Category: News

Ready for the Playoffs: Maccabi defeats Petah Tikva 2:0

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The Yellow & Blue defeated Maccabi Petah Tikva 2:0 to wrap up the regular season in style. Vidar Kjartansson and Avi Rikan scored first half goals for Maccabi Tel Aviv who will face Hapoel Haifa to open up the Championship Playoffs next week on Matchday 27.

Head coach Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI: Keeper Predrag Rajikovic, Eli Dasa, Yuval Shpungin, Eitan Tibi, Jean-Sylvain Babin, Dor Micha (C), Eyal Golasa, Avi Rikan, Dor Peretz, Nick Blackman, Vidar Kjartansson.

Available on the bench: Keeper Daniel Tenenbaum, Ofir Davidzada, Tal Ben Haim, Barak Itzhaki, Gidi Kanuk, Eliran Atar and Jose Rodriguez.

First Half
Maccabi opened well and looked to have taken a quick lead in the 2’ but Blackman’s attempt was called off by the referee due to a handball. Four minutes later Richard Soma’s free kick from the right of the goal just went wide of the target and in the 8’ the Yellow & Blue had another strike the time by Micha called off due to an offside call.

However, in the 17’ Kjartansson put the ball into the Petah Tikva goal for a 1:0 lead thanks to a Dasa assist from the right wing. Four minutes later Rikan’s chance was saved by the Petah Tikva keeper Ginzburg and in the 23’ a Petah Tikva counter led by Manor Solomon was saved by Rajikovic to keep the score as is. In the 25’ Micha sent the ball into the box to Vidar, who left it for Golasa who in turn handed it off to Blackman but the striker’s attempt was taken care of by Ginzburg.

In the 35’ Rikan came in from the left side and put the ball into the area to Blackman, but his opportunity went wide right and out. With Maccabi looking to add a second goal they would find it right at the stroke of halftime as Rikan’s corner kick rebounded back to him on the left side as he unleashed a masterpiece of a curler that found the top right hand corner of the goal to give the Yellow & Blue a 2:0 lead at the break.

Second Half
The first quarter hour of the second half was played primarily in the midfield as both sides had no clear chances on goal. Rikan was issued a yellow card in the 63’ and was substituted off four minutes later in favor of Jose Rodriguez. In the 68’ Dasa took a magnificent through ball from Micha and had a one on one situation in front of the goal but put the ball just wide right.

Five minutes later Golasa was pulled down in the box good for a penalty, but Blackman couldn’t convert the spot kick as Ginzburg made the save. Rodriguez picked up a yellow card in the 74’ and Gidi Kanuk made his Maccabi debut when he came on for Rikan. A minute later Kanuk was welcomed with a yellow card of his own and Cruyff made the third substitute of the contest as Eliran Atar was introduced in favor of Kjartansson as Maccabi wrapped up the 2:0 win.

It’s going to be hot: The complete Championship Playoff Schedule

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Beitar Jerusalem’s victory over Hapoel Raanana means that Maccabi Tel Aviv will begin the Championship Playoffs in 3rd place and the Matchday schedule is now known. The Yellow & Blue’s first match will be at home against Hapoel Haifa and they will play Hapoel Beer Sheva on April 7th. The following week they’ll head to Teddy for a date with Beitar Jerusalem.

On May 12th Maccabi will visit Turner Stadium in Beer Sheva and just three days later will host Beitar.

Here’s the complete schedule – The home team is listed first:

Matchday 27 – 17.3 Maccabi Tel Aviv – Hapoel Haifa
Matchday 28 – 3.4 Maccabi Netanya – Maccabi Tel Aviv
Matchday 29 – 7.4 Maccabi Tel Aviv – Hapoel Beer Sheva
Matchday 30 – 14.4 Beitar Jerusalem – Maccabi Tel Aviv
Matchday 31 – 21.4 Maccabi Tel Aviv – Bnei Yehuda
Matchday 32 – 28.4 Hapoel Haifa – Maccabi Tel Aviv
Matchday 33 – 5.5 Maccabi Tel Aviv – Maccabi Netanya
Matchday 34 – 12.5 Hapoel Beer Sheva – Maccabi Tel Aviv
Matchday 35 – 15.5 Maccabi Tel Aviv – Beitar Jerusalem
Matchday 36 – 20.5 Bnei Yehuda – Maccabi Tel Aviv
*The exact date and times have not yet been released.

360 Trivia: How much do you know about Eli Dasa

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Stats Talk: Maccabi Petah Tikva

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Not afraid of battles
Petah Tikva may have given up 33 goals this season which ranks them 7th, but the stats tell us that we’re talking about a team that isn’t afraid if battling for the ball. In fact, Petah Tikva is the club with the most battles with roughly 169 per match and win 88 of them for a 52% success rate. Romario Pires and Manor Solomon lead the way as the former who is a defensive midfielder leads the league in defensive battles for the ball with 318 of them, winning 176 for a 55% success rate. Pires also ranks second in the league in tackles with 157, winning 83. On the other side of the pitch, Solomon is 7th in the league in offensive battles going 178/372 and has been involved with the most tackles 228/455. The youngster is also lethal when dribbling, successful in 151 of 256 while Gadi Kinda is in second place with 178 dribbles in total.

