Maccabi “Shachar” advances in Cup action; defeats Petah Tikva 5:2 on penalties

Despite playing for a good portion of the game with 10 players, the Under-19 side defeated Petah Tikva in a penalty shoot out after ending 120 minutes even at 1:1

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv faced Maccabi Petah Tikva in the 4th round of State Cup play. The two sides had already met twice in league play with the first encounter ending 3:3 in Petah Tikva and the second a Yellow & Blue 3:1 win just two weeks ago.

Guy Tzarfati’s Starting XI: Daniel Peretz, Michael Chilaka, Alon Shtrozberg, Amit Glezer, Tomer Mahluf, Tamir Glezer, Mufleh Shalata, Ido Shahar, Edurado Guerrero, Bar Cohen, Rave Assayag.

First Half
Maccabi had the first chance of the match in the 7’ when Chilaka’s attempt went off of the Petah Tikva defense and the rebound chance by Cohen was caught by keeper Matan Galanti. In the 23’ Peretz made a fine save while at the other end of the pitch, a Shalata through ball to Assayag but Galanti again was up to the task.

In the 29’ Guy Kaufman’s chance from 25’ went by Peretz’s goal and a minute later Arad Bar’s header went over the bar. Guerrero gave Assayag a through ball in the 32’ but his chance was cleared off the line and just before the break Ilay Hen’s attempt was saved by Peretz as the sides went into halftime goalless.

Second Half
Guerrero sent Assayag nice ball in the 56’ but the striker’s attempt from midair just missed the goal. In the 61’ Petah Tikva took a 1:0 lead when Chilaka was issued a red card for pulling down a striker and Arad Bar converted the spot kick. But five minutes later the Yellow & Blue drew even at 1:1 when Shahar took the ball outside of the box and slammed it behind the Petah Tikva keeper.

Omri Ram who came on as a substitute almost gave Maccabi the lead in the 72’ but Galanti made the stop while 7 minutes later Liel Avda’s chance for the host’s was caught by Peretz. Eyal Hen and Nadav Nidam teamed up in the 85’ for a quality chance to take the lead but the latter’s chance went over the goal as the score after 90 minutes remained 1:1.

Overtime
Both sides looked to control the ball and in the 99’ Petah Tikva’s chance went over the goal while in the 117’ Maccabi’s opportunity was caught by the keeper as the contest headed into penalties after 120 minutes.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv faced Maccabi Petah Tikva in the 4th round ...

Maccabi “Oded” U17 defeats Beitar Jerusalem 4:3

The Under-17 side defeated Beitar Jerusalem on Matchday 21in league play. Or Roizman scored a brace, Yali Lazar and Tal Torgman also found the back of the goal in the victory

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv 4:3 Beitar Jerusalem (U17)
The Under-17 team hosted Beitar Jerusalem as Eliezer Ben Aharon’s squad recorded the win. Goals by Or Roizman x2, Yali Lazar and Tal Torgman helped the Yellow & Blue to the victory as the side remain at the top of the table with a 9-point lead.

Head Coach Ben Aharon summed up the win: “Only in football can a game turn 180 degrees from the first 60 minutes to the last 30. We controlled the pace of play over the first 60 with good football plays as we created numerous chances. The last 30 were a totally different story as Beitar came back into the game and swung the momentum in their favor and almost drew even. This has happened a number of times recently which means we have to think about what we are doing and make improvements. Next week we play in Sakhnin who are a tough club and we will do our utmost to come back with the win and improve our late match minutes.”

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv 4:3 Beitar Jerusalem (U17) The Under-17 team hosted Beitar ...

The Under-15 team defeats Beitar Jerusalem 3:0

The Under-16 team defeated Beitar Jerusalem on Matchday 20 of league action thanks to goals by Aviv Pelles, Elad Kaplan and Rom Gross as they moved into 2nd place, just 2 points off of the table

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv 3:0 Beitar Jerusalem (U16)
The Under-16 team hosted Beitar Jerusalem on Matchday 20 of league play and recorded the victory as Aviv Pelles, Elad Kaplan and Rom Gross all scores to moved into 2nd place, just 2 points off of the table.

Head Coach Eran Sassi summed up the win: “We began the match well with a quick goal in the first minute. We continued to control the match and were able to create more chances but couldn’t find the back of the goal. We started the second half by pressing te opponent and wanted to score another quick goal but we weren’t able to. However, we continued to have many good chances but we also ave to correct some of our defensive issues. We allowed Beitar a number of good chances and could have paid a high price for that. Finally, we were able to score a couple of goals near the end of the match.”

