Impressive and extraordinary saves in goal, lead to your accolades. After an excellent start to the season, you voted for Daniel Peretz as the B.S.R September Player of the Month.

Besides the goalkeeper who captured top spot, you were also impressed by last month’s performances of Stipe Perica, Gabi Kanichowsky and Ofir Davidzada who gave Peretz a decent fight and finished in the corresponding positions.

Voted for Peretz? Now you deserve the bit you have been waiting for

At 17:00 today (Tuesday) you should receive a text message (SMS) with the prize question. Whoever answers first wins an official signed shirt by our Player of the Month Daniel Peretz  as well as an official Maccabi scarf.

     

 

 

 

October 4^th – Octoiber 15^th International break

The 1-0 victory over Hapoel Jerusalem sent us to a two-week international break during which the Israel national team faces Scotland in Glasgow (9.10) and Moldova (12.10) at Turner stadium as part of the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign. Dan Glazer, Ofir Davidzada, and Idan Nachmias were joined by two debutants in Eden Shamir and Daniel Peretz. Ronen Hanzis and Ido Shahar were both named in Israel Under 21’s squad that plays two crucial matches against Germany’s U21 (7/10) in Paderborn and Latvia (12.10).

Eduardo Guerrero was named in the Panama national squad for the World Cup qualifying matches against El Salvador (8.10) in San Salvadaor, United States (11.10) in Panama City and Canada (14.10) in Toronto’s BMO Field.

Brandley Kuwas was called up to the Curacao national team that plays two friendly matches against Bahrain (6.10) in Riffa and New Zealand (9.10) in Arad.

Saturday October 16^th: Maccabi Netanya vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (Netanya at 20:30).

Maccabi’s first test after the international break will be the sixth league round away to Maccabi Netanya. Maccabi will aim to continue the momentum as the face the side that recently appointed Benny Lam as coach.

Thursday October 21^st : HJK Helsinki vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (Bolt Arena, 17:30).

With four points from the opening 2 matches Maccabi continue their Conference League journey with a long trip to Finland against the local champions. HJK began the group stage with a 2-0 defeat to LASK on MD1 followed by a 4-2 victory over Alashkert in Armenia.   

Monday October 25^th : Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Ashdod (Bloomfield, 20:15).

Maccabi return to Bloomfield stadium and host Ashdod for the seventh league round. In the five league matches played until the international break, Ashdod recorded one victory and four defeats.

Saturday October 30^th:  Ironi Kiryat Shmona vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (Kiryat Shmona, 17:30)

The busy October schedule reach an end with another long trip, as Maccabi face Ironi Kiryat Shmona for the eighth league round.

  

Pre Match

Three days after the Conference League 1-1 draw against LASK in Klagenfurt, Maccabi put aside the European campaign and turned attention to the league. After an indifferent start that saw them record only a single defeat from their opening four league matches, Maccabi hosted Hapoel Jerusalem at Bloomfield stadium. Maccabi’s coach Patrick van Leeuwen made three changes to the starting line-up that salvaged a point in Austria, but also made two more changes within the team.

Daniel Peretz, kept his place in goal while Sheran Yeini replaced Shahar Piven and dropped from the heart midfield to the central defender role. Other than that the defnce remained unchanged with Luis Hernandez partnering Yeini while Andre Geraldes and Ofir Davidzada completed the back four on the right and left respectively. Eden Shamir, who made a substitute appearance in Austria and scored the late equaliser against LASK replaced Yeini in midfield. Dan Glazer remained in his anchorman role, while Gabi Kanichowsky also changed his position from a winger to the attacking midfielder at the expense of Dan Biton. With Kanichowsky spearheading the midfield trio and Brandley Kuwas waiting for his chance on the bench, Matan Hozez and Eduardo Guerrero were both named as the two wingers in support of Stipe Perica.

Idan Nachmias, Maor Kandil and Tal Ben Chaim who are all nursing injuries were left out of the squad. Van Leeuwen received a boost however following the return to fitness of Eyal Golasa who recovered from a knee injury that sidelined him for six months as well as Enric Saborit who was out for a month – naming the duo amongst the substitutes.

First Half

Maccabi had the ball in the back of the net after four minutes as Stipe Perica fed Eduardo Guerrero before the Panamanian blasted a shot into the that was too powerful for Adebayo Adeleye. But Guerrero’s celebrations were shortlived as the goal was disallowed for offside and even VAR didn’t help. Maccabi continued to dominate as two minutes later, Matan Hozez sent a shot that Adebayo caught while in the 10th minute Guerrero curled a powerful drive that narrowly missed the target.

The longer the match progressed Hapoel Jerusalem began to get into the game as the visitors sent two headers wide of Daniel Peretz’s goal. Right on the half hour mark Jerusalem failed to clear a long Luis Hernandez throw in which fell to Gabi Kanichowsky whose volley was parried by Adeleye before Perica couldn’t reach the rebound.

