This coming Saturday the First Team will be getting ready for the Israeli Classico against Haifa on Sunday, but the fans can get their football fill on Saturday when the youth team, Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv visits the Wolfson Training Facility to take on Hapoel Tel Aviv in a Derby matchup at 12:00.

Ziv Arie’s side has already experienced many types of games and his team knows exactly what the importance of this week’s Derby is: “Every coach including myself likes to say the the Derby is just another game, but it isn’t just any other match. It may not be the First Team but nonetheless it’s still a Derby. There won’t be much difference in the preparations other than we will focus on Hapoel. Last year we took two big hits from the Derbies and it’s still on my mind. I’m positive the players will come into the match full force and whoever will concentrate on the small details will win.”

Arie’s team is still a way off from where he would like to see it: “I can’t deny that we may not be fighting for the title right now, which is something that the Maccabi Tel Aviv youth clubs always aim for. It sounds like a cliche but we are a young team and things take time, perhaps even longer than we thought. We had a nice winning streak that was broken by Raanana and this past Saturday we had a good win against Tobruk where we played much better, especially in the first half. We controlled the ball well and had a number of chances, but it still wasn’t an easy win. This may continue until our youngsters upfront improve game by game.”

Head Coach Ziv Arie started 3 central defenders as Bar Galili who had played all three matches for the Israel National Team in the winter tournament, joined Nadav Amran and Ran Vaturi in the back.Ofri Mashta also made his first start for the Yellow-and-Blue.

The first half came down to tactics with Maccabi controlling the ball for the majority of the opening 45 minutes but couldn’t find a way to break through the stingy Raanana defense. In fact the hosts came closer to scoring when their effort went off of the Maccabi goal post and out to keep the match goalless at the break.

Arie made a pair of substitutions to open the second half with Eylon Almog and Or Dasa entering the match in place of Nadav Amran and Ofri Mashta. Eleven minutes into the second frame Omri Altman had a chance for the visitors, however the Raanana keeper was in place to make the save.

Omer Sade gave the hosts a 1:0 lead in the 60th minute beating Haviv Ohayon in the box. Six minutes later Arie made an additional substitution introducing Dor Galili for Ran Vaturi looking for the equalizer. But in the 83rd minute Bakary Sanyang doubled the Raanana lead capitalizing on a Maccabi defensive error as the hosts collected the 3-points and the 2:0 win.

 Hapoel “Roie” Raanana 2:0 Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv

Following three straight victories, Ziv Arie’s side visited Hapoel Raanana and fell 2:0 to the Sharon club. The Yellow-and-Blue gave up an early second half goal and an additional goal later in the half in the 2:0 loss.

Hapoel “Tzachi” Tel Aviv 1:3 Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv

Ori Uzan and Leon Asraf’s side took part in a Tel Aviv Derby at the Wolfson training facility and by half time already led 3:0. A 33rd minute goal by Neil Goldberg, a 35th minute strike by Ron Zamir and a 38th minute goal by Netanel Peretz sewed up the victory within a five minute period. With the win, Maccabi “Oded” still remains atop the Under-17 table.

Hapoel “Emmanuel” Petach Tikva 0:3 Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv

The Under-16 team played away at Sirkin in Petach Tikva and impressed with a 3:0 shutout victory. Yunes Garabin, Idan Zioni and Eyal Chen scored for the young Yellow-and-Blue as the side is tied on points for first place with S.C. Ashdod, but have a better goal differential by almost double.

Beitar “Gady” Jerusalem 1:1 Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv

Erez Belfer’s club was unable to continue the streak of wins that began at the start of the season, drawing against the capital city side at Bayit Vegan. Gil Ben Shalosh scored for Maccabi to earn his side a point.

Maccabi “Hadar” Herzliya 0:5 Maccabi “Team 2” Tel Aviv

Maccabi’s second Under-15 team continued its fine form with a 5:0 win in Herzliya. Goal scorers for Ran Elias’s team included Elad Bracha, Dan Lugassi, Oz Biluy and Guy Mizrachi with a brace.

 

 Hapoel “Roie” Raanana – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv, 12:00, Raanana

Ziv Arie’s team has won three matches in a row and will look to keep up the momentum against Raanana this Saturday. The Sharon side finds itself two places beneath Maccabi on the table with only three points separating the clubs.

Hapoel “Tzachi” Tel Aviv – Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv, 10:30, Wolfson Training Facility

An Under-17 Derby! Ori Uzan and Leon Asraf’s team will visit the Reds training facility to face off against their city rivals. Uzan’s Yellow-and-Blue side find themselves in first place with Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel nipping at their heels.

Hapoel “Emmanuel” Petach Tikva – Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv, 08:30, Sirkin Petach Tikva

The Under-16 team made its way into first place two Matchdays ago and this coming Saturday will look to extend their lead when they visit Hapoel Petach Tikva. Eliezer Ben Aharon’s side will definitely gain some points as their two closet rivals SC Ashdod and Hapoel Tel Aviv will be facing each other this weekend as well.