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv 3:0 Beitar Jerusalem (U16) The Under-16 team hosted ...

ID Card: Youth Academy Staff – Ben Kaplan

Behind every first team player there is an entire youth department. At Maccabi, the Youth Academy has a wide variety of coaches and staff members that make it a priority to give the best education and support to the players as they navigate their way to the top. Let’s get to know Ben Kaplan, the Under-16 Assistant Coach

One of the goals of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Avi Cohen Youth Academy is to help the young players improve and advance to the first team. Behind the scenes are many coaches, assistants and staff that are there to provide the next education along the way. One of those people is Ben Kaplan, the Under-16 Assistant Coach who tells us about his time to date in the world of football and the work he does at the Youth Academy.

Ben Kaplan, 32 – Assistant Coach Under-16

Love of the game
“It began just like every other child who loved playing with a ball and then expanded in the 2000’s with my love of Ronaldo, the original Ronaldo. But it was my true love for Guardiola’s Barcelona.”

Entering the world of football
“I had a restaurant, I studied law, managed bars but as time passed by I knew what my dream was and that was to be a football coach of the highest level.”

Investment
“I put a tremendous amount of time into football including reading coaching manuals and books including those of Cruyff and Guradiola who is my role model. I have learnt a tremendous amount from them. It’s amazing to see how the small details make a huge difference.

In addition, I watch a lot of football and not just matches but also tactics on video and YouTube or on other websites that deal with the subject matter. You can learn a lot and in my opinion the world of football continues to change all the time and there is an endless amount to learn. There’s also an unlimited amount of people from who you can learn from.”

Role model
“I really respect and am a fan of Guardiola’s football who takes chances all over the pitch. I also like Maurizio Sarri’s style of play and I have begun really enjoying Klopp’s tactics as well although there seems to be chaotic and tough for me to totally understand his methodology.”

Working at Maccabi Tel Aviv
“Things are different at Maccabi Tel Aviv. Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen’s philosophy is very clear and the whole department plays the same style which is terrific and helps the coaches out a lot. If you get a new team, they are already prepared to play and that makes things move faster along. I work with Eran Sassi who is an excellent coach and we get along really well. I have the freedom to offer my thoughts and opinions but ultimately he has the final word.”

His role
“As an assistant I get the pitch ready for training, work with Eran to prepare the content of the sessions, review match videos, work with the players during the practice and do almost everything that a head coach does. We have a lot of responsibility as we help develop the best players in the country.”

Being part of the Yellow & Blue family
“Maccabi is like a home and that’s how I have felt over the past two years. There’s nothing more than I’d like to do than to be on the pitch, I can’t describe the love I have for my job. I can’t wait for every training session to begin and I never want them to end.

We are group of coaches who work with the youngsters and invest a tremendous amount of time into every single training session. We are all working towards the same goal and I hope that each and every player can go as far as possible and reach for their dreams. We have a terrific connection with them and we talk about all different types of things not just football. They know that I am here for their every need and they are no different than my family.”

One of the goals of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Avi Cohen Youth ...

Yellow & Blue Youth Academy Results – Saturday February 16, 2019

The Under-19 side drew 0:0 with Ramat Gan and the U15 squad defeated Beitar Jerusalem 3:1. All of the other matches were postponed due to inclement weather

Hapoel Ramat Gan 0:0 Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv (U19)
After defeating Maccabi Petah Tikva, the club’s Under-19 side drew 0:0 with Ramat Gan on Matchday 21 of league play. The young Yellow & Blue controlled the pace of play but couldn’t find the back of the goal as the teams split the points. The gap to the top of the table is 3 points. For the Full Match Report Click Here.

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv 3:1 Beitar Jerusalem (U15)
The Under-15 squad hosted Beitar Jerusalem on Matchday 20. The young Yellow & Blue were able to mount a comeback to record the win and stay atop the table. Oscar Gluch and Oral Bahia with a brace scored in the win. Head Coach Ori David summed up the victory: “This was a good team game from a quality football play point of view. We had many clear chances near the goal and the club knew how to come back from a 1:0 deficit to take the 3:1 win. The players showed terrific character.”

