Yuval Shpungin, Maccabi’s veteran defender spoke about the opportunity to play in the Israel State Cup first leg Quarterfinal action:

“It was fun to be back on the pitch, help the Club after working very hard during training to make sure I’d be ready which is not easy to do when you’re not playing regularly. But I trained very hard both physically and mentally and I did the best that I could to help the club.”

Battling for a position on the squad:

“When a player doesn’t play very often it’s only natural to look at what options are out there, but there really wasn’t anything worthwhile to make me want to leave and not fight for my place. This is my home and I hope that I made the right decision and help the club as much as I can.”

Mentally strong:

“It was a bit on and off, but I’m a professional and there are quality players and a big competition for a place in the squad. You have to be very strong mentally and continue working hard.”

Cup matches as a time for non-regulars to play:

“That’s why he gave some of the players minutes that don’t play that frequently, but he believes in everyone.”

Matchday 22 of the Ligat Ha’Al will see Maccabi Tel Aviv play Maccabi Petach Tikva at the Moshava Stadium. Ticket sales are underway and so is the new points allocation system for away matches.

Season ticket holders must make their purchase with their season ticket number in order to be allocated the points. Non-season ticket holders may earn points by using their USER name when making their purchase in order to accrue points.

Season ticket holders who purchase a ticket will receive 2-points.

Non-season ticket holders receive 1-point.

Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will sit in sections 10-14 (unreserved). Tickets may be purchased via telephone *8780 or 03-524-7373, or via the Leaan Website.

Tickets may be printed at home

Ticket prices:
Leaan Ticket Office 101 Dizengoff Street – 55 NIS

Telephone/Website – 60 NIS

On Matchday should tickets remain – 50 NIS

Ticket Collection

Tickets may be collected at the Leaan Ticket Office located at 101 Dizengoff Street between Sunday-Thursday 09:00-19:00, Friday 09:00-13:30.

Tickets may be collected on Matchday at the Stadium ticket windows beginning 3 hours prior to the match until 45 minutes after the start of the match.

Shura Uvarov, the Yellow & Blue’s current goalkeeping coach and former keeper spoke about his friend, rival and teammate from the days of the former Soviet Union, Viktor Chanov who came to Israel, played for Maccabi Haifa and paved the way for Uvarov to come to the country as well :

“I got to know him at the World Cup after playing against him numerous times. We were three goalkeepers and none of us knew that we would one day be in Israel together. Viktor is one of the reasons that I came here to Israel. When he came to the country he helped Maccabi Haifa to the title. We became good friends and we got together a lot with our families, but it was here that our relationship really developed.”

Chanov’s situation:

“I knew he wasn’t doing well, but I prayed for him and I spoke to friends about what had happened and hoped that he would get out of the situation he was in. He had two head surgeries and it just wasn’t something he could recover from apparently after falling on his head.”

Playing back in the early 90’s in Israel:

“It really was a totally different level of play back then when players of such a high level came to play in Israel. Most of the foreigners of our time were from the former Soviet Union and it’s hard for me to say it, but the play during our time was terrific.”

Final words:

“He really loved this country.”

Jordi Cruyff looked back at Maccabi’s 1:0 victory against Maccabi Petach Tikva in the first leg of the Israel State Cup Quarterfinals. The Sports Director discussed Eliel Peretz, Ruben Micael and the difficulty of playing Petach Tikva:

“It was a difficult game and difficult opponent with a very difficult system to play against. But in the Cup it’s two game and we can’t think that anything is done. We have to come with the same attitude but of course before the game if you would have told me we would win the game 0:1 I would’ve taken it. Now the game is finished and we focus in Monday.”

Playing Petach Tikva on Monday again:

“It’s very difficult and we already experienced it last year when we played the same team twice in a row. I don’t remember us being successful as we played the Cup final against Haifa after beating Haifa in the league. It’s a stat that exists and everyone knows about it. We have to show enough character to beat the statistics. It’s very difficult to beat the same team two times, but if we want to be successful this year this is what we have to do.”

