Matchday 7 of the Israel Youth Premier League saw Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv take on the Greens of Maccabi Haifa as the Yellow & Blue came into the contest with 3 wins put of their last 4 matches and in 5th place on the table after a Tel Aviv Derby win last week. Haifa came into the match in 12th place with one win out of 6 games.

Head Coach Guy Tzarfati’s Starting XI featured Daniel Peretz, Ran Vaturi, Amit Glezer, Fadi Najar, Tomer Mahlof, Eden Kartsev, Tomer Altman, Prince Thomas, Eylon Almog, Eyal Hen and Adir Hardon.

First Half
Haifa had the first chance of the match off a 3’ Yam Cohen corner kick as he found Hamoudi Kaanan in the box but his header went over the bar and out. Two minutes later Alon Deri tried a long range strike, but Daniel Peretz was in place to parry the ball away for a corner.

The Greens took the lead in the 14’ when Kaanan crossed the ball from the right wing to Cohen who beat Peretz for a 1:0 lead. Maccabi’s opening opportunity came a minute later but Almog’s shot went into the Haifa defenders and out. In the 30’ Timothy Mozi came down the left flank but Najar was able to stop the dangerous situation while a minute later Almog’s attempt from long distance went out. Cohen, the Haifa goal scorer found Ziv Morgan but his 34’ chance went out however, ten minutes later Kaanan put the ball in the far corner to give Haifa a 2:0 advantage going into the break.

Second Half
Prince Thomas began the half with a terrific chance from 30 meters, but the ball went out while a minute later the Greens again put Maccabi under pressure as Muhammad Jabar came down the left side and crossed the ball to Cohen but his chance went out.

In the 53’ striker Gal Katbi took a through ball and had a great chance on Peretz but the Yellow & Blue keeper made the stop. However, four minutes later Katbi’s shot was saved by Peretz but Mozi found rebound and put the ball into the back of the goal for a 3:0 lead. Mufleh Shalata came on as a substitute and left a fine ball for Altman, but his long range attempt was saved by the keeper in the 64’ while ten minutes later Almog’s chance flew over the bar and out. The sides traded chances for the final quarter hour but Maccabi couldn’t pull a goal back as the match ended in a 3:0 defeat to Haifa.

Maccabi “Shmuel” Haifa – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv, 12:00 Ketsef Lower Pitch
Following the Derby win last week over Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi “Shachar” will look to keep up the positive momentum away at the league champs in the Carmel on Matchday 7. Guy Tzarfati’s squad find themselves in 5th place with 3 wins out of their last 4 matches as the Greens sit in 12th place with their only victory coming on the opening Matchday.

Bnei Sakhnin – Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv, 14:45 Sakhnin Synthetic Training Pitch
The Under-17 side will look to maintain their perfect record on Matchday 7 in Sakhnin. The young Yellow & Blue are in 1st place while the hosts are in 13th place with one win in 6 contests. Coach Eliezer Ben Aharon’s goal will be to take home 3 points and another win.

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv – Hapoel “Yoram” Rishon Le’Zion, 10:30 Kiryat Shalom Synthetic pitch
After scoring 5 goals last match at Maale Adumim, the Under-16 team plays at home against Rishon Le’Zion on Matchday 8. The Yellow & Blue are in 6th place while the visitors find themselves in 5th as one point separates the two sides.

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv – Hapoel Ashkelon, 12:30 Kiryat Shalom Synthetic Pitch
The Under-15 South squad will play at home when they host the southern side on Matchday 6 as they sit in 2nd place with the same amount of points as the first place team. Ashkelon are in 13th position with one win out of 5 matches as Ori David’s club will look to keep there undefeated streak alive.

Hapoel Petah Tikva – Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv, 13:00 Moshava Synthetic Training Pitch
The Yellow & Blue Under-15 North team heads to Petah Tikva with a record of 4 wins and 1 draw good for 13 points while the hosts have collected 8 points so far and sit in 5th place.

The Derby victory against Hapoel Tel Aviv wasn’t just any Youth Premier League win for the coach and the players. Head Coach Guy Tzarfati and Captain Tomer Altman spoke about their feelings on taking home the important win.

“There’s no one happier than me to win a Derby. I thought about it when I was on my way to the match, that I’ve experienced the Derby as a fan, player, a player who won the State Cup Final Derby and as the coach of the Under-19 team. There were a lot of emotions and special energy and I’m happy that we were able to win the match. We can still play better than we did today and we should have killed the game and led 2:0. In the second half we stayed back a bit but we should have still been able to quietly finish off the match much earlier.”

