FCI Levadia draw with Paide

FCI Levadia drew 2–2 with Paide Linnameeskond today in the Premium Liiga Round 3 match.

Ahead of the upcoming international break, Round 3 of the Premium Liiga was played on Sunday, attracting 767 spectators to Sportland Arena — the highest attendance of the season so far. The match began cautiously from both sides, with the first chances taking some time to emerge.

The home side took the lead in the 17th minute following a well-worked attack, as Mihkel Ainsalu expertly finished Joseph Saliste’s precise cross to make it 1–0. Levadia continued to dominate possession, but it was Paide who struck before halftime, with Henri Anier converting a cross from the wing to level the score at 1–1.

Both teams increased the tempo in attack during the second half. In the 70th minute, Paide had a good chance when Kristofer Piht got a shot away inside the box, but his effort flew over the goal. Immediately afterwards, Levadia showed their intent to win — Mark Oliver Roosnupp delivered an excellent diagonal pass to Ainsalu, who scored his second superb goal to put the hosts 2–1 ahead.

Levadia continued to play with intensity, and in the 81st minute had a chance to extend their lead, but Bubacarr Tambedou’s shot hit the post. The end of the match, however, turned out to be dramatic and painful for the home side.

During stoppage time, Levadia appeared to seal the win on the counterattack when Tambedou found substitute Samba, who tapped the ball into an empty net. However, after a VAR review, a foul in the build-up against Paide’s Cabral was identified, and the goal was disallowed. Play was brought back to Levadia’s penalty area.

From the resulting free-kick, Cabral hit the crossbar, and in the ensuing situation, a penalty was awarded to Paide. Cabral converted from the spot in the 17th minute of added time, making it 2–2.

Head coach Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko admitted the ending was difficult to accept:
“It’s hard to sum this up. When such decisions happen at the end of a match, it’s difficult to understand as a coach and to explain to the players. My first emotion is very negative — I’ve never experienced motivation being taken away like this. We need time to recover from this.”

He added that the team performed well overall:
“I think we were good in the game. At times we controlled it, at times Paide did, but there were few big chances. Ainsalu’s goals were excellent, but unfortunately people will talk about something else now. Situations like this leave a mark.”

At the same time, the coach saw positives:
“If the ending had been different, we’d be talking about three points and a very strong performance. We had a clear plan and the players followed it. The team is motivated, hardworking, and ambitious. If we put it all together, it could be a successful season.”

FCI Levadia’s next match will take place after the international break, as they host Nõmme United on April 4. Tickets are available via Piletitasku.

Photo: Anna Andreas, jalgpall.ee