State Cup: Maccabi face Maccabi Jaffa in QF

On Saturday MTA's U14 Team South can take the title, the U13 Team South will be looking to edge towards the league and Cup double

Teams in Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division are inching towards the final phases of the 2013/14 season, with some involved in real nail-biters. The Under-19s will finish their season tomorrow (Saturday) at 11.30am hosting Hapoel Beer Sheva at Kiryat Shalom training ground. The Under-17s have three games yet to play till the end of the season and the start of the "Champion of Champions" competition, pitting the top teams of all the various regional leagues against one another to determine the national champion. Head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's lads will also be playing at Kiryat Shalom for an early 8.30am kick-off against Maccabi Netanya. The Under-16s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", have already crowned their excellent season with the league and Cup double and will play away on Saturday against Ironi Bat Yam.

The Under-15s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", will travel to the nation's capital for their last game of the 2013/14 season against Hapoel Jerusalem at their Kiryat Yovel training ground at 12.30pm. Team 2 will also be rounding off their season on Saturday, heading north to Avi Ran playing field to play Beitar Haifa at 12.30pm. For the club's Under-14 Team South, this Saturday could be a day of great celebration if they can get past Maccabi Haifa at Nahalal playing field at 1pm. Head coach Ayal Tzahi's charges lead the nationwide U14 Central District table by eight points with just three matches to play and a win on Saturday would see them clinch the league title. Team North, playing in the nationwide U14 League Sharon District, also have three games left this season, with tomorrow's opponents being Hapoel Haifa away at their Kiryat Haim training ground at 8.30am.

Maccabi's Under-13 Team South, who have already won their prestigious State Cup and lead their league on goal difference, will play the first of their three remaining games at the capital's Bayit Vegan training ground at 9am against Beitar Jerusalem. Team North will be at home at their Hadar Yosef facility to play Hapoel Ra'anana at 8.30pm

All of the Division's teams will participate in a traditional sprint around Bloomfield Stadium tomorrow evening during a halftime ceremony at the senior team's final match of the Israeli Premier League season against Bnei Sakhnin.  

On Saturday MTA's U14 Team South can take the title, the U13 ...

MTA's League and State Cup double winning U16s stay on the victory trail, with wins also for the U15s and younger Youth Division sides

Three days before facing Maccabi Haifa in the Under-17 State Cup final on Tuesday at 5.30pm at the National Stadium in Ramat Gan, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" faced a challenging league game away at Maccabi Petach Tikva. Head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's charges, lying second in the national Under-17 Premier League, failed to score against their third-placed rivals in a match that ended in a goalless draw. After their Cup final, "Oded" still have three more games to play until the end of the season.

Maccabi's Under-16s, who completed a league and Cup double after winning the championship earlier in the week, continued their winning ways with a 2-1 home win against Hapoel Rishon Lezion. The visitors jumped to a surprising early lead, but the lead goalscorer of Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", Omer Lakou, came into action and turned the match around with his 39^th and 40^th goals of the season in all competitions, one of them from the spot.

Maccabi's Under-15s registered a handsome 6-0 win over Amishav Petach Tikva courtesy of a hat-trick by Eylon Almog and individual efforts by Edjay Heyford, Neil Goldberg and Nadav Reuveni. Team 2 were surprising 1-3 losers at home to Beitar Tubruk, with Ofek Kirshenboim scoring Maccabi's only goal. Head coach Haim Siton's lads have two games left to play this season, the first a game in hand against Nesher FC this coming Tuesday.

Maccabi's Under-14 Team South continued their good season form with a 0-2 away victory at Beitar Ramle, with goals from Tal Daon and Adir Hardon. Team North are also rounding off a good season with a 2-1 home win against Kadima Tzaron FC. The Under-13 Team South, who have already won their State Cup competition and lead the league, continued their good form with a resounding 10-0 victory at Ironi Modi'in. Team North also won, 0-1 away at Maccabi Herzliya.

MTA's League and State Cup double winning U16s stay on ...

The MTA Youth Division make it six State Cup wins out of six after the U17s sweep aside Maccabi Haifa 4-0

After having already lifted five prestigious State Cup trophies this season, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division ventured forth to capture their sixth in as many attempts as Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded", the club's Under-17s, faced off against fellow Under-17 Premier League leaders Maccabi Haifa. "Oded" began their journey to the National Stadium in Ramat Gan, where the final was held, with an easy 3-0 win over Beitar Tubruk, but after that the road got bumpier. In the last 16, the quarter final and the semi-final contests, head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's lads beat Gadna Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Bnei Yehuda respectively, all in penalty shoot-outs.