Set piece success
Petah Tikva ranks 7th in goals scored this season with 30 and they also sit in 7th place on the league table. To date a third of the goals scored, 10 have come from set piece situations which puts them in 2nd place together with Kiryat Shemona and Maccabi Netanya. Three goals have come off of corners, 2 from direct free kicks, 2 from non-direct free kicks and three via penalty.

Mimer’s club may be experts when it comes to set pieces, but in the case of key passes they are only in 12th place with 9 per match (4.6 accurate). This also effects the amount of attempts on goal as they are in 9th place with 9.9 attempts (3.4 on target). In comparison, Maccabi leads the league with 16.1 attempts per match on average and find the target 5.7 times.

Benayoun is back
At 37 years old, the midfielder moved from Beitar Jerusalem to Maccabi Petah Tikva during the January transfer window and has found the back of the goal 4 times in his last 5 matches. He has scored in every game so far for his new club except for the 3:0 loss to Hapoel Beer Sheva 3 weeks ago. If we tack on his Beitar statistics, Benayoun has scored 7 goals this season and only 8 players have scored more. Lidor Cohen leads Petah Tikva with 7 goals while Manor Solomon leads the team in assists with 5.

State Cup Drama across the Youth Department

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Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv
The Under-19 team was on break this weekend and will get back to action this coming Saturday when they face Maccabi Haifa on Matchday 22 of the Israel Youth Premier League

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv 3:0 Beitar “Oren” Jerusalem
The Under-17 side defeated Jerusalem on Matchday 18 and increased their lead at the top of the table to 15 points. Rave Assayag scored a brace while David Dego also found the back of the goal. Head Coach Eliezer Ben Aharon summed up the win: “Before the game we told the players that we are looking for those who love to win and hate to lose. Only these types of players could make sure the gap after 21 games would be 15 points. After the contest we spoke about our next challenge that lies ahead which is to create an even bigger gap that will be almost impossible to break in the future. We had the upper hand from the get go and we could have even won by a bigger margin. We’re happy and content as to how the players have advanced along with their desire and passion that they have for the game. Next week, we host Beni Sakhnin and we have 6 players who will play on the National Team which warms our hearts and makes us proud as a club.”


Hapoel Beer Sheva 1:0 Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv
The Under-16 squad fell to the southern side in the State Cup Round of 16. The Yellow & Blue went down by a goal although they controlled the pace of play. Head Coach Raymond Atteveld spoke about the match that was: “The match was a challenge for the players and they were excited and were pressured against an opponent who pressed them as well. We didn’t play well at the start of the match and we gave up an early goal in the 2’. After some tactical instruction we began to take control of the play. I don’t like to give the players the answers as to how they should play on the pitch, but rather they should find the way themselves. We continued to improve and we had a number of chances. Unfortunately the opposing keeper made a tremendous amount of stops and if you don’t score you can’t win. We didn’t deserved to win, but that’s football. I hope that they learnt some positive lessons from the game. We don’t like to lose but you have to learn from these types of matches, find the open man and take advantage of our opportunities. This was important lesson and we will continue to work hard as we look ahead.”

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv 5:3 Maccabi “Max” Haifa
The Under-15 team defeated the Greens to advance to the State Cup semifinals. After going down 2:0, Noam Rodik, the young Yellow & Blue keeper saved a penalty and changed the momentum of the match. Rom Gross and Ohad Mizrahi each scored a brace while Elad Kaplan also scored. Ori David, the Head Coach looked back at the win: “There are a lot of good things that we can take away from this match, lots of character, coming back from a deficit and saving a penalty. Of course we have to look to correct the things that didn’t work. Part of the development of the players is to see how they can handle these situations especially for the future and I’m happy that we were able to pass the test. It was also wonderful to see Patrick van Leeuwen and Jordi Cruyff in attendance and that also gave the guys a lot of motivation.”


Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv 2:1 Sekztia Nes Ziona
The Under-15 North club also passed their quarterfinal State Cup test as Asaf Heber’s side went down 1:0 early in the first half but were able to take the draw even before the break on a goal by Kamil Jabara. The contest went into overtime and right before the end of the match, defender Sivan Gafni scored from long distance. Head Coach Asaf Heber discussed the win: “We were drawn against a very tough and determined Nes Ziona team. Everyone was excited and it resulted in us falling behind early on. But just as we’ve seen happen a number of times this season, we woke up after the goal and we began to play our regular style and we were able to find they equalizer while having a number of other chances on their goal. Just as we thought that we were going to head to penalties we scored the winner just before time ran out. I’m proud of the players that worked hard and didn’t give up for a second.”

