Liechtenstein off the mark after holding Latvia
Friday, March 22, 2013
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Liechtenstein 1-1 Latvia
Aleksandrs Cauņa cancelled out Michele Polverino's opening goal but missed a second-half penalty as Latvia were surprisingly held in Vaduz.
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Liechtenstein picked up their first FIFA World Cup Group G point, Latvia's Aleksandrs Cauņa cancelling out Michele Polverino's opener for the home side before missing the chance to win the game from the penalty spot.
Beaten 2-0 when the sides met in Latvia last autumn, Liechtenstein looked much stronger on home soil, and while Artjoms Rudņevs threatened at the other end, Polverino gave Rene Pauritsch's side a deserved lead when he turned in a David Hasler cross after 17 minutes. Cauņa responded in style on the half-hour, though, hitting a fine free-kick into the top right corner.
Liechtenstein kept on pressing, and Hasler and Thomas Beck both passed up presentable opportunities after the break, but Latvia will feel they should have won it, with Peter Jehle denying Cauņa from the penalty spot on 62 minutes after Polverino handled in the box. The draw was well deserved though, and Liechtenstein will go in search of more points when they host Slovakia on 7 June, when Latvia take on Greece.