Category: News

Maccabi Under-19 Team loses to Chelsea 3-0

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The hosts controlled the flow of play at the start of the first half showing why they had won last year’s tournament. However, Ziv Arie’s charges were up to the task and held a very strong defensive front to withstand the Chelsea attack.

 In the 20th minute, Chelsea broke through the Maccabi defense as Kasey Palmer scored for the home side to give the Blues a 1:0 lead. The Yellow-and-Blue threatened as they were able to get deep into Chelsea territory but their chances in Lehigh those by Lazar Durovic missed the target as Maccabi went into the half down by a goal.

The second half started quickly for Chelsea as Palmer scored his second of the match off a Maccabi turnover in the 47th minute and the third Chelsea goal came from Tammy Abraham in 78th minute after he capitalized on a Maccabi defensive error giving the hosts a 3:0 victory.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv lineup:

Ohayon, Rosenboim, Galili, Grechkin, Zelikovic, Glazer (c), Altman (Galili 78), Haramati (46 Almog), Kanichowsky, Shapira, Durovic (69 Al Awisat).

 Chelsea lineup:

Baxter, Tomari, Clarke-Salter, Aina, DaSilva, Chalobah (75 Maddox), Mukhtar (61 Sammut), Scott, Muheim (46 Sterling), Abraham, Palmer

Zahavi- We will learn from this

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Captain Eran Zahavi and veteran central defender Tal Ben Haim, who was making his return to Stamford Bridge this time to take on Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League discussed the match against Chelsea that saw Maccabi Tel Aviv fall by a score of 4:0.

ג’ורדי קרויף: “זאת הייתה קבלת פנים מהרמה הגבוהה באירופה”.

Eran, what could you’ve done differently tonight:

“It was a hard match and we didn’t have enough aggressiveness on the pitch. We need a bit more confidence when we have the ball and find the open spaces to operate in as there were some areas that we could have taken advantage of. We will learn from this, improve and stand toe to toe with these clubs going forward.”

Were you surprised with Chelsea’s level of play:

“We gave them perhaps a bit too much respect but this was a learning experience and we played one of the greatest clubs in the world. We knew we wouldn’t be as good as Chelsea but there are places that we can get better and close the gap between us and Chelsea.”

Tal, this was a hard game for Maccabi:

“Yes, it was a tough match against the English Champions Chelsea at their home stadium. Our players did the best they could but it’s hard to match up with the best in the world and we’re disappointed with the result.”

What else could you have done:

“I’m sure we can all give more, but the level of play between Chelsea and Maccabi is stark. You can’t say we played well as we fell 4:0 but we will get up and continue on. We know it won’t be simple to play at these levels and when we began the game we saw how good they were.”

Jokanovic: “We will improve”

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Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach Slavisa Jokanovic spoke about his club’s performance after falling to Chelsea 4:0 on Matchday One of the UEFA Champions League Group Stages.

ג’ורדי קרויף: “זאת הייתה קבלת פנים מהרמה הגבוהה באירופה”.

AQ7A9892What did you think about your first match coaching in the Champions League:

“We arrived here and we’ve advanced positively throughout qualifying to reach this point. Hopefully the next game we will be more competitive and we can see how we do on Matchday Two. It’s an important competition and Maccabi hasn’t competed in the Champions League in 11 years and Chelsea is a very strong club.”

How do you feel Maccabi played:

“We tried to be as organized as possible on the pitch but Chelsea moved the ball very fast and they were stronger than us, dominated us and scored the goals. Chelsea plays at the highest level and we have five more games and we will improve as there are many things within the game to work on.”

Maccabi Falls to Chelsea 4-0 at Stamford Bridge

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Maccabi Tel Aviv returned to Europe’s grand stage for the first time in eleven years as they took on English Premier League Champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Matchday One of the UEFA Champions League Group Stages.

Yellow-and-Blue Head Coach Slavisa Jokanovic a one-time Chelsea player himself started with captain Eran Zahavi up top with Tal Ben Chaim and Avi Rikan on his wings. Back in the midfield were Nosa Igiebor, Nikola Mitrovic and Gal Alberman along with Yuval Shpungin at right back, Tal Ben Haim and Eitan Tibi as central defenders and Omri Ben Harush as the left back. Predrag Rajkovic manned the Maccabi goal as the youngster was making his first ever Champions League start. For Jose Mourinho and Chelsea, a star studded lineup graced the pitch and included Eden Hazard, Oscar, Cesc Fabregas, Gary Cahill and Willian.

The match started with Chelsea pressuring Maccabi looking for a turnover early on in the match and that’s exactly what happened. A poor clearing pass by Ben Haim found an eager Willian who was tripped up in the box by Maccabi ‘keeper Predrag Rajkovic, allowing Belgium superstar Hazard a penalty opportunity from 11 meters. However he skied his chance leaving the match scoreless early on.

Willian then lined up a free kick from the left side as his intended cross wasn’t picked up by anyone and landed to the right of the Maccabi ‘keeper Rajkovic and into the back of the goal to give the hosts a 1:0 lead in the 15th minute.

