Thank You, Dominic

Most of Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division teams advanced to the next stage of their State Cup competitions. The Under-16s beat Hapoel Tel Aviv in a league Tel Aviv derby

With the major exception of the club's Under-19s, whose road in State Cup competition came to an early and abrupt end on Saturday, nearly all of Maccabi Tel Aviv's remaining Youth Division teams succeeded in advancing to the next round. Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad" started their campaign in the third round of the Under-17 State Cup with a bang, scoring three times within the first ten minutes of their away tie against opponents Beitar Tubruk, all courtesy of striker Raz Yitzhak. There the goalfest ended, but not before their 0-3 victory propelled head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's Under-17s into the next round.

The Under-16s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", were the only Youth Division team to play a league match, hosting Hapoel Tel Aviv for this season's first municipal derby at Kiryat Shalom training ground. Ittimar Shaviro  and Omer Lakau (from the spot) scored on either side of half time to give Maccabi a 2-0 lead before Hapoel pulled one back, handing head coach Erez Belfer's charges their tenth league victory in eleven encounters.

Both Under-15 teams advanced Cup competition, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad" by beating Maccabi Amishav Petach Tikva 5-1, while Team 2 overwhelmed Maccabi Herzliya by a score of 0-7. Other scores:

Under-14 team North 7 – Maccabi Yaffo Kabilio 0

Under-14 team South 0 – Hapoel Rishon Lezion 1

Under-13 team North 6 – Hapoel Hadera 0

Under-13 team South 5 – Bnei Sakhnin 1

Most of Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division teams advanced to the next ...

This Saturday, almost all of Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division teams are scheduled for State Cup competition matches

The draw for the fourth round of the Under-19 State Cup, the first in which the U19 Premier League clubs participate, handed Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" a difficult away tie against fellow Premier League pacesetters Beitar Jerusalem, just a fortnight after their league encounter was postponed. They'll head off to the capital team's Bayit VeGan training ground for an 11.30am kick-off that is not scheduled for broadcast. The club's Under-17s were also handed a tricky draw, an away encounter at fellow Under-17 Premier League leaders Beitar Tubruk at 10.30am. The Under-16s will be the only Youth Division team to play a league match on Saturday, an intriguing Tel Aviv derby against Hapoel at 9am. In the Under-15 State Cup Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad" will host Maccabi Amishav Petach Tikva at the Kiryat Shalom training ground at 8.30am. At the same hour, Maccabi's Under-15 Team 2 will face Maccabi Herzliya away in State Cup competition.

Maccabi's younger competitors will also be playing Cup ties this Saturday, with the Under-14 Team North hosting Maccabi Yaffo at Kiryat Shalom at 10.45am. Team South will travel to the Superland training ground for an 11am kick-off against Hapoel Rishon Lezion. Maccabi's Under-13 Team South have a long journey northward to face Bnei Sakhnin at 12.30pm while Team North stay at Kiryat Shalom to host Hapoel Hadera at 12.45pm.

This Saturday, almost all of Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division ...

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17s continued their winning ways but the Under-16s dropped their first points after nine consecutive matchweek victories

The headline at the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division this week-end was of course the Under-19s home defeat of municipal rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv 4-1, completing a week of Maccabi derby success that began with the senior team's 1-0 triumph at Bloomfield Stadium. The club's Under-17s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded", also played at the Kiryat Shalom training ground and emerged 3-1 victors against Beitar Tubruk, courtesy of goals from Eilon Yerushalmi, Roy Ronen and Omer Lakau. As a result they stay top of the league table, three points ahead of Maccabi Haifa. The Under-16s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", lost 2-1 away to Bnei Yehuda but the Under-15s took all three points at Nahalal training ground, beating home side Maccabi Haifa 1-3. Maccabi Under-15 Team 2 battled out a goalless draw against Maccabi Petach Tikva at Kiryat Shalom.

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under 14 Team South produced a convincing display in their 0-6 away defeat of Hapoel Beer Sheva, while Team North's home tie against Maccabi Herzliya ended in a goalless draw. Under-13 Team South hosted Maccabi Haifa "Goldshenfeld" at Kiryat Shalom and treated them to an overwhelming 7-1 defeat. Team North were beaten away 5-2 at Maccabi Petach Tikva.  