Message to the players following the win:
“I brought the players together in a circle after the match right on the pitch so the fans and parents could see how much I appreciated their hard work and what they did on the pitch. You have to take into account that these are players who are just at the beginning of their careers and there is always pressure in a Derby, by the media and it’s not that simple. I only have compliments and winning 3:1 is really great.”

About Or Dasa playing with the first team:
“Or is a player who is part of the whole youth department. I was the coach who integrated him into the Under-19 side but it’s all of his coaches from when he was younger that deserve credit for doing a great job with him. This is something that the whole department and management can be proud of.”

Captain Tomer Altman also discussed the important win:
“It’s a wonderful feeling especially as to how the match began. Our start to the season wasn’t the best, so it was important to take home the Derby win.”

Looking ahead:
“I think that the good Derby result and the way we played will give us a big push going forward. We just want to continue to improve.”

About the Hapoel fans:
“We weren’t going to let them influence the game. It’s part of the match, the fans and crowd and soon enough the players will be on the first teams where it is also part of the match.”

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 3-1 Hapoel “Nisanov” Tel Aviv
The Club’s Under-19 team won the Derby on Matchday 6 as Tomer Altman (p), Fadi Najar and Netanel Peretz all scored. Guy Tzarfati’s squad won their second straight and sit in 5th place just five points off the top of the table. For the highlights and match report click here.

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv 2:1 SC Ironi Ashdod
After a month long break, the Under-17 side got back to action with 3 points and a win on Matchday 6. Maccabi “Oded” is the league’s only team that hasn’t dropped a point as they currently find themselves in 1st place.

Head Coach Eliezer Ben Aharon summed up the match: “We came back after a month and it felt like the first match of the season. Our players controlled the pace for the majority of the match against Ashdod but we were missing certain parts of our game on an individual and team level. We have to know how to kill the game earlier on once we are in the lead and when we are in control. The goals we scored were the direct result of practicing them during our training sessions and sometimes it looks exactly like how we did it in training, it’s a great feeling that this is part of the game and the win. We’re now onto the next match and we went to continue to improve as always!”

Hapoel “Rami” Tel Aviv 1:1 Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv
The Under-15 South squad came home from Wolfson with a Derby draw on Matchday 5. The young Yellow & Blue are still undefeated and are in 2nd place with the same number of points as the first place side. Oscar Gloch was the goal scorer. Head Coach Ori David discussed the match that was: “We clearly controlled the play for most of the match and we had numerous chances in front of the opponent’s goal, but unfortunately we were unable to take the win. I’m happy with the performance and how they have been advancing and improving.”

Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv 1:1 Maccabi Petah Tikva “Yehuda Partush”
On Matchday 5 of the league, the Under-15 North team recorded a draw at home. The young Yellow & Blue are undefeated as they are in 4th place, 2 points off the top of the table. Sivan Gafni was the goal scorer as Head Coach Asaf Heber summed up the contest: “These were two very good clubs and it was an even game. We scored in the 50th minute but we weren’t able to take advantage of our other chances to kill the game. It’s disappointing to give up a goal in the final minutes but the guys are continuing to improve in training and I’m optimistic.”

Beitar Ironi Maale Adumim “Tzav Pius” – Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv, Toto Stadium Maale Adumim Sunday 19:45
The Under-16 team plays in Maale Adumim on Matchday 7 as they enter the contest in 6th place with 3 wins and 3 draws. The last place side is winless so far this season.

Prematch
Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv hosted Hapoel Tel Aviv in a Matchday 6 Derby at the Toto Ramle Stadium. The U19’s came into the contest in 6th place on the table after defeating Bnei Sakhnin last week while Hapoel entered the match after two straight losses and in 11th place. Head Coach Guy Tzarfati’s Starting XI included Daniel Peretz, Ran Vaturi, Amit Glezer, Fadi Najar, Tomer Mahlouf, Eden Kartsev, Mufleh Shalata, Tomer Altman, Adir Hardon, Prince Thomas and Eyal Hen.

