Yellow-and-Blue Saturday – Match Results April 16, 2016

The Under-19 squad maintained their second place position, the Under-17 picked up an important win and the rest of the youth department action is all inside

Kiryat Shemona 1:1 Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv

The second place Maccabi club played their northern counterparts who are in third place to a 1:1 draw as Eylon Almog scored the lone goal for the Under-19 side. For the full match report CLICK HERE

Hapoel Ramat HaSharon 0:3 Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv

Ori Uzan and Leon Asraf’s club picked up an important money time win by defeating Ramat HaSharon away while the second place side lost opening up a five point gap between Maccabi “Oded” and Hapoel Tel Aviv just a week and a half before the two sides face each other. Deslin Ballachio with a brace and Eden Agami scored for the Yellow-and-Blue.

Hapoel Ramat HaSharon 0:0 Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv

In an additional match between the two clubs, the Under-16 team ended their game in a goalless draw. Eliezer Ben Aharon and Gady Brumer’s side are in first place with a seven point lead with four Matchdays remaining in the season. Midweek they’ll face Hapoel Akko in State Cup semifinal action.

Maccabi “Team 2” Tel Aviv 2:1 Maccabi “Shay” Netanya

Ran Elias and Amir Sofer’s charges scored a crucial win on Friday by defeating their Sharon counterpart at Kiryat Shalom. Oz Bilui and Amit Yakov scored for the young Yellow-and-Blue.

Kiryat Shemona 1:1 Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv

The second place Maccabi club played ...

Youth Department helps organize food packages with Achim LaSemal

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-15 squads helped put together food packages on Friday for the needy

To be part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv youth department requires one to put on many hours of training time, sacrifice and a tremendous amount of physical work. However, another area that the youth department looks at being critical is volunteering and giving back to the community.

This past Friday, the Under-15 players joined goalkeeping coach and educational consultant Chen Abdu for a special day preparing food packages for Holocaust survivors and the elderly with Achim LaSemel. The youth players worked hard in order to help as many people as possible on this special day of volunteering and giving back to the community.

To be part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv youth department requires one ...

Sammy Ofer Week: The goals are clear

Maccabi Tel Aviv begins Sammy Ofer week with a tough away contest against Maccabi Haifa this evening at 20:55. Thursday at 20:30, they face Bnei Sakhnin in State Cup semifinal action. We all know what the goals of this week are. Check it out

Youth Department Action, Saturday April 16

Lots of youth department action this weekend at Kiryat Shalom and around the country

Kiryat Shemona – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv, 11:30, Kiryat Shemona

The Under-19 team will look to keep up their winning ways after defeating Beitar Jerusalem last Matchday against the Northern side, whom they beat last round in dramatic fashion. Maccabi finds themselves in second place just three points ahead of Kiryat Shemona in third place.

Ramat HaSharon – Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv, 08:30, Ramat HaSharon

With a two point advantage at the top of the table, Ori Uzan and Leon Asraf’s club will look to increase that lead against the club from the Sharon and remain in first place with only five Matchdays remaining in League play.

Ramat HaSharon – Maccabi “Eli Fuchs”, 12:30, Ramat HaSharon

Act two against the Sharon club will take place away as the Under-16 side will look to continue their fine form after defeating Ashkelon last week 5:1.

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv will play midweek

Maccabi “Team 2” Tel Aviv – Maccabi Netanya, 09:00, Kiryat Shalom

Ran Elias and Amir Sofer will guide their team against their Netanya counterparts on Friday morning.

Kiryat Shemona – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv, 11:30, Kiryat Shemona

The Under-19 team ...

Zahavi’s winner sends Maccabi into 1st place and breaks single season goal scoring record

Zahavi leads Maccabi over Beitar 3:2 into first place with a brace, as Micha also scores while Rukavytsya picks up a pair for Jerusalem

Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted Beitar Jerusalem on Matchday 30 of the WINNER League Championship Playoffs with an opportunity to leap frog over Hapoel Beer Sheva and claim first place

Eran Zahavi proved to the football world yet again why he is the biggest winner in Israeli football today as the Captain shattered the single season goal scoring record with a brace and propelled Maccabi into first place ahead of Hapoel Beer Sheva. Micha scored the first goal of the match while Nikita Rukavytsya scored a brace for Beitar Jerusalem as the Yellow-and-Blue.