Hozez became the first player to go into the book of referee Snir Levi for a high tackle on a Jerusalem defender in the 34th minute. Kanichowsky blasted a right foot shot from the edge of the area that cleared the crossbar in the 41st minute.

Second Half

With no goals before the end of the half, both coaches made one change at halftime replacing their strikers as Patrick van Leeuwen introduced Osama Khalaila for Perica while his counterpart Ziv Ariye sent in Ben Meizan for Idan Shemesh.

Van Leeuwen made his second change in the 52nd minute as the tired Kanichowsky was replaced by Dan Biton. An Ofir Davidzada dangerous cross from the left in the 58th minute was knocked down by Guerrero into the path of Khalaila whose attempt of an overhead bicycle kick rocketed high over the crossbar.

Davidzada tried to shoot himself in the 62nd minute but the left back on his weak right foot, sent his effort wide of the post. Maccabi continued to press Jerusalem into their penalty box as a minute later, Khalaila blasted a half volley high into the stand.

Hozez tried a shot in the 66th minute that deflected off a Jerusalem defender forcing Adeleye to jump and push that ball that threatened to go in. This was Hozez’s final contribution on the night as he was replaced by Brandley Kuwas two minutes later.

Another Hernandez throw in was flicked by Khalaila but Guerrero sent his volley wide on 74.

Three minutes later ar the opposite end Ahmed Salman forced Daniel Peretz to make his first save to keep out the Jerusalem striker’s shot. The majority of the 14,587 fans at Bloomfield were on their feet cheering as they welcomed back Eyal Golasa who was introduced for Eden Shamir on 79 while Enric Saborit came in for Davidzada.

Biton had a left foot shot deflected for a corner in the 84th and from the resulting corner Maccabi finally broke the deadlock. Brandley Kuwas found Guerrero unmarked in the area before the Panamanian beat Adeleye with a powerful low drive that found the bottom far corner.

Golasa could have completed a perfect comeback as inside injury time he broke half the length of the pitch but sent his shot agonisingly wide of the target.

“It is exciting to be back, now I hope to be always on the pitch. I always want to play and be on the pitch, sometimes there is bad luck but this is part or the profession and one has to deal with it” Golasa said after the match. “It was tough for me to be sidelined for so long but I am delighted to be back, the fans gave me a warm welcome that left me speechless”.

On the team’s performance on the night the 29-year-old midfielder said: “Things don’t work out they way we want it to be. Today we started the match well, we dominated the tempo and reached goalscoring opportunities but that isn’t enough. We have the international break now, we will improve what needs to be done and I hope that after the break we will return better”.

Seventy league matches throughout history took place between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem. Maccabi won 42 Jerusalem won 16 and 12 matches ended in draws with a goal tally of 127-66.

The last league encounter between the two sides took place at Teddy stadium in March 2000 as Maccabi recorded a 4-2 victory. David Revivo, Liron Basis, Avi Nimni and Felix Halfon scored Maccabi’s goals on the night.

Since then the teams had met on three different occasions – twice in the State Cup as Maccabi won 2-1 in the round of 16 in 2002 before suffering a first round 1-0 defeat at Teddy in 2012.

Maccabi recorded their highest victory over Hapoel Jerusalem (8-1) almost 30 years ago in the 6^th round of the 1991/92 season on November 2^nd 1991.

This victory was recorded after a poor start to the season during which Maccabi won 2 lost 2 and drawn 1 match. After the match against Jerusalem Maccabi began a run of 13 successive victories on the way to win the championship.

The first league match between Maccabi and Hapoel Jerusalem took place almost 90 years ago (26.12.1931). Maccabi won the match at the YMCA stadium 7-1 to record their second highest victory against the Jerusalem side.

Miko Belo is Maccabi’s appearance record holder against Hapoel Jerusalem with 32 matches.

Avi Nimni and Giyora Spiegel are Maccabi’s leading goal-scorer against Jerusalem with 10 goals each.

 

If you weren’t a Footballer, what would you be?

“I think I would be working in IT. I would have certainly studied something. This is what mostly happens in my family”.

Where will we find you on your free time?

“On my free time I love traveling with my wife and daughter. To do things together with both of them and experience things”.

What do you like watching on TV?

“My favorite TV program is ‘The Amazing Race’”.

Who or what makes you laugh?

“My wife, she tears me to shreds, as she is one of the funniest women ever”.

What was the prettiest place you had even been at?

“The Maldives. It is an amazing place, houses on the water, islands. This place is really special”.

What was your first position on the pitch?

“I might surprise you but my first position, up until the age of 17, was the midfielder who sits right behind the striker. I was then switched to be a left-back and from then onwards I just continued running down the left flank”.

Who is the best player you played alongside?

“As of now, and up to now, Anthony Nwakeme. He is really a phenomenal player”.

Who is the best player you played against?

“Francisco Roman Alarcon Suarez, commonly known as Isco, of the Spanish national team. He has amazing technique”.

What was your best game so far?

“It took place really recently – playing for the Israel national team against Austria. I made a substitute appearance and played something like 20 minutes, but I felt these were the best moments of my entire career”.