This afternoon's final started off well for a dominant Maccabi Tel Aviv side, but it took until just before the half hour mark for the first real goalscoring opportunity to present itself. Daniel Rahimi ensured that that opportunity paid off when he struck into the far end of the Haifa net after being on the receiving end of a short corner. The half ended with "Oded" still just one goal to the good, but after the restart they resumed their determined efforts. With just a minute gone Tomer Altman hit the woodwork with a powerful shot. At the other end Maccabi Haifa were also on the prowl for an equaliser but "Oded" keeper Haviv Ohayon was always there to protect his net. "Oded" exploited Haifa's forward push by executing quick and threatening counter attacks. Raz Itzhak and Gabi Kanichowsky failed in their first efforts to double "Oded"'s lead, but with just a quarter of an hour remaining, Maccabi Tel Aviv showed they still had enough time and ammunition left. Ten minutes from time Raz Itzhak exploited a defensive error and ran the whole length of the pitch to score "Oded"'s second. Two minutes later Dor Galili produced a nearly identical goal with a swift break into the area that ended in an accurate shot that increased "Oded"'s lead to 3-0. The icing on the cake was provided in injury time by substitute Ro'i Tzarum, who muscled past his defender in the area to make it 4-0 and give the start sign for the victory celebrations.

The highpoint of those celebrations was of course when team captain Rany Hamze and Omri Haramati received the Haim Haberfeld Under-17 State Cup and lifted it high into the air. In doing so, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division completed a clean sweep of all six of the State Cup finals they participated in: the Under-10 Team South, the Under-12 Team North, the Under-13 Team South, the Under-15 Team 2 and the Under-16s have all hoisted the prestigious State Cup this season in can what only be described as a banner season for the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division.

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The MTA Youth Division make it six State Cup wins out of ...

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-15s participated in Nike's European tournament in Austria

Teams from Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division continue to represent the Division and Israeli football at various international tournaments. This week it was the turn of the Under-15s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", who participated in Nike's European tournament, held this year in Austria. Head coach Shlomi Mitelka's charges earned their place in the tournament after winning the "Nike Israel" tournament held last March in Ra'anana. In addition to Maccabi's Under-15's, nineteen other Under-15 teams from all over Europe who won their national Nike tournaments participated this pan-European event. The twenty teams were divided into four groups of five, with the two top sides advancing to the quarter finals and the rest playing for placement only.

Maccabi's group included Croatian side NK Osijek, Slovenian team NK Krsko, the Hungarian Budapesti Vasas and a Finnish competitor. After losing three of their group-stage matches, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad" moved on to placement competition, where their fortunes changed with three consecutive victories. Their first triumph was registered in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw against Croatian side HNK Gorica, with Eylon Almog scoring "Eldad"'s only goal. In the Under-15s' next match against Budapesti Vasas, Almog added a brace in "Eldad"'s 2-0 triumph. In their final match of the tournament Maccabi's Under-15s faced Swiss competitors FC Zurich and secured the 13^th place in the competition by emerging 2-0 victors courtesy of a brace by Guy Dahan.

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad" head coach Shlomi Mitelka had this to say at the end of the tournament: "This was an outstanding opportunity for our young players, who are unaccustomed to playing matches of this pace and physical intensity. Even though the matches were only forty minutes long, they felt more like two complete matches of eighty minutes each. Unlike our league games here in Israel, competing in a tournament like this against clubs at this level you get punished for virtually every mistake you make, and that's exactly what happened. The tournament was extremely intensive, we were in play almost all the time. But again I say it was a brilliant experience for all of us. Compliments to the organisers of the tournament for providing services at the very highest level".

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-15s participated in Nike's European tournament in ...

A 0-1 victory against municipal rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv ensured Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" this season's Under-16 league and State Cup double

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs"'s impressive 2013/14 campaign was today crowned with the nationwide Under-16 League South championship. Head coach Erez Belfer's charges played their game in hand against Hapoel Tel Aviv at the latter's Wolfson training complex nursing a six-point lead at the top of the table with just three matches left to the season. A victory here thus meant their municipal rivals would no longer be able to challenge them for the league title.

The match got off to a very good start for the visitors when with just ten minutes on the match clock Or Dasa sent a long-range effort flying into the Hapoel net to give his side a 0-1 advantage. For the next seventy minutes Maccabi's Under-16 defence did the rest of the work and at the final whistle "Eli Fuchs" began to celebrate their now unassailable league championship. This follows close on the heels of their 3-1 victory two weeks ago over Beitar Tubruk in the coveted Under-16 State Cup final. The Under-16s have now won 25 of the 28 league matches they have played so far this season, with an astounding accumulated goal difference of 104, conceding just 19 goals along the way.

