Yellow & Blue midfielder Dan Glazer spoke ahead of Sunday’s Toto Cup Derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv at the Netanya Stadium (21:00)

“It will be a very interesting matchup as it’s the first Derby in a year and it’s a very important game for the players, the fans and I hope that we will play well and win.”

Missing the Derby:
“It’s a very important match for the Club and during the week leading up to the match there is also a special feeling at the training sessions. I hope that the crowd will come and give us a positive environment to win the game. We’ve missed the Derby.”

Derbies of the past and present:
“I played Derbies at Wolfson, Kiryat Shalom and Ramle and now it will be Netanya. We said at the beginning of the season that winning the Toto Cup was one of our goals and it’s an important title for us. We want to win and move on to the Final.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC and Hapoel Haifa reached an agreement for the sale of 23-year-old defender Sean Goldberg.

Goldberg, who is a product of Maccabi’s Youth Department, made 13 competitive appearances for the senior side since making his debut back in 2014. After making a single competitive appearance for Maccabi this season playing the full 90 minutes against Beitar Jerusalem in the Toto Cup, Goldberg, will join Hapoel Haifa on a permanent basis after spending loan periods with Beitar Jerusalem, Bnei Yehuda and Hapoel Tel Aviv.  

Maccabi’s CEO, Ben Mansford, told the club’s official website: “Sean has been a true professional and a pleasure to have at Maccabi since the day he joined the Club’s Youth Department. Sean has progressed to become a proven Premier League performer and with that comes a desire to play regularly. Therefore, Sean and the Club decided now was the right time for him to leave permanently for a new challenge. Everyone at the Club wishes Sean all the very best for the future”.

Goldberg, added: “After 15 years at Maccabi Tel Aviv the club I grew up and was educated at, today I begin a new chapter in my career. I would like to thank Maccabi for all those years and a special thanks to Ben Mansford for the treatment and the assistance. I wish all of us good luck for the future”. 

In August 2014, Goldberg made his senior debut in the Toto Cup against Maccabi Netanya and recorded his league debut against Hapoel Acco in October but after two State Cup appearances later that year, he joined Hapoel Tel Aviv on a six-month loan deal. Goldberg then joined Bnei Yehuda in 2015/16 on loan for two seasons at the end of which he won the State Cup at the end of a penalty shoot-out victory over Maccabi at Teddy stadium. Last season Goldberg made 4 appearances for Maccabi in the Toto Cup before joining Beitar Jerusalem on loan, but despite reaching the State Cup final for the second season in succession, ended the match on the losing side to the club he now joins – Hapoel Haifa.

Omer Atzily, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s midfielder spoke about his side’s 2:1 win over Pyunik from Armenia in the second leg of Third Round Qualifying at the Netanya Stadium:

“We didn’t begin the match well and we gave up a goal but we’re happy that we were able to comeback and take the pressure off of us. After the Hapoel Tel Aviv contest we will start preparing for the first leg of the Playoff Round.”

Showing character:
“We were panicking but we also weren’t expecting to give up an early goal where we had to comeback but we showed a tremendous amount of character and moved on.”

The matches against Pyunik:
“We showed that we were the better team across the two legged tie and we had plenty of chances. If we would have scored more goals, the results would have been better but there are many surprises in Europe of late and we’re content that we did what we needed to.”

About his play:
“I’m happy to play just like anyone as there isn’t any better feeling than getting onto the pitch. I believe that once I score a goal that will open the way for others, but all in all I feel good and have been playing well.”

The upcoming Derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv:
“A Derby is a Derby. I still haven’t even showered after playing this match, so I’ll do that, celebrate a bit and begin preparing for Hapoel tomorrow.”

Dor Micha took questions from the assembled media following the Yellow and Blue’s 2:1 victory over Pyunik.

On the game:

“We made it tough on ourselves and it wasn’t easy. But with the help of the fans we made it through to the next round and achieved our target.”

Scoring a goal:

“I always try to score as much as possible, today I got into some good positions and I was able to score one. I am really trying to improve on my finishing.”

About the squad’s potential:

“I think we have a lot of potential and ability, but I believe we are far from the final product as to where we want to be.. We are now going into a very critical time for the club and we need to be organized and ready.”

