportacentrs.com.
2. 'Gulbenes' dublieru komanda varēs turpināt piedalīties Latvijas dublieru čempionātā, Delfi, 4 June 2015, accessed 10 June 2015
3. "LFF DK 3.JŪNIJA SĒDES LĒMUMI" [LFF DK JUNE 3 MEETING DECISIONS] (in Latvian). Latvian Football Federation. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
4. 'Gulbenes' dublieru komanda varēs turpināt piedalīties Latvijas dublieru čempionātā, Delfi, 4 June 2015, accessed 10 June 2015
5. "2015. GADA LATVIJAS VIRSLĪGAS FUTBOLA ČEMPIONĀTA REGLAMENTS" (pdf) (in Latvian). Latvian Football Federation. 8 January 2015. p. 6. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
6. "Virsliga 2015 - Season rules". Scoresway. Retrieved 26 July 2015.