First Half
The match began in perfect fashion for the Yellow & Blue as they received a penalty in the 2’ after a Red’s handball in the box. Altman beat the keeper to give Maccabi a quick 1:0 advantage. Three minutes later, the visitors had a dangerous chance via Benny Tredovsky who was alone in the box but Peretz made the stop. In the 12’ Thomas sent a ball to Hen but his attempt was caught by the Red’s keeper.

In the 21’, Maccabi almost doubled their lead when Hardon had a one-on-one situation in the area, but the keeper blocked the ball for a corner. However on the ensuing corner, the Red’s shot stopper wasn’t able to make the stop after Najar headed it into the goal for a 2:0 advantage. Eight minutes later Ovadia Ofer tried his luck in the Maccabi box and hit the bar, but Hapoel then found the back of the goal thanks to Tredovsky who cut the Yellow & Blue lead to 2:1. The same Tredovsky tried to draw even in the 38’ but Peretz made the save as Maccabi took the one goal advantage into the break.

Second Half
Maccabi looked to add to their total and in the 50’ Hen passed the ball to Thomas but the keeper made the stop while 8 minutes later Peretz made a save on a dangerous Hapoel free kick to keep the score as is.

In the 65’ Ofer’s long attempt for the Reds hit the bar and went out and in the 73’ Altman’s ball found Omer Berami who came in as a substitute, but his shot just grazed the post. Eylon Almog also came into the match and had a chance in the 82’ but his opportunity went wide of the goal, while 7 minutes later Berami took control of the ball in the box but his shot was stopped by the keeper.

With Maccabi pressing for a 3rd goal Thomas almost found it in the 92’ minute but his ball went out, however 2 minutes later the Yellow & Blue’s hard work paid off. Netanel Peretz who also came on as a substitute was alone in front of the Hapoel goal and put a scorcher into it for a 3:1 Maccabi win.

A Derby, no matter where in the world, is always one of the highlights of the season and the Club’s Under-19 side, Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv will host Hapoel Tel Aviv in the first Tel Aviv Derby of the campaign at the Toto Ramle Stadium at 11:45 on Saturday. Just ahead of the contest, let’s take a look back at some of the great Derbies of the past decade to get ready for this season’s first edition.

Please note: Admission to the Derby will be by ticket only. There will be no ticket distribution on Matchday at the Stadium Box Office.

Over the past ten years there have been 22 Derbies between the Youth teams with the record standing at 10 Maccabi wins, 7 wins for Hapoel and 5 draws. An interesting fact in the series to date is that the Yellow & Blue have collected more points away with 21 compared to 14 at home.

The biggest Maccabi “Shachar” Derby win took place in the 2014/15 season when the Yellow & Blue hosted Hapoel at Bloomfield Stadium with Ziv Arie on the sidelines in the championship season. The Under-19’s took care of the Reds 4:0 with Yonatan Cohen scoring a brace while Stav Ben Aharon and Sohil Armeli each added single markers.

Over the past decade the young Yellow & Blue had a few lethal goal scorers in the Derby including:
Yonatan Cohen – The striker who wore the Maccabi kit between 2013/15 scored 4 goals in 5 matches.
Gael Margulies – Between 2011-2013 the Maccabi “Shachar” striker found the back of the goal 3 times in 5 contests.
Eylon Almog – The current Under-19 striker who has played Hapoel 4 times and recorded 3 goals will look to add to his count on Saturday after making his senior team debut against Bnei Yehuda on Thursday night in the Toto Cup semifinals.

Check out the brand new Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy Instagram Account!

Interestingly enough the 88th minute of Derby matches has been when the Yellow & Blue have scored the most goals.

The most goals scored in the Derby by one player has been two by the following: Yonatan Cohen (14/15), Dor J’an (13/14), Matan Hozez (13/14), Eliel Peretz (13/14).

The longest streak without a Derby loss was 7 matches between the 2009/10 to 2011/12 seasons, 3 years in total during a very good period for the young Yellow & Blue. The club took home the Double in 2010/11 when they defeated their city rivals in the State Cup Round of 16 while in 2011/12 the U19’s won the league title.

Last season under the tutelage of Guy Tzarfati, Maccabi “Shachar” won all of their Derby matches and will look to take home 3 points this Saturday as well.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv – Hapoel “Nisanov” Tel Aviv, Ramle 11:45
The Under-19 squad faces the Reds on Matchday 6 of the Youth Premier League. The Yellow & Blue sit in 6th place on the table after an away win at Sakhnin while Hapoel are in 11th place after two straight losses.

