Youth Division Weekend Results
Three Maccabi Youth Division teams played counterparts from Ashdod this weekend
All three Maccabi Youth Division teams that played this weekend – the U17s, U16s and the U15 Team 2 – played their age-group counterparts from Ashdod. The Under-17s harvested their ninth point from the nine available so far this season with a 1-3 away win at Ashdod FC. Yonatan Cohen maintained his one-goal-a-match average by opening the scoring just after the quarter hour mark. Maccabi's Ashdod hosts managed to equalise before the half, but strikes by U17 captain Dan Glazer and once again Yonatan Cohen, his fourth of the season, settled the scoring at 1-3 in Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded"'s favour. Next weekend will see them host an intriguing derby against municipal archrivals Hapoel Tel Aviv, who also have won all their matches so far this season.
The Under-16s hosted their Ashdod opponents at Kiryat Shalom training ground for a match that ended in a goalless draw. For Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" this was their second draw of the young season, leaving them with five points from their first four matches. The third tie between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ashdod FC youth teams took place in the nationwide U15 Central District League, which had their opening weekend of fixtures on Saturday. Maccabi's Team 2 travelled to Ashdod and there played out a 2-2 draw. Nadav Amram scored Maccabi's opening goal in the first half, but after the break the hosts scored twice to turn the match in their favour. Nazar Abu Katifan restored parity for the visitors, enabling his side to share the points with their Ashdod opponents. Team 1, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", had the weekend off but next Saturday Maccabi's two U15 teams will meet in an internal derby hosted by Team 2.
Three Maccabi Youth Division teams played counterparts from Ashdod this weekend
MTA’s U16s beat Hapoel Ramat Gan
Maccabi's U16s secured their first victory in three league outings
After a draw and a loss in their first two matches of the 2012/13 season in the nationwide U16 Southern District League, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-16s secured all three points after a 2-3 away win against Hapoel Ramat Gan. Head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's side conceded an early goal nine minutes in but came back with two of their own before the half-time whistle, courtesy of Raz Yitzhak just past the quarter hour mark and Eylon Yerushalmi ten minutes later. Yitzhak, who also plays for the club's Under-17s where he has already scored his first league goal, scored his second six minutes after the restart and while Ramat Gan succeeded in pulling one back Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" held out for the win to bring their total to four points in three league outings.
Next Saturday the Under-16s will have their work cut out when they host Ashdod FC, who have won all three of their league matches to date. Next week will also see the return of the club's Under-17s from an international break when they too will face opposition from Ashdod in a tough away encounter. Another Youth Division side to be in action in Ashdod next week will be the club's Under-15 Team 2, where they will play their opening match of the season. The Under-15 Team 1, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", will open their season a week later.
Maccabi's U16s secured their first victory in three league outings
Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Haifa
A pair from Moanes Dabour set the score in an excellent game against Maccabi Haifa, which was temporarily equalised by Chen Ezra
Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Maccabi Haifa (2-1) in a fascinating upbeat game that sealed the first round of the premier league. This game marked the fourth time in which the teams meet for the opening round and in each of them, the winner went on to win the championship at the end of the season. Unlike many "season games" and despite the fact that this is the first round, the intriguing encounter between the yellow and green fulfilled all expectations. A quick goal by Dabour and a response from Chen Ezra before halftime sent the teams to the dressing room at a tie. Dabour also set the score of the game in the second half.
Watch the gallery from the match
The game opened with quick offensives on both sides, with the two teams seeking the goal and Maccabi Tel Aviv being the first to find it. Two minutes after missing the goal from a convenient angle, Moanes Dabour received an excellent depth ball from Vered in Minute 7 and planted into Davidovich's corner. Haifa's players snapped out the shock quickly and the next offensive ended with Chen Ezra kicking hard toward Enyeama's goalpost. The game continued at a fast pace on both sides until the score was evened as well, 8 minutes into the first half. It was energetic Chen Ezra waiting at the end of a wide ball from Idan Vered, kicking an air ball into the goal and tying the score. Just before the half ended, Samuel Scheimann joined Haifa's offense and nearly surprised Enyeama with a long range kick that also marked the end of the half.
Despite the hot weather, the tempo at the beginning of the second half just increased. It started with a dangerous kick from Ezra that Enyeama managed to ward off and then, 10 minutes into the half, the net shuddered for a third time. The yellow team regained the advantage in Minute 55 following a quick maneuver on the right, beginning with Yeini and continuing with an excellent wide ball from Dahan, leaving Dabour open to score another goal with a header. Maccabi Tel Aviv's players continued to control the reins during the game when Atar stood against Davidovich alone and kicked the ball out, and Radi tested the alertness of the guest goalkeeper with a hard kick from long range.
Starting in the final quarter, the game settled down a bit as Haifa tried to penetrate the yellow defense and the yellow offense tried to execute fast attacks. Everyone was very tense during the added time but at the end, the yellow crowd celebrated an important moral victory after just one victory over Maccabi Haifa in the past 20 encounters. Next Monday, the players will set out to play against Maccabi Netanya in an away game, trying to achieve the second victory of the season in a game that is not expected to be easy.
A pair from Moanes Dabour set the score in an excellent game ...
