# Ēriks Pētersons

Ēriks Pētersons (1909–1987) was a Latvian footballer and ice hockey player. Between 1929 and 1939 he played 63 international matches and scored 21 goals for Latvian national team. He also played in the Latvian national ice hockey team, where he appeared in eight matches. After World War II Pētersons moved to United States.

## Biography

Ēriks Pētersons was first noticed in 1928 when he moved from a third league team directly to the strongest football club in Latvia, Rīgas FK. He started as a center forward but soon changed his position on the field to central midfield in which he still retained his goal scoring abilities. All his career Pētersons played for a single club, RFK. He was the most capped Latvia international footballer before World War II, participating in 63 of the total 99 matches Latvia played in this time period. He was also the country's best international goalscorer of the 20th century. In 2007, Māris Verpakovskis overtook him in the all-time Latvia scoring list. His last football match in Latvia was in the 1939–1940 season against Olimpija Liepāja as he did not play neither during the first Soviet, nor the German occupation of Latvia. After the war, Pētersons moved to the United States where he played for the Swedish football club Chicago Viking. In 2006 Pētersons was selected as one of the 11 greatest Latvian footballers of the 20th century and by many he is considered the all-time best Latvian footballer.

## International Goals

    Scores and results list Latvia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pētersons goal.
List of international goals scored by Ēriks Pētersons :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 15 September 1929 | Töölön Pallokenttä, Helsinki, Finland | Finland | 1-3 | 1-3 | Friendly |
| 2 | 4 August 1930 | Jānis Skredelis' stadium, Riga, Latvia | Finland | 1-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 16 August 1930 | Makabi Stadionas, Kaunas, Lithuania | Estonia | 1-0 | 3-2 | 1930 Baltic Cup |
| 4 | 17 August 1930 | Kariuomenės Stadionas, Kaunas, Lithuania | Lithuania | 1-1 | 3-3 | 1930 Baltic Cup |
| 5 | 17 August 1930 | Kariuomenės Stadionas, Kaunas, Lithuania | Lithuania | 2-2 | 3-3 | 1930 Baltic Cup |
| 6 | 17 August 1930 | Kariuomenės Stadionas, Kaunas, Lithuania | Lithuania | 3-2 | 3-3 | 1930 Baltic Cup |
| 7 | 30 June 1931 | L.S.B. Stadions, Riga, Latvia | Lithuania | 1-0 | 5-2 | Friendly |
| 8 | 30 June 1931 | L.S.B. Stadions, Riga, Latvia | Lithuania | 2-0 | 5-2 | Friendly |
| 9 | 30 June 1931 | L.S.B. Stadions, Riga, Latvia | Lithuania | 3-2 | 5-2 | Friendly |
| 10 | 30 June 1931 | L.S.B. Stadions, Riga, Latvia | Lithuania | 4-2 | 5-2 | Friendly |
| 11 | 31 August 1931 | Kadriorg Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia | Lithuania | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1931 Baltic Cup |
| 12 | 24 June 1932 | Stadions Olimpija, Liepāja, Latvia | Lithuania | 1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 13 | 28 August 1932 | Jānis Skredelis' stadium, Riga, Latvia | Lithuania | 1-1 | 4-1 | 1932 Baltic Cup |
| 14 | 28 May 1933 | Jānis Skredelis' stadium, Riga, Latvia | Estonia | 2-0 | 2-0 | Friendly |
| 15 | 12 June 1933 | Jānis Skredelis' stadium, Riga, Latvia | Lithuania | 1-0 | 6-2 | Friendly |
| 16 | 12 June 1933 | Jānis Skredelis' stadium, Riga, Latvia | Lithuania | 4-2 | 6-2 | Friendly |
| 17 | 12 June 1933 | Jānis Skredelis' stadium, Riga, Latvia | Lithuania | 5-2 | 6-2 | Friendly |
| 18 | 4 July 1933 | Jānis Skredelis' stadium, Riga, Latvia | Sweden | 1-1 | 1-1 | Friendly |
| 19 | 4 September 1933 | Kariuomenės Stadionas, Kaunas, Lithuania | Lithuania | 1-1 | 2-2 | 1933 Baltic Cup |
| 20 | 4 September 1933 | Kariuomenės Stadionas, Kaunas, Lithuania | Lithuania | 2-2 | 2-2 | 1933 Baltic Cup |
| 21 | 22 August 1935 | Kadriorg Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia | Estonia | 1-1 | 1-1 | 1935 Baltic Cup |
| 22 | 8 September 1935 | Kariuomenės Stadionas, Kaunas, Lithuania | Lithuania | 2-2 | 2-2 | Friendly |
| 23 | 15 September 1935 | Stadion Miejski im. Władysława Króla, Łódź, Poland | Poland | 2-0 | 3-3 | Friendly |
| 24 | 6 September 1936 | Jānis Skredelis' stadium, Riga, Latvia | Poland | 3-1 | 3-3 | Friendly |