Head Coach Peter Bosz started keeper Predrag Rajikovic in goal as usual with a defensive quartet of Eli Dasa, Eitan Tibi, Carlos Garcia and Yuval Shpungin who was playing in place of the injured Omri Ben Harush in front of the young Serbian shot stopper. Wily veteran Gal Alberman along with Haris Medunjanin manned the midfield while Dor Micha, Tal Ben Chaim, Orlando Sa and Captain Eran Zahavi provided the attack up front.

It didn’t take long for Maccabi to make a mark on the match as they quickly took a 1:0 lead in the 10th minute. Alberman led a quick break as the midfielder sent a fantastic ball down the right side to a streaking Dasa. The right back found a wide open Micha who calmly beat Beitar keeper Boris Kleyman to give the Yellow-and-Blue an early lead.

However, ten minutes later Beitar was awarded a penalty after Itay Shecter was fouled in the box and Nikita Rukavytsya easily converted the spot kick to even up the score at 1:1.

With the match back to square one, Maccabi searched for the go ahead goal, but Dasa’s effort went over the Beitar goal and Zahavi’s chance went off of the bar as the frenzied match headed into the 30th minute. As the Yellow-and-Blue continued to control the flow of the match, Zahavi had another wonderful opportunity but his 31st minute header from the middle of the box went out, right over the goal.

Portuguese striker Sa also chipped in with a close range header but his effort went over a leaping Kleyman and over the bar. Zahavi with yet another grand opportunity saw his free kick just scoot by the left post as Kleyman stretched as far as he could to ensure number 7 would stay off of the scoresheet. But he couldn’t keep him off of it for much longer.

In the 43rd minute, Zahavi finally scored his 30th goal of the season tying the Israel League single season goal scoring record with Nisim Elmaliah. The Captain took an unbelievable Micha pass in the box and slammed the ball home behind a helpless Kleyman into the Beitar goal for a 2:1 lead at the break.

The second half began with the same starting XI for both sides. Maccabi’s first chance came in the 54th minute when Sa left the ball for Ben Chaim on the left side. The winger found Zahavi in the box but his header missed the mark as did the Captain’s chance in the 58th minute again from a brilliant play by the winger.

Beitar then punished Maccabi for all of those missed opportunities, when just one minute later Rukavytsya scored his second of the game from in close to draw the Yellow-and-Black even with the Yellow-and-Blue at 2:2.

Ben Chaim who moved his play up a notch in the second half had another chance when his effort from the wing was grabbed by Kleyman to keep the score as is. The 70th minute saw Head Coach Bosz make his first substitution of the match introducing Eden Ben Basat for Sa to help jump start the offense for the remaining 20 minutes.

With Maccabi looking for the winner in the final 10 minutes of the match, Dasa’s chance from Micha missed the mark, Medunjanin’s chip to Zahavi also couldn’t find the goal and Ben Basat’s header went into the waiting hands of the keeper Kleyman. As time continued to wind down Barak Itzhaki came on in favor of Ben Chaim in the 87th minute.

And then it happened. Number 7, the Captain, Eran Zahavi finds the winner out of nowheres in the 90th minute to not only break the Israel League single season goal scoring record with 31 on the campaign, but also to move the Yellow-and-Blue into first place, ahead of rival Hapoel Beer Sheva!

Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted Beitar Jerusalem on Matchday 30 of the WINNER ...

Ohayon scores 90th minute goal for 1-0 Maccabi “Shachar” win

For 90 minutes Ziv Arie's players struggled to find a winner against Beitar Jerusalem until keeper Haviv Ohayon, who just returned from injury, headed one home from a Kanichowsky cross

It took 90 minutes for Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv to break through the stingy Beitar Jerusalem defense as keeper Haviv Ohayon headed the ball past the opponent’s shot stopper helping his side to a 1:0 win. Ohayon left his position to take part in seemingly the final play of the match to score off of a Gaby Kanichowsky cross.