In the 23rd minute Willian went out with an injury as striker Diego Costa replaced him up front to add more firepower to the already potent Chelsea lineup. But in the 31st minute Maccabi had their first chance of the game as Mitrovic whipped in a free kick from the right side that Zahavi just headed over the Chelsea goal. Zahavi would have another chance in the 40th minute but his opportunity went wide.

As time wound down in the first half and with Chelsea pressuring, Ben Haim mistimed a tackle on Costa in the box that led to Chelsea’s second penalty of the evening. This time the opportunity was converted by Oscar as the whistle blew to end the first frame with Chelsea up 2:0.

With the help of over 4,000 Maccabi supporters in the stands the Yellow-and-Blue began the second half with renewed vigor as Rikan and Igibeor combined for Maccabi’s best chance of the match in the 56th minute that went for a corner kick. But just minutes later, Costa scored his first Chelsea Champions League goal as he launched a Fabregas pass into the top right hand corner of the Maccabi goal in the 59th minute to put Chelsea comfortably ahead 3:0.

In an attempt to jumpstart the offense, Jokanovic made a double substitution in the 65th minute bringing in Dejan Radonjic and Dor Micha for Avi Rikan and Tal Ben Chaim while Chelsea brought in Ramires for Oscar. Shpungin was replaced by Dor Peretz in the 70th minute as Maccabi used their 3rd and final substitution with 20 minutes remaining in the match.

Maccabi went downfield in numbers but when their chances came up short, Chelsea went the opposite direction with a tic-tac-toe combo goal from Hazard to Remy to Fabregas who tapped it home to sew up a Chelsea 4:0 win over the Yellow-and-Blue at Stamford Bridge.

Know your opponent: Chelsea FC

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Maccabi Tel Aviv heads into London to face defending English Premier League Champions Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge on Matchday One of the UEFA Champions League Group Stage. Playing against one of the world’s top football clubs would be a challenge not only for the the Yellow-and-Blue but for any other side around the globe.

Josh Halickman had a chance to speak with a number of journalists who cover Chelsea, their flamboyant coach Jose Mourinho, as well as their Belgium players including Eden Hazard.

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There’s no question that after a poor start in England, Chelsea will want to come out firing on all cylinders against the Israeli Champions. “I think that at home Chelsea will come out to attack Maccabi and look to score a few goals. They will play an attacking line-up with Matic sitting back and the rest of the midfielders looking to go forward,” Adam Henderson a Scottish freelance sports journalist commented.

“Chelsea usually play 4-2-3-1 and/or 4-3-3 and I’d be surprised to see that change against Maccabi. They’ll perhaps see Maccabi as the weakest team in group but they know that there are no weak sides in the Champions League. Chelsea have made hard work of the so-called easier sides before and they’ll be well guarded against complacency,” says Simon Yaffe a freelance British football journalist. “Mourinho places his trust in a small group of 16-18 players and they form the basis of his squad. I’d be shocked if he didn’t field a very strong starting XI against Maccabi and I believe Chelsea will come into the match at full strength.”

Eden Hazard is one of the most dynamic player in Europe and recognized around the world. Bart Lagae, a journalist for Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium spoke about his country’s superstar, “Hazard is a unique player in Chelsea’s squad and was chosen as the best player in the league by both players and press last year. He has adapted well to the Premier League, with clear improvement in his defensive play thanks to Mourinho.”

887370_10153655254147259_8431028219162485876_oHenderson concurred with his colleague, “Hazard is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world and has the ability to rip teams apart, he’s a huge asset.” Lagae also talked about his top quality skills, “He’s very strong one on one and with his dribbling. However he must improve his long passing and headers. If he ever wants to compete with the likes of Ronaldo and Messi, he will need to score more too.”

Lagae also spoke about Hazard staying under the radar, unlike many football superstars, “Hazard is a family man and a father of two. His first child was born when he was only 19 or 20 and he has always preferred to stay out of the limelight with his family and lives a quiet life in South West London.”

Others players on Chelsea are world-class as well, “Nemanja Matic is very important for me because every team needs a top class defensive midfielder to let the attacking players do their thing. I also think Branislav Ivanovic is crucial. He’s a top class defender, always reliable and can chip in with a goal in big matches,” expressed Henderson.

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Yaffe chimed in as well, “To me the most important players other than Hazard for Chelsea are certainly John Terry and Matic. The fact that they’ve all started slowly is a big reason as to why Chelsea have been struggling so far this season.”

Since the Yellow-and-Blue are making their first Champions League Group Stage appearance in 11 years, the question of how much preparation and scouting Chelsea has done comes to the forefront. “I’m not sure how much they’ve actually done.” commented Henderson. “ They probably have a rough idea of what kind of game to expect and I’m sure Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has a few connections who know about Israeli football, but I don’t think Mourinho will be obsessing over Maccabi.”

Yaffe was a bit more certain that the London based club has done their homework on Maccabi. “I would imagine Chelsea has done extensive scouting on Maccabi and Mourinho won’t be sending his team in blind. It’s not like Maccabi play in North Korea – they are part of UEFA and won’t be an unknown.”