Giving the whole squad a chance to play:

“I’ve always said that in modern football there is not a fixed 11 and we’re all here to give a big plus to the club. In that aspect we had a lot of light injuries with some players that haven’t played in a long time. But they all showed that they can play for Maccabi Tel Aviv. I’m very happy about that.

About Ruben Micael:

“We were waiting for the last minute that Nosa would probably leave and we got a very good offer for a player who finishes a contract in three months time. But we already had him on our radar and we knew it was a possibility that on the last day of the transfer window we would go for a 6th foreigner for a player like him and that’s what we did. I think he showed today what he’s capable of and you have to remember that he has played in the last three months because he was in the Chinese league. He will need some time and we wanted to give him 60 minutes today and he gave us good energy. It’s important that the teammates see that it’s a competitive squad and that everyone can help. He did his job and gave the midfield the chance to support the attack. I’m very happy with his performance.”

Tal Ben Chaim’s performance:

“When he is on the field Tal takes the penalties and he’s been scoring goals so nothing really has changed. He scored a super goal and he was there when we needed him. He scored what could be a very important goal for the round.”

About Eliel Peretz:

“He’s been training very good for at least since I’ve been watching the trainings from close up and also has showed personality by shooting a penalty in the last round. I’m pleased with him.”

Substitute Tal Ben Chaim scored the second half winner to give Maccabi Tel Aviv a 1:0 first leg State Cup Quarterfinal victory at the Moshava Stadium. In a match with very few chances by either side, it was number 11 who played hero in front of the traveling support of over 5,000 fans. The second leg will take place at the Netanya Stadium on Wednesday March 1st. The Yellow & Blue will now get ready to play Petach Tikva in league action this coming Monday night.

Sports Director Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI for the first leg featured a few more changes from last match as midfielder Ruben Micael made his Yellow & Blue debut while striker Aaron Schoenfeld received his first start. Defender Yuval Shpungin and midfielder Eliel Peretz were also handed opening assignments as the rest of the lineup included Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic along with defenders Eitan Tibi, Tal Ben Haim and Omri Ben Harush. Sheran Yeini and Dor Micha also featured in the midfield while Barak Itzhaki played up front.

Available on the bench were Daniel Lifshitz, Eli Dasa, Ramon Roma, Oscar Scarione, Vidar Kjartansson, Tal Ben Chaim and Marcelo.

First Half
Petach Tikva came out of the starting block with a 2nd minute chance as Lidor Cohen lifted a ball from the right side to Roman Mihai but his header missed the mark early on. After a little more than a quarter hour of back and forth play, Uri Magbo had a chance from the left side of the box in the 19th minute, but he skied his effort over the bar.

Maccabi had their first opportunity of the contest in the 21st minute as Ruben Micael’s 30 meter free kick was headed by Schoenfeld, but his chance was caught by Dani Amos while three minutes later Carlos Cuellar returned the favor as Rajikovic caught his header at the other end of the pitch.

Ten minutes later, Yeini sent a beauty of a ball into the middle of the box to a waiting Micha, but number 15’s shot couldn’t find the goal. In the 41st minute, Micha came in from the right side but his sharp angled effort was collected by Amos as was Itzhaki’s chance in the 45th minute as the sides went into the break goalless.

Second Half
After 18 minutes of mostly midfield play by both teams, Magbo had a chance from 16 meters out but his low liner was punched away by Rajikovic while a minute later Shpungin ended a threat in front of the goal by sending the ball out of play.

In the 67th minute Shpungin sent Micael a gorgeous ball to the top of the area but the Portuguese midfielder’s effort went wide left of the Petach Tikva goal. Cruyff then made his first substitute of the evening as Micael came out for Oscar Scarione and in the 72nd minute Tal Ben Chaim was introduced for Itzhaki as Maccabi looked for some offense.