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17s continued their winning ways but the Under-16s dropped ...

This Saturday, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s will play their first Tel Aviv derby against Hapoel, the Under-16s will visit municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda for a "little" derby

This Saturday's schedule of matches has served up an interesting week-end in the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division. The Under-19s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar", await one of the more intriguing ties of the season as their counterparts at Hapoel Tel Aviv pay a visit to Kiryat Shalom training ground at 12pm for the first derby of the season, a match to be broadcast on the Israeli sports channel Sport 5. Earlier in the day at 8.30am the Under-17s will try to stay in the race for the league's top position, or better yet recapture it, when they host Beitar Tubruk. The Under-16s will be out to maintain their impressive perfect form of the first nine matchweeks of the season as they board the bus for the short trip to municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda for an early 8.30am encounter. Under the expert stewardship of head coach Shlomi Mtelka, the Under-15s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", will head north to Nahalal training ground for a midday encounter with Maccabi Haifa. The Under-15 team 2, whose run of eight consecutive wins was halted only last week, will try to return to their winning ways when Maccabi Petach Tikva pay a visit to Kiryat Shalom at 8.30.

The younger Maccabi competitors will also be in action this week-end as Maccabi's Under-14 team South head south to Reiser field to face Hapoel Beer Sheva at 1.15pm. Team North will test out the recently rejuvenated East pitch at Kiryat Shalom when they meet Maccabi Herzliya at 10.15am. At the very same time the Under-13 team South will host Maccabi Haifa on the synthetic pitch. Team North are scheduled for an away tie with Maccabi Petach Tikva at 8.30am.

This Saturday, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s will play their first ...

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17s dropped their first points, but the Under-16s maintained their perfect record

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17s played host to Hapoel Kiryat Shmona at Kiryat Shalom training ground in matchweek 8 of the national Under-17 League and dropped their first points of the 2013/14 season after a goalless draw. After seven wins in as many league matches, head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's charges failed to breach the visitor's defence in eighty minutes of play but managed to keep a clean sheet for the sixth time this season. After this draw Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" are now third in the table trailing league leaders Maccabi Haifa by one point but with two games in hand.

The Under-16s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", maintained their perfect and impressive start to the season with their ninth consecutive league victory. Head coach Erez Belfer's lads hosted Hapoel Jerusalem at Kiryat Shalom and beat them comprehensively 7-0, with Omer Lakau scoring a hat-trick and Ofri Mashata, Lenny Aharon, Or Dassa and Salem Abad Salame scoring a goal apiece. Apart from their perfect league record after matchweek 9, the Under-16s also boast an impressive goal difference of 65, with 67 goals to their credit and only two concessions the entire season.

For Maccabi Tel Aviv's two Under-15 teams this was a less successful week-end. Team 1, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", relinquished a 1-2 lead against Central District League leaders Ashdod FC in the dying moments of their match to wind up at the wrong end of a 3-2 result. Almog Eilon and Neil Goldberg scored the two goals for Maccabi. For team 2 it was a trip to Netanya to meet their local namesakes. There they met with their first league defeat 2-1, yielding to their opponents top spot in the Sharon District Under-15 table.

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-14 Team South hosted Hapoel Ramat Gan at Kiryat Shalom for what proved to be an intriguing and hard fought match that ended in a 3-3 draw, with Maccabi closing a 1-3 deficit in the closing moments of the match courtesy of two goals by Gal Porath. Adir Hardon scored Maccabi's first goal earlier in the match. Team North registered their sixth consecutive league victory with a 2-0 victory over Nesher FC. The only derby of the week-end was played between Maccabi's Under-13 Team South who hosted municipal rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv and finished in a 2-2 draw. Team North also drew, away against Hapoel Hadera, with neither side finding the net.  

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17s dropped their first points, but the Under-16s maintained ...

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s return home in hopes of a win, the Under-17s and 16s look to extend their runs of good early season form

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s return home to Kiryat Shalom training ground on Saturday at 10.45am (no broadcast) to face Hapoel Ramat Hasharon with a view to recording their third consecutive home victory. Head coach Ziv Arie's charges are currently sixth in the national Under-19 Premier League table after drawing 1-1 last week with Bnei Yehuda. Maccabi's Under-17s, at present top of the national Under-17 table, will follow their older division mates on to the pitch at 1pm to host Hapoel Kiryat Shmona in hopes of keeping their perfect season record intact. So far this season head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's lads have harvested all 21 points from their first seven league ties.

