Category: First Team
Maccabi prepares for RFS Riga
Maccabi hosts Latvian champions RFS Riga at the Partizan stadium in Belgrade on MD6 aiming to build on the victory over Besiktas in the previous round.
The team held their final practice session at the Kiryat Shalom training complex before heading for Ben Gurion airport and flying to Serbia. Shortly after landing at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla airport, the team will head for the stadium and hold the pre-match press conference.
Zarko Lazetic’s side are that following the victory over Besiktas, a good result against the Latvians could change their fate in the competition. But they face tough competition from the Latvian champions that recently managed to hold both Galatasary and Anderlecht to draws and are also fighting for a place in the competition.
Watch: Kanichowsky after Hapoel Haifa
The 27-year-old midfielder whose side were held to their third draw in 13 matches and are currently 2nd in the table with 27 points, said: “We weren’t at our best today but we led 1-0 until the 60th minute yet we must play much better football. We are Maccabi Tel Aviv and this was simply not good enough today.”
On the refereeing decision which saw Hapoel Haifa handed a controvercial penalty, Kanichowsky said: “This seems to be our life, as our livelihood is being harmed through points. Maybe that was a refereeing mistake but this is hurting us on a personal level and that is out of line. I am not going to complain about it because we need to be better as Maccabi Tel Aviv. We will need to improve and simply be better.”
On the difficult spell Maccabi are currently experiencing of 2 draws, 2 defeats and 2 victories from the final 6 league matches, Kanichowsky said: “These things happen to clubs all over the world, there is a lot of overload due to our fixture list, but it is fine, we are still there. We must deal with what we have and just play a lot better. You in the media like to blow things out of proportion and create a lot of noise, as far as we are concerned it is fine. We will have to improve as individuals and as a team, that is it”.
Maccabi held to 1-1 draw by Hapoel Haifa
Preview:
Three days after the dramatic draw at home to Hapoel Hadera, Maccabi arrived at Sammy Ofer for the WINNER League MD13 match away to Hapoel Haifa which concludes the first round.
Maccabi’s coach Zarko Lazetic, made five changes to his starting line-up against the side currently ranked 7th in the table and ended a run of three successive defeats with a 2-0 victory over Bnei Sakhnin,
Roi Mishpati kept his place in goal as did Stav Lemkin, Raz Shlomo and Nemanja Stojic with Sagiv Jehezkel the only change in Maccabi’s back-four.
Joris van Overeem returned to the anchorman role with Dor Peretz returning to the side to join Gabi Kanichowsky in Maccabi’s midfield engine room. Weslley Patati who set up one of the goals against Hadera, kept his place on the wing with Osher Davida drafted into the opposite flank. Dor Turgeman, returned to lead the attack after making a substitute appearance against Hadera, aiming to add return to the scoresheet like he did last week against Bnei Reineh.
Alongside goalkeeper Simon Sluga, Lazetic named on the substitutes bench, Roy Revivo, Idan Nachmias, Tyrese Asante, Eran Zahavi, Elad Madmon, Henry Addo, Hisham Layous and Ido Shahar.
First Half
Around 4000 fans travelled to Sammy Ofer and welcomed Maccabi’s players onto the pitch with a loud vocal support rhroughout the opening stages. After a relatively slow start to the game Maccabi had the ball in the back of the net as Weslley Patati flicked the ball home from close range. The goal was disallowed as the referee assistant spotted Patati in an offiside position keeping the result goalless.
Joris van Overeem was shown the yellow card by referee Orel Grinfeld for tugging the shirt of an opponent to stop a counter attack. In the 24th minute nothing could prevent Patati from getting his name on the scoresheet to break the deadlock. Sagiv Jehezkel sent a cross from the left which the Brazilian winger brought the ball down with one spectacular touch before burrying a shot into the bottom far corner. Raz Shlomo also went into the referee’s book shortly before the half hour mark.
Seven minutes later Maccabi came close to double the lead at the end of an outstanding counter attack. Osher Davida released Dor Peretz who slipped the ball to Dor Turgeman before the striker let the ball run between his legs and reach Patati. But Patati who only had the keeper to beat sent a shot with his weaker right foot that rolled wide. Stav Lemkin became the third Maccabi player to be cautioned by Grinfeld before the interval as the defender was shown the yellow card.
Second Half
With no changes to either side at the interval Hapoel Haifa created the first chance to score shortly after the restart. Thiemoko Diarra found himself behind Maccabi’s back-line, but his powerful drive was blocked by Van Overeem who required medical treatment after being winded in the process.
In the 54th minute Diarra came even closer as managed to skip past a mistimed Lemkin tackle to race half the length of the pitch. But this time Roi Mishpati stretched himself to keep out the shot. Four minutes later the hosts were awarded a penalty as Shlomo was judged to have pulled down Guy Melamed inside the area. Grinfeld pointed at the spot before Haifa’s top goalscorer kept his calm and slotted the penalty beyond Mishpati’s reach to level the score.
Lazetic reacted with a double substitution on 65 as Roy Revivo replaced Lemkin with Jehezkel pushing to right back while Hisham Layous came on for Davida. Layous almost made an immediate impact as his cut back on 68 found Turgeman whose attempt to flick the ball was easily collected by Yoav Gerafi. Turgeman tried his luck with a left foot pile driver from the edge of the area in the 70th minute, but Gerafi managed a fingertip save to push the ball over.
Lazetic made two more changes in the 78th minute as Ido Shahar replaced Peretz while Eran Zahavi came on for Turgeman. While Maccabi tried to score it was Liran Serdal who found the net but the Haifa midfielder was caught offisde as the goal was disallowed. Lazetic made his fifth and final substitution as Patati bowed out in the 85th minute and was replaced by Elad Madmon for the closing stages. While Maccabi tried to score it was Liran Serdal who found the net but the Haifa midfielder was caught offisde as the goal was disallowed.