Beitar “Gady” Jerusalem – Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv, 09:00, Bayit Vegan

Featuring a perfect record since the opening of the season, Erez Belfer’s team will visit the capital city to take on Beitar Jerusalem.

Maccabi “Hadar” Herzliya – Maccabi “Team 2” Tel Aviv, 12:30, Herzliya Training Sector

Ran Elias’s club will look to get back on the winning track when they play away at Herzliya on Matchday 9 of the Sharon Under-15 League.

 

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv finished their Champions League Youth League campaign and can now focus solely on the domestic league. Currently the Under-19 side is running on all cylinders winning three in a row after defeating Maccabi Petach Tikva 2:0 at home at Ramle Stadium. Ziv Arie summed up the young Yellow-and-Blue’s third straight win:

“I’m not completely satisfied. We controlled the first half but we lost too many balls and gave up to many fouls. We were leading 2:0 in the second half and our lives should have been much easier. We haven’t given up a goal in the past three matches and we are improving, but nonetheless we can do much more, however we’re still in the process of doing so.”

On getting closer to the top of the table:

“The kids are intelligent, they are working hard and are doing what we want them to. A month ago we didn’t talk about heading to the top of the table and we’re not going to do that now. We are a very young team who are still recovering from the Champions League and the player who scored a brace today is in fact an Under-16 aged player. We’re a going from match to match and of course we want to be leading the league. If we continue along this path and continue to improve then there’s no reason why we won’t be there.”

Next week against Raanana:

“Raanana is definitely not an easy match. Their side is almost like the first team and they play a suffocating defense. It won’t be easy and we will prepare all week just like we do for every other match. If we do everything correctly then we will win that game as well.”

Comments about the winter tournament:

“Four of the players weren’t in the starting lineup. Bar Galili wasn’t in our squad and I prayed he would not get injured after playing 90 minutes in all three matches. We made a decision and didn’t want to take a risk. We have a good and balanced squad, not yet at last year’s level but on the way. Amit Shapira started today and was very good as was Lazar Durovic. We have a lots for good players.”

Ran Vaturi helped his side keep a clean sheet and spoke about that and about the number of players that were on the National Team side:

“It’s flattering to have so many representatives on the National Team. While the preparation for this match wasn’t ideal we worked hard to improve, listened to the coach’s instructions and came into the game ready.”

About the amount of matches Bar Galili played:

“Bar Galili is an excellent central defender just as the rest of our squad here at Maccabi and we are doing a lot of good work together. Petach Tikva didn’t come to close up but we came prepared. I’m happy we took the points.”

On the club’s third win in a row:

“You can say we are continuing to gain momentum. We’re not looking at the past but each match one at a time. I’m happy that our development is showing in the results.”

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv’s starting lineup reflected the fact that a number of players had been part of the Under-18 side in this past week’s winter tournament. Haviv Ohayon was the only player of the five who were in the squad that opened for the club against Petach Tikva.

The Yellow-and-Blue’s first chance came in the 20th minute when Amit Shapira received a terrific cross field pass and entered the attacking area. The midfielder then gave the ball off to striker Lazar Durovic who waited to pass it to Kanichowsky who took the tough angled shot that eventually went out. Five minutes later Idan Binyamin had a wonderful chance in the Maccabi box but Ohayon was in the right place to grab the effort.

The hosts continued to look for a goal and finally took a 1:0 lead in the 26th minute. Amit Rosenboim lifted the ball to Shapira who headed it back to Eden Kartzev who drilled it into the Petach Tikva goal.

In the 35th minute Shapira had a chance to double the score as he got by his defender on the right side but his effort was batted away by keeper Itay Shmuel. The half came to an end as captain Dan Glazer picked up a 44th minute yellow card.

The Yellow-and-Blue goal scorer, Kartzev picked up a yellow card of his own in the 53rd minute when he fouled the opposition’s central defender. Ziv Arie then made a pair of substitutions bringing in Or Dasa and Mahmoud Al Awesat for Eylon Almog and Lazar Durovic. Just a few minutes later Maccabi added to their lead when Kanichowsky was fouled in the box good for a penalty that Kartzev converted for a brace and a 2:0 advantage.

In the 63rd minute Kartzev exited the match and Tomer Altman who played all three National Team games earlier in the week took his place while Dor Galili who just returned from army duty replaced Shapira. For the remaining minutes of the match end to end play was on the menu but no real opportunities materialized. In the 79th minute, Galili’s 20 meter effort would go wide and Glazer’s chance also didn’t find its target while Kanichowsky’s hard shot was sent out for a corner by the Petach Tikva keeper. Rany Hamzey entered the match near it’s end to earn his first minutes of the year.