Hapoel Ramat Gan 0:0 Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv (U19) After defeating Maccabi Petah ...

Maccabi “Shachar” and Ramat Gan draw 0:0

The Under-19 team drew with Hapoel Ramat Gan on Matchday 21 as each side picked up a point. The young Yellow & Blue controlled the game bit couldn’t break through the host’s stingy defense

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv visited Hapoel Ramat Gan on Matchday 21 of the Israel Youth Premier League. Guy Tzarfati’s squad entered the match just one point off the top of the table while the last match between the two sides ended in a 0:0 draw.

Starting XI: Daniel Peretz, Michael Chilaka, Alon Shtrozberg, Amit Glezer, Tomer Mahluf, Tamir Glezer, Mufleh Shalata, Ido Shahar, Eduardo Guerrero, Bar Cohen, Eyal Hen.

First Half
The match began primarily in the midfield with Maccabi controlling the pace of play. In the 11’ Hen tried his luck from long distance but the ball went over the goal and five minutes later Shalata’s tough angled shot was parried away for a corner by keeper Yuval Sade.

The Yellow & Blue continued to control the play but Ramat Gan played a very defensive style that Maccabi had a tough time breaking down. In the 41’ Hen crossed the ball into the box that was smothered by the keeper but Cohen was able to get to the rebound which he put right by the post and out.

A minute later Tamir Glezer sent a brilliant through ball to Hen but Sade was in place once again and Guerrero’s attempt right before the break was saved by the keeper as the sides went into halftime goalless.

Second Half
Shahar’s 48’ chance went over the goal and Ramat Gan’s opportunity 9 minutes later by Ben Amsalem was went into a Maccabi defender to quell the threat. In the 65’ Shalata’s long distance attempt went by the post and in the 78’ Guerrero took the ball on the right, sent it to Omri Ram but his shot went off a Ramat Gan defender.

Maccabi had a few more chances but the host’s took care of each one of them as the squad’s split the points in a goalless draw, 0:0.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv visited Hapoel Ramat Gan on Matchday 21 of ...

Yellow & Blue Youth Academy Results – February 9 , 2019

The Avi Cohen Youth Academy was in action over the weekend as the U19 side defeated Petah Tikva, the Under-17 squad fell to Maccabi Petah Tikva and the U15’s won at Nes Ziona

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 3:1 Maccabi Petah Tikva (U19)
After the big Tel Aviv Derby win last Matchday, Maccabi recorded a 3:1 win over table leaders Petah Tikva thanks to goals by Eduardo Guerrero x2 and a single marker by Eyal Hen. The victory moves the young Yellow & Blue to within 1 point of first place. For the full Match Report Click Here.

Maccabi Petah Tikva 2:3 Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv (U17)
After a dramatic win last week over Ashdod, the Under-17 squad fell to Petah Tikva on Matchday 20. Maccabi is still in first place with a 9 point lead atop the table. Afek Sapir and Shaked Navon scored for Maccabi.

Nes Ziona 0:1 Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv (U15)
The Under-15 side visited Nes Ziona on Matchday 19 of league play and picked up the win to increase their lead atop the table to 3 points. Oral Bahia was the young Yellow & Blue’s goal scorer. Head Coach Ori David summed up the victory: “We knew that the pitch was not in optimal condition and we would have a tough time against a defensive side. The match was played at a slow pace and it was very easy to lose points. But we scored in the first half and were able to keep the result. I’m proud of the effort.”

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 3:1 Maccabi Petah Tikva (U19) After the big Tel ...

Maccabi “Shachar” tops Petah Tikva 3:1

Guy Tzarfati’s squad recorded an important win thanks to a brace by Eduardo Guerrero and a single marker by Eyal Hen. The victory pulled Maccabi to within one point of the top of the table

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv hosted Maccabi Petah Tikva in a top of the table battle on Matchday 20 of the Israel Youth Premier League. The young Yellow & Blue came into the contest 4 points out of first place which was occupied by the visitor’s.

Starting XI: Daniel Peretz, Michael Chilaka, Alon Shtrozberg, Amit Glezer, Tomer Mahluf, Tamir Glezer, Mufleh Shalata, Ido Shahar, Eduardo Guerrero, Bar Cohen, Eyal Hen.