The last Israeli team in Europe:

“For Israeli football we want everyone to progress, but for us we will do everything we can to qualify for the group stage. We have to look at ourselves and improve what we can.”

Vladimir Ivic addressed the media following the 2:1 victory against Pyunik in
Netanya, Israel in the second leg of third round of Europa League qualifying:
“It was a tough game, against a team who is organized and play direct football and counter attack. We lost confidence after conceding the goal but we created a lot of chances and scored two goals in the second half. We must have more concentration for the entire game.”

 

On Maccabi’s Performance:

“We want to be dominant for all 90 minutes but we aren’t there yet. We are still at the beginning stages, and we know what we have to improve. We work every day and have good professional guys who try to understand our demands..”

Shechter’s play:

“We know Shechter is one of the best strikers in Israel. He came off the bench and worked for the team. He is a very good professional.”

Goal on a set piece:

“To be honest, we work a lot on set pieces on the training ground. The goal itself was made by the players’ decision during the game, and they took responsibility and scored.”

On being the last Israeli team in Europe:

“This is not good for Israeli football, I would want every team to progress, but now we are focused on Sunday and then we can begin to prepare for the next game.”

 

After Maccabi Tel Aviv drew with Pyunik 0:0 in the first leg of Third Round Europa League Qualifying in Yerevan, Armenia, the decisive return match took place this evening at the Netanya stadium.

Maccabi were thrilled to welcome 150 children from the Gaza Periphery, who made the long journey, thanks to Maccabi’s Tel Aviv partners, Bon Tour, which provided the transportation while sponsor Pizza Prego made sure that everyone had dinner to accompany the match for the guests.

Head Coach Vladimir Ivic’s Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajkovic, Eli Dasa, Eitan Tibi, Jair Amador, Enric Saborit, Dor Peretz, Ruslan Barsky, Dor Micha (C), Eliran Atar, Omer Atzily and Vidar Kjartansson.

Available on the bench were keeper Haviv Ohayon, Eyal Golasa, Dan Glazer, Sheran Yeini, Matan ozez, Aaron Schoenfeld, Itay Shechter.

First Half

Pyunik took the early lead in the 10’, when Denis Voynov ran through on goal past Eitan Tibi and scored with a clinical finish as he hit the post and the ball rolled into Maccabi’s goal. After much appeal from the Maccabi’s players about a potential offside ruling the goal stood.

Maccbai were given space to create chances and in the 21^” Omer Atzily tested the Pyunik keeper with a quick shot from outside the box, the shot stopper made the timely save as he dove to his right while the clearance was completed by the Pyunik defenders. 

Maccabi had a chance on the stroke of halftime from an Eli Dasa cross that was put over the bar by an Enric Saborit header. Maccabi found themselves frustrated with a tough task ahead in the second half, down 1:0 with the need to score two goals to qualify for the Playoff Round.

Second Half

Itay Shecter came on for Vidar Kjartansson before the second half began, in an attempt to give Maccabi a boost, and he did just that by testing the Pyunik goal in the 47’ with nice shot on the turn, that was pushed away for a corner kick.

In a great spell of passing, Shechter spread a fine ball out into the path of Eli Dasa, who whipped in a great cross on the ground for Shecter who passed the ball off, while receiving a challenge, to Dor Micha who swept it into the back of the net on his left foot to score the equalizing goal in the 54’. 

Maccabi found themselves with plenty of chances, in the 65^’ Omer Atzily had a strike deflected back to him outside the box and hit the ball while on the ground, directly at the Pyunik Keeper.

In the 67’ Maccabi took one of these chances quite ruthlessly with a routine right off the training ground. Eliran Atar played a quick give and go from the corner flag and stroke the ball with tremendous power, that took two deflections and still found its way into the back of the net good for a 2:1 advantage.

In the 81’ Eliran Atar had a thunderous strike denied by the Pyunik crossbar and after 5 minutes of stoppage time, Maccabi heard the referee’s final whistle as the Yellow & Blue advanced to the Playoff Round of the UEFA Europa League.

Matan Baltaxa, 22, has joined Bnei Yehuda on a season long loan-deal after an agreement was reached between the two clubs.