Lazetic made his fifth and final substitution as Patati bowed out in the 85th minute and was replaced by Elad Madmon for the closing stages. The fourth off signalled for six minutes of added time with Maccabi pushing men forward in a bid to try and grab a late winner.
Davida: “There are plenty of matches still left to play”
Osher Davida faced the TV cameras at the end of the Maccabi’s second league drawi succession and tried explaining what hasn’t been working: “Plenty of things. Especially on the defensive side. With a few passes, they (Hapoel Haifa) managed to reach our goal too easily and this shouldn’t happen to us. Normally it doesn’t happen but one has to learn from this ahead of the next game and do things better.”
Davida, admitted that Maccabi’s attacking play was also struggling as he added: “Upfront things didn’t work out either. Against Hadera we should have killed the game off earlier and today as well, which is something we would have to learn from. We will need to look at what we could do in future. We play every three days, we need to freshen things up both in defense and in attack.”
But despite dropping four points in three days, Davida remained confident as he said: “There are 20 and something matches still left to play, plenty of points to play for and I am sure we will win plenty of matches. We dropped points but what annoys me more is the fact that so many fans travelled here tonight to see us and we send them home disappointed. I hope we start a spell of victories soon as I really believe in my team”.
Lazetic’s summary of the draw in Haifa
From margulis to Jovanovic: 5 goals against Hapoel Haifa
Watch: Lazetic ahead of Hapoel Haifa
Lazetic’s summary of the draw with Hadera
Maccabi held to 2-2 draw by Hadera
Preview
Maccabi returned to Bloomfield for the first time since hosting a match in September for the MD12 league encounter against bottom of the table Hapoel Hadera.
Zarko Lazetic, who completed the one-match suspension he served during the victory over Maccabi Bnei Reineh on Monday also returned to the sidelines. Lazetic made several changes from the side that won at Reineh. Roi Mishpati kept his place in goal but Roy Revivo made his first start since injuring his knee against Ashdod earlier this season. Raz Shlomo and Nemaja Stojic kept their place at the heart of defense with Stav Lemkin completing Maccabi’s defensive line on the right. Issouf Sissokho returned to the anchorman role and Ido Shahar who started at right back against Reineh was named in midfield. Gabi Kanichowsky completed Maccabi’s midfield engine room while Dor Peretz was allowed to rest on the bench. Hisham Layous and Weslley Patati were named by Lazetic as the two wingers with Eran Zahavi leading the line and the team out with the captain’s armband.
On the bench Lazetic named goalkeeper Simon Sluga, Idan Nachmias, Tyrese Asante, Dor Turgeman, Joris vs Overeem, Elad Madmon, Henry Addo, Dor Peretz and Osher Davida.
First Half
A sea of colour and wall of noise welcomed Maccabi’s players on their return to Bloomfield. In the 5th Ido Shahar fell to the ground clutching his knee after blocking an opponent. Maccabi’s medical staff rushed to attend to the midfielder who recently recovered from a knee injury but after giving him the all clear he returned to the pitch. The decision proved itself within a minute as Shahar played his part in Maccabi’s opener in the 8th minute. Weslley Patati slipped the ball to Gabi Kanichowsky whose cut back reached Shahar. The midfielder didn’t make the best contact as he tempted to direct his shot on target before Eran Zahavi made no mistake as he slotted home the opener. Bloomfield stadium erupted as the veteran striker scored his first goal since the 2-1 league victory over Maccabi Netanya on October 6th.
Minutes later, Patati tried his luck with a snap shot from the corner of the area, but the ball sailed high over the crossbar. In the 27th minute and Hadera were back on level terms against the run of play and in what seemed like their first attack. James Adeniyi was given the time and space to carry the ball half the length of the pitch before releasing Godsway Donyho who rifled a low drive that beat Roi Mishpati. Shahar came close to restore Maccabi’s lead on 38 as he managed to get on the back of a Kanichowsky cross but saw his close range header bounce over the crossbar. Two minutes later however Shahar got his goal as Patati sent a pinpoint cross from the right before the red- headed midfielder buried the ball home to make it 2-1 with his first league goal and 2nd in all competitions this season.
Second half
With no changes after the break Maccabi began the second period period just like the first one – pressure on Hadera inside their half. Six minutes after the restart a series of flicks between Patati and Revivo left the full back right infront of goal but goalkeeper Ohad Levita spread himself and saved. Hadera struggled to clear the danger as Zahavi picked the ball near the corner of the area and sent a powerful dipping shot that narrowly cleared the crossbar.
Five minutes after the hour mark Lazetic made two substitutions as Shahar and Zahavi bowed out to a standing ovation and were replaced by Dor Peretz and Dor Turgeman. Lazetic made two more changes as Elad Madmon replaced Hisham Layous while Osher Davida came on Patati on 77. In the 83rd minute Maccabi were reduced to 10 men as referee Idan Leiba was called to the screen before Issouf Sissokho was shown the red card for a foul on Lior Rokah. In the 90th minute Revivo was given his standing ovation as he was replaced by Idan Nachmias for the five minutes of injury.
The match ended in the most dramatic and controvercial manner. Hadera were awarded a free kick before an attempt of a clearance reached Ibrahim Sangare whose volley was saved by a combination of Mishpati and the post. Maccabi charged forward for a counter attack and Kanichowsky squared to Davida who fired home. But referee Idan Leiba was called to the screen, disallowed Davida’s goal and awarded Hadera a penalty at the opposite end for an alleged foul in the area. Sangare stepped up and had his penalty saved by Mishpati who tried pushing the ball away but it came off Gilad Abramov and rolled in to end the match in a 2-2 draw.