First Half
Maccabi had their first chance of the match in the 14’ when Shtrozberg sent Shalata a nice through ball. Shalata then passed it to Cohen but his attempt towards the far corner was blocked by Dor Hevron and went out for a corner kick. Shalata’s ensuing corner was then headed by Guerrero just wide of the post and out. Three minutes later, Hen sent the ball to Guerrero but once again he missed the target while in the 25’ Shalata’s chance was caught by Hevron to keep the score as is.

However, the score wouldn’t remain goalless for much longer as two minutes later Hen crossed the ball to Guerrero who found the back of the goal for a 1:0 Maccabi lead. Petah Tikva drew even in the 35’ as Mevida Emanuel put home the ball off a free kick, 1:1. Hen’s 41’ opportunity went over the goal as the side’s went in deadlocked at the break.

Second Half
The Yellow & Blue grabbed the lead once again in the 54’ as Guerrero scored thanks to a Shalata cross for a brace and a 2:1 advantage. Guerrero almost scored again when his 64’ attempt went off the post but three minutes later he played facilitator, sending the ball to Hen who put it into the far corner of the Petah Tikva goal for a 3:1 advantage.

Maccabi continued to control the pace of play as Tzarfati’s squad closed down the visitor’s to pull within one point of the top of the table after taking the 3 points and the 3:1 win.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv hosted Maccabi Petah Tikva in a top of ...

Saturday: Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv’s Match of the Season

Tomorrow, Saturday at 12:00 the Under-19 side will host Maccabi Petah Tikva at the Ramle Stadium for a top of the table battle on Matchday 20 of the Israel Youth Premier League. Head Coach Guy Tzarfati shared his thoughts on the upcoming contest

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv will welcome Maccabi Petah Tikva on Saturday (12:00) at the Ramle Stadium on Matchday 20 of the Israel Youth Premier League. The young Yellow & Blue enter the in second place just four points off the top of the table leaders Petah Tikva. Guy Tzarfati’s squad will look to continue their fine play after winning the Derby last week.

Tzarfati, who has experienced football as a youth and senior player as well as a coach spoke about the match of the season from his point of view: “Anytime you have you have the top 2 teams playing there who always be added interest and importance placed on the game itself. For us, it’s important that we continue our positive momentum and play the football that we have over the past few weeks. The players are focused and ready for the match and they know what is expected of them.”

To date, the Under-19 squad has played 19 matches and have won 11 times, drawn in six and have lost only twice while Petah Tikva has a record of 13 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats. Eduardo Guerrero is Maccabi’s leadings scorer with 6 goals while Petah Tikva feature Liel Avda who has nine markers.

Matchday 5 saw the club’s end in a 3:3 draw. The Yellow & Blue took the lead in the 5’ thanks to a goal by Rave Assayag but Petah Tikva drew even just before the break. Bar Cohen gave Maccabi the advantage in the second half but Petah Tikva scored twice to take a 3:2 lead. But in the 82’ Gil Ben Shalosh scored the tying goal to split the points. With ten matches remaining there are 30 points left in the season.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv will welcome Maccabi Petah Tikva on Saturday (12:00) ...

Dramatic win: Maccabi “Oded” defeats Ashdod 3:2 in injury time

The Under-17 squad recorded an important win over Ashdod on Matchday 19 of the Israel Youth Premier League. A dramatic 92’ goal gave the young Yellow & Blue the victory and increased their lead atop the table to 12 points

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv recorded an important win over Ashdod 3:2 to increase their lead atop the table to 12 points in the Israel Youth Premier League. Eliezer Ben Aharon’s side have now win 16 of 19 league contests.

The young Yellow & Blue scored first when Nir Berkovich found the back of the goal in the 36’ but Ashdod drew even just before the break. Yaheli Lazar gave Maccabi a 2:1 lead in the 63’ via a header but Ashdod again leveled the contest in the 69’. However, Tal Turgman scored a dramatic 92’ goal to give Maccabi the win.

Ben Aharon summed up the match: “This was a real battle by both sides. Ashdod has a quality side with a lot of individual talent. We had a tough time closing them down and we gave up a pair of individual effort goals. They came back twice and we were able to win the game in injury time. We had a ought time winning today due to the conditions but it was sweet to win in the last minute. This was our third win over Ashdod this season and they had defeated us twice last year so you can see how we have improved this current campaign. On Saturday we face Maccabi Petah Tikva and our goal is to take home the win.”

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv recorded an important win over Ashdod 3:2 to ...