The Under-16's, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", are also nurturing a flawless league campaign and will precede their Under-19 clubmates onto the pitch at Kiryat Shalom at 8.30am when they face Hapoel Jerusalem. Maccabi's two Under-15 teams will both play away this Saturday. Team 1, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", will head south to face Ashdod FC at 8.30am, while Team 2 head north to Netanya to Shapira playing field at 3.30pm to face their local Maccabi namesakes. Maccabi's Under-14 Teams North and South will face Nesher FC (2.15pm) and Hapoel Ramat Gan (12.30pm) respectively on the Kiryat Shalom synthetic pitch. Maccabi's Under-13 Team South host a derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv on the Kiryat Shalom East pitch at 8.30pm while Team North visit Hapoel Hadera at 10am.     

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s return home in hopes of a ...

Teams in Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division celebrated the fifth day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah together with children from the "Larger than Life" and "Psagot" associations at a candle-lighting ceremony at the Youth Division complex

Teams in Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division today continued their tradition of celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah by lighting candles at the Kiryat Shalom training ground. Special guests at this festive occasion were children from the "Larger than Life" and "Psagot" associations, who enjoyed the experience thoroughly, especially the Maccabi Tel Aviv mascot "Maccabino", who put smiles on all the children's faces. By promoting equal opportunity in education, "Psagot" focus their attention on closing the gaps that exist in Israeli society and run some 30 centres throughout the country's social and geographic periphery. "Larger than Life" devote their energies to improving the quality of life and the well-being of children – and their families – suffering from cancer throughout Israel, without regard to gender, religion or race.

Director of football at the Youth Division Nir Levin and general secretary Nissim Sidi invited a number of special guests to join in in lighting the candle of the fifth night of this Maccabean holiday: Representatives of the two associations, Dorit Cohen (widow of the late Maccabi star Avi Cohen), Youth Division veterans Baruch Azarti and Yehuda Livni, Gidon Brickman (whose late son Shachar gave his name to the Under-19s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar") and a representative of the Youth Division, Under-19 captain Dor Jan. He was afterwards joined by the rest of the youngsters of the Youth Division in handing out presents to the children of both associations. Maccabi Tel Aviv's community fan organisation "Achim Lesemel" also provided the children with holiday joy, running face-painting booths and putting some festive colour on the children's faces. And along with the candle-lighting that brought festival warmth into their hearts, the children have all been invited to be Maccabi Tel Aviv's guests at the first team's next competitive league match tomorrow night against Hapoel Ra'anana. 

Teams in Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division celebrated the fifth ...

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17's saved the best for last, while victories were also recorded for the younger MTA Youth Division teams

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17's, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded", maintained their perfect record after matchweek 7 of the national Under-17 Premier League after a 0-2 away win against Hapoel Ra'anana. The match was locked in a goalless draw until the late stages of the game, with just twenty minutes remaining before the breakthrough came courtesy of a goal by midfielder Roei Zarum, his first of the season. But there was still sufficient time left for Maccabi to double their advantage. This time it was midfielder Tom Zaguri who found the net just four minutes from time. For Zaguri this was his second goal of the season and his second in as many matches, having scored in last week's win against Hapoel Beer Sheva. Under-17 head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's lads remain top of the table, two points ahead of Maccabi Haifa, who have a game in hand, and three points ahead of Maccabi Petach Tikvah.

The Under-16s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", also stayed top of their table with a comprehensive 0-5 away victory at Maccabi Haifa. Omer Lakau starred with a hat-trick that brought his season total to an impressive 17 goals. Guy Shetach, with his second goal in as many matches, and Ittimar Shaviro, scored the other two goals. The Under-15s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", hosted Hapoel Ramat Gan at the Kiryat Shalom training ground and finished the match with a 2-2 draw. Neil Goldberg scored in the first half before the visitors turned the match around, with Almog Eilon equalising for Maccabi in the second half.