Please note: A ticket will need to be presented in enter the match. Tickets will not be distributed on Matchday at the stadium box office.

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv – SC Ashdod Kiryat Shalom 11:00
After a month long break, the Club’s Under-17 side is back in action, as they enter Matchday 5 in 2nd place with a perfect record of four wins good for 12 points to go along with 14 goals for and 2 against. Ashdod enters the contest winless over the last two Matchdays and are in 6th place. Eliezer Ben Aharon’s squad will look to continue the positive momentum.

Beitar Ironi Maale Adumim “Tzav Pius” – Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv, Toto Stadium Maale Adumim Sunday 19:45
The Under-16 team plays in Maale Adumim on Matchday 7 as they enter the contest in 6th place with 3 wins and 3 draws. The last place side is winless so far this season.

Hapoel “Rami” Tel Aviv – Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv, Wolfson 10:30
With 4 victories in as many matches, the Under-15 South club gets ready for an away Derby at Wolfson on Matchday 5. The young Yellow & Blue are in first place and will look to continue on the winning track as they face the 3rd place side who are undefeated.

Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv – Maccabi “Yehuda Partush” Petah Tikva, Kiryat Shalom Synthetic 08:30
Matchday 5 pits two teams that are perfect so far this season, each with 12 points as Maccabi will try to keep up their quality play.

This Saturday, the Youth Premier League Derby will take place at the Ramle Stadium, 11:45 and there will be an increased police and security presence.

Tickets will be needed to attend the match and are available at the Youth Department office at Kiryat Shalom on Tuesday and Wednesday between 14:00-18:00 and Thursday 09:00-12:00. (The visiting club’s tickets have been transferred directly to the club.)

As per the Ramle Police: Tickets will not be distributed on Matchday at the stadium box office. Exiting the stadium will not permitted during the match.

Fans who are not in their designated sections will be escorted outside of the stadium premises.

Bnei Sakhnin 1:4 Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv
The Under-19 side recorded an important away win on Matchday 5 of the Youth Premier League. Eden Kartsev, Eylon Almog, Eyal Hen all scored for the Yellow & Blue. Head Coach Guy Tzarfati summed up the victory: “This was a good win at one of the toughest away pitches in the country. We were able to take advantage of our opportunities and that was key for us this match. Now we’re looking ahead to next week’s Derby.” For the full match report click here.

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv 1:2 Maccabi “Goldshenfeld” Haifa
After a win last week, the Under-16 squad fell to their rivals from the Carmel on Matchday 6. Nehorai Biton scores for the young Yellow & Blue. Head Coach Raymond Atteveld spoke about the contest: “We weren’t alert enough at the start of the game and that cost us a goal. After the goal we were able to control the pace of the game which was played at a high level and we created many chances. We were able to score the tying goal but we had to score more with the opportunities that we had. In fact, on one of the attacks that we had where we didn’t score, eventually led to a counter attack by Haifa. We made a number of mistakes in our decisions that led to the goal that we gave up. We have some important lessons to learn from the match today in terms of focusing and concentrating right from the beginning of the game. The second thing that we need to improve is how we take advantage of our chances in front of the goal. I feel that the team is getting more and more fit and will play even better as time goes by. There’s still what to improve on the defensive side of the game and to be less naive. All in all the players will learn and continue to develop from this match as good players are ones who make fewer mistakes.”

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv 3:0 Sektzia Nes Ziona
The Under-15 South Team continued their winning ways as they convincingly defeated Nes Ziona. The young Yellow & Blue controlled the match just as they have in all four of their games, Ariel Belhason. Ener Osmandi and Elad Kaplan scored. Head Coach Ori David summed up the contest: “The match was good for the most part but we lacked some finishing, but the pace of the game was fine and I am continuing to see improvement from match to match due to our quality training sessions over the course of the week.”

Maccabi “Rafael” Netanya 1:3 Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv
Matchday 4 saw the Under-15 North side pick up yet another win. This time the young Yellow & Blue handed Netanya their first league loss thanks to goals by Omer Senior with a brace and Aviv Peles. Asaf Heber, the Head Coach spoke about the match that was: “We visited a tough pitch against a very good opponent and the squad did what we worked on all week during practice. Even when our opponent came back at the start of the second half, we didn’t stop playing and we pushed forward in order to regain the lead. Congratulations to the guys.”