Youth Division’s Season opening Conference
MTA's Youth Division held a season opening conference of the entire division staff
This morning the entire staff of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division convened at the Kfar Maccabiah sports complex near Tel Aviv for a season opening conference. Participants included all the division's coaches as well as the entire professional and administrative staff. The purpose of the gathering was to present and review the division's summer activity and to make preparations for the new season that will get underway on September 1st. Youth Division manager Ariel Avram and football director Nir Levin detailed the changes that had been made in the division's organisational structure, changes that include the introduction of new personnel in the coaching and professional staffs designed to build on the division's successes and maintain its leading position in youth football in Israel.
During the conference, division staff members participated in a variety of groups for the discussion of professional matters raised by Nir Levin and listened to remarks made by Maccabi's sports psychologist Noam Eyal. Also present at the conference were sports director Jordi Cruyff and head coach Oscar Garcia, who were keen to meet the people responsible for nurturing the next generation of Maccabi Tel Aviv football players. It also presented them with the opportunity to impart their vision on the optimal preparation of these young talents.
MTA's Youth Division held a season opening conference of the entire division ...
Four doubles headline Youth Division season
In the 2012/13 season, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division once again substantiated their claim to being Israel's best as they harvested the highest number of titles of any youth division anywhere in the country. Along with the Division's flagship Under-19 squad, a number of other youth teams won their league championships or prestigious State Cups, from the Under-17s all the way down to the Under-10s.
To begin with the Under-17s, who surpassed the standards set last year by not only winning their second consecutive league title but adding the State Cup trophy to a double-winning season. Wins in both competitions were decisive, with Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" finishing the league season twelve points ahead of their nearest opponent and, with the exception of the semi-final, winning the State Cup at a canter.
Maccabi's Under-16s also won their second straight championship, but unlike their older counterparts their title rivals, municipal opponents Hapoel Tel Aviv, stayed close at their heels throughout the season. With Maccabi five points out in front, the two clubs met at the Kiryat Shalom training ground and until the final moments the visitors looked like holding on to a one-goal lead that would close the gap to two points. But deep into injury time Eden Hershkowitz scored an equaliser and Maccabi maintained their five-point cushion. The match by no means guaranteed them the title, but in retrospect a relatively easy run-in at season's end gave the draw added significance in Maccabi Tel Aviv Eli Fuchs' title run. The championship match came in a 3-1 victory over Ashdod FC and head coach Ziv Arie's talented squad were finally able to hoist the championship trophy of the nationwide U16 League Central District.
The Maccabi Youth Division boasted yet another league and Cup double, this time for the Under-15 Team South. In the league their domination was complete throughout most of the season, especially in the second half, finishing a full eight points ahead of their nearest rival, municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda, with 63 points from 20 wins, 3 losses and 3 draws. But winning the State Cup required a bit of luck as well, with the same Bnei Yehuda waiting in the wings to deprive them of the coveted double in the final. It came down to a penalty shoot-out but Maccabi's Under-15s withstood the pressure and triumphed 5-4 from the spot to win the first of their two 2012/13 season trophies.
Maccabi's Under-12 Team South are the third in the Youth Division's list of double winners, but like their Under-16 club-mates, the road to success was not an easy one. The entire nationwide U12 Central District season came down to one crucial moment, the season's final week which saw Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oz" face the other league leader Hapoel Rishon Lezion. In the end Maccabi prevailed and, after having won the State Cup a month earlier, were able to celebrate an impressive league and Cup double.
Last but by no means least come Maccabi's Under-10 Team South, who secured the Youth Division's final league and Cup double for their age group. The State Cup was won in style with a 7-2 rout of Maccabi Netanya in the final. Like the Under-12s, the Under-10s landed the league title only on the last day of the season, but in their case the circumstances were even more exotic. Both sides led the league, but both sides also came from the same club! In the end Maccabi's U10 Team South beat Maccabi's U10 Team North in an intra-club derby, a victory that handed the league and Cup double to the South.
In the 2012/13 season, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth ...
Best in their age group: Introducing the stars of the future
Many youngsters have, in recent times, led the club to an impressive league and cup double. Here are some players who are set to star in Maccabi colours in the coming yearsThere have been quite a few young players who played an important part in Maccabi’s double winning team this season but it is not a time for the youth department to rest on their laurels. While the senior squad are taking centre stage in Israeli football, youngsters are being nurtured for the future and as the season comes to a close, we want to point out some of the talented players who will undoubtedly make their mark in the coming years.
As of now, the most promising talent is Moshe Marcus, the youth team goalkeeper, born in 1961, who is considered the best goalkeeper in his age group in the country and expected to join the full squad for the 1977-78 season.
In the following years’ age groups, Roni Tzemah (1962) and Yiftah Halevy (1963) have been earmarked by experts as having significant potential to join the full squad under Yaakov Grundman.
And among the even younger age groups lies a group of youngsters who are still the club’s great secret: Boys B, kids born in 1964, who are already being talked about as true stars for the future: Motti Iwanir, Eli Driks, Bonny Ginsburg, Menashe Shimonov and Mickey Cohen.
בוני גינצבורג ואלי דריקס ()
There have been quite a few young players who played ...
