Laimonis Laizans
Encyclopedia
Laimonis Laizāns is a former Soviet Latvian football
goalkeeper who played for FK Daugava Rīga
and Torpedo Moscow. He is considered one of the best Latvian goalkeepers of all time.
and offered him to start training in football. At first Laizāns played on field but he didn't have especial talents. That would change when for one game the team he played for had no goalkeeper and Laizāns was put in goal and since then he only played in goal, although he himself didn't like it at first because he wanted to score goals himself.
As at that time most sportsmen in Latvia
played both football and ice hockey
until 1965 Laizāns played both and only then decided to devote his career entirely to football.
After a couple of seasons with FK Daugava Rīga
he got offers from several Soviet Top League
clubs. He chose to join Torpedo Moscow, the team of Valentin Ivanov
and Eduard Streltsov
. In the first season for Torpedo Laizāns played in 25 matches (succeeding 16 goals). But in winter while playing ice hockey Laizāns had an injury which crossed out his chances to remain in the top league, so Laizāns returned to Daugava. With Daugava he played until 1976. Afterwards he played a couple of years with FK Alfa in the Latvian championship.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goalkeeper who played for FK Daugava Rīga
FK Daugava Riga
Previously FK Daugava 90 is a Latvian football club located in Riga and currently playing in Latvian First League. Formerly under the name Daugava the team was the headliner of Latvian football where played most of the countries top players but with the collapse of the Soviet Union the team ceased...
and Torpedo Moscow. He is considered one of the best Latvian goalkeepers of all time.
Playing biography
Laizāns was still a school student when he was approached by famous Latvian football manager Vadims UlbergsVadims Ulbergs
Vadims Ulbergs was a Latvian football player and manager, one of the most respected veterans of Latvian football.-Biography:...
and offered him to start training in football. At first Laizāns played on field but he didn't have especial talents. That would change when for one game the team he played for had no goalkeeper and Laizāns was put in goal and since then he only played in goal, although he himself didn't like it at first because he wanted to score goals himself.
As at that time most sportsmen in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
played both football and ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
until 1965 Laizāns played both and only then decided to devote his career entirely to football.
After a couple of seasons with FK Daugava Rīga
FK Daugava Riga
Previously FK Daugava 90 is a Latvian football club located in Riga and currently playing in Latvian First League. Formerly under the name Daugava the team was the headliner of Latvian football where played most of the countries top players but with the collapse of the Soviet Union the team ceased...
he got offers from several Soviet Top League
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
clubs. He chose to join Torpedo Moscow, the team of Valentin Ivanov
Valentin Kozmich Ivanov
Valentin Kozmich Ivanov was a football winger/striker, co-leading scorer at the 1962 World Cup and co-1960 European Nations' Cup top scorer.Ivanov appeared 59 times for the Soviet Union, scoring 26 goals...
and Eduard Streltsov
Eduard Streltsov
Eduard Anatolyevich Streltsov was a Soviet footballer who represented Torpedo Moscow as a forward. Joining Torpedo at the age of 16 from the Fraser factory team in 1953, Streltsov made his international debut two years later and played a key role in winning the gold medal for the Soviet national...
. In the first season for Torpedo Laizāns played in 25 matches (succeeding 16 goals). But in winter while playing ice hockey Laizāns had an injury which crossed out his chances to remain in the top league, so Laizāns returned to Daugava. With Daugava he played until 1976. Afterwards he played a couple of years with FK Alfa in the Latvian championship.