But even a league and Cup double does not mark the end of the challenges head coach Erez Belfer's lads will be facing before the summer break. Soon will begin the so-called "Champion of Champions" tournament, a competition where the top six teams in the nationwide Under-16 leagues North and South will face off to determine the nation's leading Under-16 club.

A 0-1 victory against municipal rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv ensured Maccabi Tel ...

MTA's U17s and 16s register handsome victories while the Under-15 Team 2 saw a two-goal lead overturned in the second half

While Saturday saw Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s trying to keep their title hopes alive against Hapoel Haifa, the rest of the club's Youth Division teams were also entering the critical run-in phase of the 2013/14 season. Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", ranked second in the national Under-17 Premier league, swept aside Hapoel Rishon Lezion 6-0 at the Kiryat Shalom training ground. Raz Itzhak's hat-trick brought his season tally to 24 goals in all competitions while Dor Galili, Ro'i Tzarum and Omri Haramati all added individual efforts.

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", already sitting top of the nationwide Under-16 League South table, continued to impress with a handsome 2-5 victory away at third ranked Maccabi Petach Tikva. Striker Omer Lakou raised his exceptional season tally to 38 goals in all competitions with a hat-trick, Lenny Aharon added a brace. With three matches left till the end of the season, head coach Erez Belfer's Under-16s maintain their six-point advantage over second-placed municipal rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Maccabi's Under-15 Team 2 started out brightly in an away tie at Bnei Sakhnin, but despite a promising two-goal advantage in the first half courtesy of Netanel Peretz and Peleg Moshe, the hosts turned the match around in the second period to emerge 3-2 victors. The club's Under-14 Team South booked a handsome 0-3 away victory at Hapoel Kiryat Ono thanks to a brace by Gal Porat and an individual effort by Roy Harush. Team North won 1-0 at home against Maccabi Petach Tikva, with Tamir Glazer scoring the only goal of the match. The Under-13 Team South continued their excellent season with a 1-3 away triumph against Ma'ale Adumim, while Team North raced to a 6-1 victory at their Hadar Yosef training ground against Nesher FC.

MTA's U17s and 16s register handsome victories while the Under-15 Team 2 ...

Maccabi's Under-19s will try to return to winning ways at home on Saturday while most of the Youth Division teams play on the road

After a dramatic derby draw last Saturday that increased the gap between themselves and Under-19 league leaders Maccabi Haifa to seven points with three matches to play, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will host Hapoel Haifa at the Kiryat Shalom training ground on Saturday at 11.30am in the hope of holding on to a small chance of replacing their northern namesakes at the summit. The club's Under-17s, who are in a similar situation to their older clubmates, will also be chasing their counterparts from Haifa when they host Hapoel Rishon Lezion in the early kick-off at 8.30am. The Under-16s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", top the nationalwide Under-16 League South table and will travel to third-placed Maccabi Petach Tikva for a 10.20am kick-off on their synthetic pitch.

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", the club's Under-15s Team 1, are now competing in the international Nike tournament in Slovenia and will play their scheduled Saturday fixture at a later date. Team 2, one of five Maccabi Youth Division teams to have won State Cups this season, will visit Bnei Sakhnin for a league tie at 1.15pm. Maccabi's Under-14 Team South will also be on the road this Saturday, facing Hapoel Kiryat Ono at 8.30am while Team North host Maccabi Petach Tikva at Kiryat Shalom at 9am. The Under-13 Team North will welcome Nesher FC to Hadar Yosef at 10am while Team South travel to Ironi Ma'ale Adumim for a late kick-off at 5pm.

Maccabi's Under-19s will try to return to winning ways at home on ...

Following wins for U13 South and the U16s, MTA's U15 Team 2 rounded off a red letter day for the Youth Division

Today (Tuesday), three teams of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division competed in State Cup finals and all three won. After the Under-13s Team South became the Division's third team to lift the trophy, the Under-16s followed suit leaving the Under-15 Team 2 to complete Maccabi Tel Aviv's sweep of their State Cup final matches. Currently lying third in the nationwide Under-15 League Sharon District, head coach Haim Siton's charges, like the Under-13s before them, faced northern rivals Maccabi Haifa after recording victories in the quarter finals over the club's second Under-15 team, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", and sweeping aside Maccabi Netanya in the semis.

