2005 Latvian Higher League
Annual soccer tournament
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2005 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the 15th domestic football (soccer) competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Eight teams competed in this edition, with FK Liepājas Metalurgs claiming the title.
Season2005
ChampionsFK Liepajas Metalurgs
RelegatedJFK Olimps Riga
FK Venta
FK Venta
UEFA Champions LeagueFK Liepajas Metalurgs
| Season | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Champions | FK Liepajas Metalurgs |
| Relegated | JFK Olimps Riga FK Venta |
| UEFA Champions League | FK Liepajas Metalurgs |
| UEFA Cup | Skonto FC FK Ventspils |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | Dinaburg FC |
| Top goalscorer |  Igors Slesarcuks Viktors Dobrecovs (18 goals each one) |
← 2004 2006 → | |
Final table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liepājas Metalurgs (C) | 28 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 85 | 19 | +66 | 71 | Qualification for Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Skonto | 28 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 59 | 25 | +34 | 58 | Qualification for UEFA Cup first qualifying round |
| 3 | Ventspils | 28 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 56 | 30 | +26 | 55 | |
| 4 | Dinaburg | 28 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 37 | 43 | −6 | 35 | Qualification for Intertoto Cup first round |
| 5 | Rīga | 28 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 32 | 46 | −14 | 34 | |
| 6 | Jūrmala | 28 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 37 | 38 | −1 | 32 | |
| 7 | Olimps Rīga (R) | 28 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 24 | 68 | −44 | 19 | Qualification for relegation play-offs |
| 8 | Venta (R) | 28 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 18 | 79 | −61 | 9 | Relegation to Latvian First League |
Match table
|
|
Relegation play-offs
| Olimps Rīga | 0 – 2 | Ditton |
|---|---|---|
Pertia  52'Modebadze 90+2' |
Attendance: 500
Source: RSSSF[1]
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Igors Sļesarčuks (LAT) | FK Venta / FK Ventspils | 18 |
| Viktors Dobrecovs (LAT) | FK Liepājas Metalurgs | ||
| 3 |  Aleksandr Katasonov (RUS) | FK Liepājas Metalurgs | 17 |
| 4 | Gatis Kalniņš (LAT) | Skonto FC | 15 |
| 5 | Genādijs Soloņicins (LAT) | FK Liepājas Metalurgs | 13 |
Source: RSSSF[1]
Awards
| Best | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Andrejs Piedels (LAT) | Skonto FC |
| Defender | Dzintars Zirnis (LAT) | FK Liepājas Metalurgs |
| Midfielder | Genādijs Soloņicins (LAT) | FK Liepājas Metalurgs |
| Forward | Aleksandr Katasonov (RUS) | FK Liepājas Metalurgs |
Source: [citation needed]