Yuval Shpungin Speaks to the Under-15 South Team

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The Under-15 South squad had a treat this past week as Yuval Shpungin, the Maccabi Tel Aviv defender took time out of his busy schedule to share his experiences with the Yellow & Blue youth. As part of the Continuing Education Program at the Youth Academy and the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation, the right back was able to discuss his career, what it was like growing up at the Club back then compared to now, what it takes to become a professional footballer while also touching on his time with the Israel National Team and when he played abroad. The youngsters were also able to ask questions and discuss their own development with Shpungin as well.

Blackman: “It’s about playing well as a team”

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Nick Blackman, the Maccabi Tel Aviv winger spoke ahead of his side’s final second round match before heading into the playoff round:

Last match against Ashdod:
“We didn’t score and it’s important as we needed to win. It happens and it was one of those games.”

Different opponents, different style of game:
“Some teams are trying to win the game and some are happy to pick up a point.”

The importance of playing as a team:
“It’s not just about me but the 18 that the manager selects. It’s about playing well as a team. I’m not sure if that’s my best season, but I’m enjoying my football now and if I’m enjoying then I’m happy.”

About Yossi Benayoun:
“He’s someone I looked up to and watched playing in the Premier League. Tomorrow we have to focus on what’s in out control. It’s that simple.”

Cruyff: “We want to finish as the best team in the second round”

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Jordi Cruyff, the Yellow & Blue Head Coach addressed the assembled media at the prematch press conference ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Matchday 26 contest against Maccabi Petah Tikva on Monday night, 21:00 at the Netanya Stadium:

“We need to focus on ourselves. It’s an important game and the last game of the second round. If we win, we will be the best team in the second round and then the playoffs begin.”

Everybody against everybody:
“The highest team in the rankings in the one that has the most points. We want to have the most points and we will play the teams twice in the playoffs. It’s everybody against everybody. We have to just think about ourselves and not listen to anyone else. Just focus on ourselves.”

Giving the most effort:
“We will prepare the best way we can. It can never be that another team will have more effort than us. When you play against a bigger team, they always want to play well.”

Preparing for the playoffs:
“I don’t think it’s about moving up, it’s about winning our game, finishing well and to prepare ourselves for the playoff round. No one has grabbed it and that’s why we all have similar amount of points. We want to have a performance like a couple of weeks ago and not like last week.”

Status of Omer Atzily:
“I never discuss the 18 in the press conference. He has trained 12 times with the team and he has looked better. We shall see.”

Point differential at the top of the table:
“I think it’s very tight, but I suppose other years there was more of a gap. There’s not one clear dominant team and we have all taken points from each other. It’s an important game. We know from last night’s result (Beer Sheva’s victory) is that if we win, there will be less than a one game difference from the top of the table.”

Sometimes there are struggles on the attack:
“Many games we played 0:0 we had more than 20 shots and we couldn’t score. We do have the chances and we don’t score when we have to. That’s football.”

Various systems and tactics on the pitch:
“That’s not the system I believe that Maccabi should build on for years to come, but right now it works. When you have a player like Micha you don’t have a system. If you look at the stats you see he’s played almost everywhere. We try to play the most offensive as we can. We are a bit more compact.”

The defensive side of the squad:
“I like to show loyalty to the players. The defenders have only conceded one goal in the last 6 games.”

About Yossi Benayoun:
“I don’t think anyone’s been able to stop Benayoun in his career. Good player. He wants to play and wants to fight. He will try to do the best against us tomorrow.”

Nick Blackman:
“Players feel comfortable playing with Nick, he’s stronger than most of the defenders and the players feel comfortable paying alongside him.”

Pre & Postgame Shows and LIVE from the Stadium are waiting for you

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Are you looking for someone who will talk about about the Starting XI? You can’t wait for the match to start? Do you want to get the latest news from the pitch leading up to the opening whistle and after the contest?

Pregame Show
Say hello to the brand new program that is waiting for you on the Official Website and App. Beginning 30 minutes before the opening whistle you can listen to all of the analysis, news and views from the stadium on the Pregame Show with Shirly Bar Dayan and Klemi Saban.

LIVE from the Stadium
From the opening whistle right up until the end of the match you can listen to play-by-play on LIVE from the Stadium with Lior Timor and Alon Natan.

What happens at the end of the match?
We won’t leave you alone whether you are traveling home from the stadium or if your at your house. The Postgame Show will provide you with a full analysis of all of the happenings both on and off of the pitch, analysis and more live from the stadium.

How does it work?
Simple. All you have to do is go to the Official Website or App 30 minutes ahead of the opening whistle and you’ll see a microphone icon on the homepage. Click on the microphone and a player will open up and that page will broadcast the Pregame Show, LIVE from the Stadium and Postgame Show.

What happens if the homepage closes? Don’t worry, the broadcast will continue until you close the player page. Enjoy!

Note: All of the programs are in Hebrew.