The start of the match, held at the national stadium in Ramat Gan, started out less than auspiciously for MTA's Under-15s, as Maccabi Haifa succeeded in taking the lead just after the half hour mark. But by the time the half-time whistle sounded the team's top goal scorer, Desalin Balacho, had already equalised with his 30^th goal of the season in all competitions. After the restart "Eldad" headed out to complete the turnaround, and seven minutes after the hour mark they succeeded in the form of a splendid long-range effort by Prince Thomas. "Eldad" keeper Yaniv Goldshtein preserved the 2-1 advantage with an impressive save before Yaniv Goldstein headed in off the woodwork to secure his side's 3-1 victory and send his teammates off to celebrate the lifting of the prestigious State Cup trophy.

This was the Maccabi Youth Division's third State Cup triumph in one day, and their fifth in five attempts so far. The Division's last remaining State Cup final will be held on May 13^th when the club's Under-17s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded", also meet their northern namesakes Maccabi Haifa.

For the full story on the State Cup win of the Under-13 Team South, click here

For the full story on the State Cup win of the Under-16s, click here

To see more photographs from all three matches, go to Maccabi Tel Aviv's official Facebook page

Following wins for U13 South and the U16s, MTA's U15 ...

Two extra-time goals secure MTA's U16s a 3-1 win over Beitar Tubruk and the U16 State Cup trophy

This afternoon the national stadium in Ramat Gan was the venue for two youth State Cup finals, the first of which saw Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-16s face Beitar Tubruk. Already proudly leading the nationwide Under-16 League South by six points with four matches left, head coach Erez Belfer's squad were keen to include this prestigious trophy as further evidence of an exceptionally successful season. Their road in State Cup qualification has been almost effortless, conceding just one goal in matches against opponents that included both the Hapoel and Maccabi teams of Haifa and, in the semi-finals held earlier this month, Hapoel Beer Sheva.

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" opened the match in attacking mode, and the pressure bore fruit with just over ten minutes gone as star striker Omer Lakou scored his 35^th goal of the season in all competitions. Keeper Omer Katz guarded that one goal advantage with a number of excellent saves but just after the hour mark his luck ran out and Tubruk equalised. After an additional twenty minutes during which neither side succeeded in producing a winner, the contest entered two ten minute periods of time added on. "Fuchs" exploited the opportunity to go back into attack and put pressure on the Tubruk goal and at the beginning of the second period that pressure paid off as Omer Lakou scored his second goal of the afternoon, putting his side ahead once more. And as the match entered its final moments, fellow striker Ittamar Shaviro put the contest to bed by adding a third to crown Maccabi's 3-1 victory and mark the start of celebrations for a well-earned State Cup trophy. 

Two extra-time goals secure MTA's U16s a 3-1 win over ...

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-16s continue to impress, the Under-17s drew at home to Hapoel Ramat Gan

In an exciting match full of turnarounds, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17s left the pitch somewhat disappointed after drawing 3-3 against Hapoel Ramat Gan. Head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's lads, who maintain their grip on second place in the national Under-17 Premier League table, went ahead courtesy of a goal by Ben Shugal just past the twenty minute mark. The striker's seventh goal since joining the squad kept Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" in the lead until three minutes before the break, when Ramat Gan found an equaliser. A tumultuous second half saw Raz Yitzhak restore "Oded"'s advantage before the visitors scored twice to take the lead for the first time in the match. But it was "Oded"'s Gabi Kanichowsky who had the last word just before the three-quarter hour mark and his fourth goal in Maccabi kit ended the scoring with the sides drawn 3-3. The result increased league leaders Maccabi Haifa's lead at the top of the Under-17 table to five points with six matches left to play this season.

The club's Under-16s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", continued their run of good form with a convincing 5-1 victory over municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda. Strikers Omer Lakou and Eylon Almog scored a brace each and fellow striker Abed Alsalam Salame added the fifth, while keeper Omer Katz contributed to the rout by saving a penalty that would have seen Bnei Yehuda draw level at 2-2.

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", the club's Under-15 Team 1, hosted Maccabi Haifa at the Kiryat Shalom training ground for a match that ended in a goalless draw. Head coach Haim Siton's Team 2, who will appear in the prestigious State Cup final in the middle of next week, suffered only their third league defeat in twenty-five matches, yielding to Maccabi Petach Tikva 2-3. Desalin Balacho and Prince Thomas both scored for the home side.

Maccabi's Under-14 Team South beat Hapoel Ramat Hasharon 0-1 away courtesy of a Leon Gardashov goal to stay top of the nationwide Under-14 League Central District table. Head coach Arik Levi's Team North drew 1-1 against Maccabi Haifa at Kiryat Shalom courtesy of an equalising second half goal by Eyal Chen.

Last but most certainly not least, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-13 Team South registered the Youth Division's highest tally of the week-end by engulfing Hapoel Rishon Lezion West by the eye-opening margin of 10 goals to nil.

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-16s continue to impress, the Under-17s drew ...