Maccabi's Under-15 Team 2 set out for Herzliya and returned home with an overwhelming 0-6 win over their local Maccabi namesakes. Daslin Belachao's hat-trick brought his season total to ten goals, with Tal Da'un scoring a brace and Georgie Darsilia an individual effort. Among the younger Maccabi competitors victories were also recorded, with the Under-14 Team South dispatching Hapoel Jerusalem 4-0 at home and Team North winning away 0-3 at Hapoel Petach Tikvah. Maccabi's Under-13 Team South scored a whopping 13 goals to no reply against Hapoel Ramat Gan while Team North beat Hapoel Hod Hasharon 2-0.  

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17's saved the best for last, while victories were ...

Teams in Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division are facing a busy week-end of football action. The Under-19s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar", play a "little" derby away at municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda in matchweek 9 of the national Under-19 Premier League. The Under-17s are off to Ra'anana to play the local Hapoel side at the "Lev Park" playing field. The Under-16's head north to the "Ketsef" playing field to face Maccabi Haifa, with Under-15 Team 1, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", staying home at the Kiryat Shalom training ground to host Hapoel Ramat Gan. Under-15 Team 2 have a date in Herzliya to meet their namesakes Maccabi Herzliya.

As for Maccabi's younger contenders, the Under-14 Team South will host Hapoel Jerusalem on the synthetic pitch at Kiryat Shalom. Team North are off to Petah Tikva to face their local Hapoel opponents. Maccabi's Under-13s are scheduled to play on Friday, with Team North hosting Hapoel Hod Sharon at the Hadar Yosef playing ground and Team South facing Hapoel Ramat Gan. Under-12 Team North host Beitar Beitar Jerusalem at Kiryat Shalom and Team South are away at Hapoel Rishon Lezion West.

Teams in Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division are facing ...

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division teams returned to league duties after the break, with the Under-17s and Under-15s registering top level victories

After a three week break for the Under-17s, and four weeks in the other youth division leagues, Maccabi Tel Aviv's younger contenders returned to league duties this week-end. The Under-17s, who went into the match level on points with their rivals Hapoel Beer Sheva, opened up a three point lead at the top of the table by beating them 4-1 at the Kiryat Shalom training ground in matchweek 7 of the national Under-17 Premier League. It was the visitors who opened the scoring in the first half but by the time the half-time whistle blew Maccabi had already equalised through a goal by striker Roi Ronen.

After the restart, Maccabi waited 23 minutes to find the advantage, but then striker Hadar Levi scored his first goal of the season from close range to put his side ahead 2-1. Three minutes later midfielder Tomer Altman found Roi Ronen alone in front of an empty net and the striker dispatched his second goal of the match, his twelfth of the season to make the score 3-1. Finally, in the dying moments of the match, substitute midfielder Tom Zaguri added a fourth to seal the 4-1 victory, which rewarded the fine Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" effort with continued presence at the top of the table.

Maccabi's Under-16s faced a parallel fixture away in Beer Sheva, also entering the fray level on points with their Hapoel opponents at the top of the table. After 90 minutes the situation remained unchanged as the two sides battled out a 1-1 draw. The hosts took the lead after thirteen minutes courtesy of Beer Sheva youngster Victor Peretz, but eleven minutes later Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" equalised through Guy Shetach, his fourth goal of the season. This first-half result held sway until the end of the match leaving the two sides locked in battle for dominance of the national Under-16 League South.

Both Maccabi Under-15 sides played at Kiryat Shalom and both teams came away victorious. Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad" handsomely dispatched Hapoel Rishon Lezion 4-0 courtesy of a hat-trick by Almog Eilon and an individual effort by Neil Goldberg. The win helped the home side to leapfrog the visitors to the top of the Under-15 Central District league table. Under-15 Team 2 recorded a 3-1 win against Nesher FC with goals from Ziv Balsach, Jiji Darsilia and Daslin Blachau.

Maccabi's Under-14 teams also returned to league duties with positive results. Team North, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shlomo", emerged 2-1 winners from an encounter with the Shefayim Soccer School for girls and Team South overran Beitar Jerusalem 0-5 in the nation's capital. Under-13 Team North lost to Beitar Tubruk 3-1 and Team South played out a 2-2 draw against Hapoel Rishon Lezion.   

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Division teams returned to league duties after the ...