There’s no question that Maccabi heading to play Chelsea will be a highlight for all fans throughout Israel and the key will be for the Yellow-and-Blue to play attractive football. Could their be an upset in the making at the famed Stamford Bridge? Henderson was optimistic about their chances, “Chelsea supporters have probably read about how Maccabi advanced over Basel and I definitely think they have the ability to cause a few surprises because they are a very talented team, but in Stamford Bridge it won’t be easy.”

Ben Chaim-I can’t wait until the opening whistle

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 Maccabi Tel Aviv will open up their UEFA Champions League campaign this evening at 21:45 Israel time against English Premier League Champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Matchday One. This will be the first time in 11 years that the Yellow-and-Blue will be playing in the prestigious continental tournament with the best 32 clubs in Europe.

טל בן חיים: “נותנים כבוד אבל מגיעים ללא רגשי נחיתות”.

Tal Ben Chaim who has played a central role for the club through qualifying, spoke with the Official Website prior to the match about playing in the competition and what Maccabi is expecting as they face Chelsea:

 “It’s a lot of fun. When you are just a little child, 6 or 7 years old, it was just a dream to play at these levels. It’s an experience that we will take with us for the rest of our careers and our lives. This is something extraordinary that is outside the usual training sessions and practices and the things we do on a day to day basis. It’s something difficult that we haven’t yet experienced and that we are not used to doing on a yearly basis but hopefully that will now change. We’ve talked so much about playing in the Champions League since we advanced over Basel and it’s finally here. I can’t wait until the opening whistle.”

Chelsea haven’t been in form recently:

“Even if Chelsea plays with their fourth best players they are an incredible team and even though they’ve been struggling it’s not something that we are thinking about. We are no where near Chelsea’s level but even if you look at Basel whom we advanced over, they are a better club than us but we were able to make it through to the group states against them. On one hand we are giving Chelsea the greatest amount of respect but once the match starts we put that to the side. Of course we want to win and play the best that we can.”

“90 MINUTES FOR HOPE”

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It is a great pity that so many millions of people have recently been displaced from their homes as a result of violent extremists in war torn areas in various parts of the world.

As a member of the European Club Association and our standing as a member of the European soccer community we will join all of the other clubs involved in European competition by participating in the initiative “90 minutes for hope”.

It is consistent with the club’s social responsibility programme which covers both local and national issues in Israel and the priorities of our international sponsor UNICEF with whom we are a proud partner.

A Family Connection: The Dasa Brothers in a Joint Interview

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Maccabi Tel Aviv FC journeyed to London yesterday with both the first team and the Under-19 youth side who will also be playing in to the Champions League Youth Tournament. There were quite a number of stories that surrounded the flight including that of brothers Or and Eli Dasa who are both part of the club. Watch the interview with Or who plays on the Under-21 team and Eli from Maccabi’s first team.

קשר משפחתי, האחים דסה לא נפרדים גם בלונדון

A Dasa family trip to London?

 Or-This is my first time here, it’s good so far.

 Eli- We always looked out for one another but now it’s nice that I’m even closer to help Or out, we’re happy to be here.

 What did your family think about the two of you going to London?

 Eli- It’s a big honor for our mother as both of her sons are here in London playing against Chelsea in the Champions League. I hope we can make the family happy back home when they watch the matches. It was interesting to both be on the flight together and I hope next time I’ll be able to play so we will have a double celebration!

Maccabi’s Under-19 club lands in London

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Maccabi’s Under-19 club landed in London this afternoon along with the first team and went on their way to prepare for the match against their Chelsea counterparts.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv took part in their final training session at Chelsea’s practice facility in Cobham, where they will also play their opening match of the Champions League Youth Tournament against the London based side who are the current champions in this competition.

All of the latest news about the Under-19 club’s match tomorrow, Wednesday at 15:00 can be found here, on the Official Website.

Ben Haim: “It’s more exciting to return here with Maccabi”

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Tal Ben Haim is returning to one of his former stomping grounds in his illustrious career and he was also at the official press conference at Stamford Bridge prior to Maccabi Tel Aviv’s final training session.

“I’m very excited to return here and coming back with Maccabi is extra special. I learnt a tremendous amount during the four months I played under Mourinho. It’s too bad that I was only at Chelsea for a short period, but that’s football. I’m sure Mourinho is preparing his side very well for the match against us. I saw some of my friends that are with Chelsea and that I played with at Charlton just five months ago. It will be fun to see them tomorrow.”

מסיבת העיתונאים לקראת צ’לסי

On Chelsea’s fitness:

“Everyone must be surprised about Chelsea’s poor start to the season, but I’m sure they’ll get over it quickly and begin to win some games. Hopefully it won’t be against us. This will be a difficult match for us and we can watch video of them for a whole day, but we have to be ready on the pitch.”

On the feeling within the club:

“Everyone at the club is very excited. The team had won three straight championships and wanted to continue to move forward. We’re all really excited.”

On Zahavi’s form:

“Zahavi has shown in his last few European matches that he can score and score on any pitch and in any stadium. After he scores he doesn’t let up and continues to work even harder”.