And that’s exactly what they got from the speedy winger five minutes after entering the match. Ben Chaim took a pass from Micha on the right flank, cut into the box from the right and curled a magnificent strike into the left side of the goal for a beauty of a strike to give Maccabi a 1:0 lead.

Marcelo then came on as the Yellow & Blue’s 3rd substitution of the night in place of Aaron Schoenfeld in the 82nd minute. With Maccabi looking for a 2nd goal, Marcelo picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch and sent Ben Chaim a long pass into the box. Number 11 got to the ball but the Petach Tikva keeper Amos pulled him down good for a penalty. However, Ben Chaim’s spot kick was saved by the diving keeper as the score remained as is until the referee blew the final whistle to give Maccabi the 1:0 first leg victory. The second leg will be played on March 1st at the Netanya Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Yellow & Blue will now prepare for a Matchday 22 encounter with the same Petach Tikva at the Moshava Stadium on Monday evening.

Eliel Peretz, Maccabi’s young up and coming midfielder spoke to the Official Website prior to the first leg of a two legged State Cup quarterfinal tie against Maccabi Petach Tikva. Number 45 discussed the two legs, the club’s quality opponent and how the team in preparing for the Cup contest:

“We’re playing Maccabi Petach Tikva Wednesday night in the State Cup and then Monday night in the league so we are preparing as best as possible, but we’re looking at the Cup match first and only after that game we will get ready for the league contest.”

About Maccabi Petach Tikva:

“In my opinion, this was the hardest possible opponent to have gotten in the Cup. They’re having a great season and they are a very good team and have had a very good run. But we will come into the match ready to go, look to continue our fine form over the last while and aim to pick up the win.”

Different preparation for the match as it’s only the first leg?

“Not at all. We want to finish the work off in the first leg.”

Saturday’s victory over Hapoel Beer Sheva:

“I don’t think that it gave us an extra shot of motivation, but it did put us back on the right track in the battle for the title. We will continue to concentrate on ourselves and make sure we win the matches that we need to and then we will wait for Beer Sheva.”

The State Cup Quarterfinals will be a two-legged tie as Maccabi Tel Aviv will meet Maccabi Petach Tikva who are also are battling with the Yellow & Blue at the top of the table in league play. Let’s take a look back at a couple of matches from the competition that led Maccabi to the coveted trophy

2001/02 Season, State Cup Final: Maccabi Tel Aviv 3:0 Maccabi Petach Tikva
Ramat Gan Stadium was packed with over 35K fans for the first of two Israel State Cups in a row that Maccabi would win. But well before Avi Nimni and Tal Banin hoisted the hardware, Nir Levin’s squad had to get the work done on the pitch. Rodrigo Goldberg headed in the first goal in the 56th minute and a quarter hour before the end of the contest Eli Bitton added an insurance marker. However, if the fans thought that would be the end of the Yellow & Blue scoring, they were mistaken. Avi Nimni put the cherry on top of the victory with a 90th minute strike that sealed the deal and gave Maccabi their 20th Cup in franchise history.

2004/05 Season, Semi-Final: Maccabi Tel Aviv 2:1 Maccabi Petach Tikva
The season may have ended with the Cup in hand but it was definitely a difficult road to get their as Maccabi defeated Maccabi Herzliya on penalties in the final. The semi-final match versus Petach Tikva was also challenging, as the Yellow & Blue needed extra time to advance to the grand finale. Pesach Tikva featured a young Gal Alberman who was substituted out due to injury in the 39th minute but 9 minutes earlier, Maccabi took the lead via Eduardo Marques. However, Petach Tikva equalized in the 64th minute thanks to a screamer of a goal by Ismael Amar which sent the contest into extratime. Both teams looked like they were preparing for penalties, but Petach Tikva central defender Shalshi Banai had other plans as he headed in an own goal as the ball went over keeper Ohad Cohen giving Maccabi the valuable victory.