After being eliminated from State Cup play in the quarterfinal round earlier in the week, the young Yellow-and-Blue looked to get back into the win column without the services of Oliel Peretz who was suspended for the match. Keeper Haviv Ohayon returned to action coming back from a head injury and faced a Jerusalem side that looks to be heading towards relegation at the end of the season. Meitar Shemesh was the referee for the tilt at Ramle Stadium.

Head Coach Ziv Arie’s players began the match pressuring Beitar keeper Tamir Lalo and in the 5th minute Gaby Kanichowsky’s 17 meter effort was saved by the shot stopper. Beitar Jerusalem then began to take control of the match with Haviv Ohayon proving he was up to the task in the 15th and 26th minutes extinguishing Oz Zahavi and Austine’s efforts.

Guy Aviv had the Yellow-and-Blue’s best opportunity of the half but his 32nd minute hard angle chance in the box went just wide of the left post. Eight minutes later Or Dasa fed Almog Eylon from the right side but his excellent opportunity didn’t find its way past the Beitar keeper as the sides went into the break goalless.

The second half opened with no substitutions from both clubs. In the 52nd minute Eylon and Kanichowsky each had terrific chances to give Maccabi “Shachar” a lead but the former’s opportunity from 7 meters out was stopped cold by Lalo and the latter’s rebound attempt struck a Beitar defender going out for a corner. Five minutes later Austine almost produced the goal of the year off of a backheel but his effort just skipped by the post.

Maccabi “Shachar” continued to control the tempo and flow of the match but couldn’t find a goal until keeper Haviv Ohayon headed home a Gaby Kanichowsky cross for the valuable three points and the game winning strike after coming back from injury.

Following the match Head Coach Ziv Arie said: “These 90 minutes really summed up our year. After Wednesday’s match I just wanted the players to put the game aside and come into this contest full of energy as if the season was just starting. It didn’t exactly work out that way and the first 20 minutes we looked slow and sluggish. We played against a club that was very organized wanting to take a point and look to counterattack against us. We didn’t create chances and our opponent was more organized and physical than we were. We had some opportunities in the second half but couldn’t find a way to score. Just like I’ve said in the past and I’ll say it again now that Haviv Ohayon is a key player for us and our anchor. I’m happy for the players and this win really picked them up.”

Haviv Ohayon added: “I’ve been waiting for this goal for a very long time and I always believed that if I would go up for the last play of the game I’d score. If I didn’t believe that I could score I would never go up and even attempt to do it. I along with Maccabi keep improving game by game. My future? I trust that the Maccabi people will make the right decision. I’m sure I can rely on my teammates and their abilities in the coming matches so I don’t have to be the one to help win the game.”

It took 90 minutes for Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv to break through ...

Youth Department Action April 9, 2016

The Under-19 squad takes on Beitar Jerusalem, the Under-17 team hosts Rishon Le’Zion and more Youth Department Action on a busy Saturday at Kiryat Shalom

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv – Beitar Jerusalem, 12:00 Ramle

The last time the sides met, Maccabi came away with a 3:0 victory at Bayit Vegan as Ziv Arie’s charges will look for the same result at Ramle Stadium in a match that will be broadcasted on Sport 5 TV.

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv – Hapoel Rishon Le’Zion, 09:00 Kiryat Shalom

Excited about their win over SC Ashdod last Matchday, Ori Uzan’s side will take on the wine city club who find themselves just one place above the relegation zone.

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv – Hapoel Ashkelon, 10:20, Kiryat Shalom

Eliezer Ben Aharon and Gady Brumer’s team host Hapoel Ashkelon who sit under the red line in the relegation zone.

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv – Beitar Jerusalem 12:15, Kiryat Shalom

In an additional match against a capital city side, the Under-15 squad will host their Jerusalem counterparts at Kiryat Shalom.

Maccabi “Team 2” Tel Aviv – Maccabi Herzliya

Ran Elias and his club kick off against the youngsters from Herzliya on Matchday 22.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv – Beitar Jerusalem, 12:00 Ramle

The last time the ...

Maccabi “Shachar” eliminated from State Cup play

Ziv Arie's team fell 3:0 away to Hapoel Haifa in State Cup Quarterfinal action and were ousted from the tournament

After winning their two previous State Cup matches, the Under-19 team was drawn against Hapoel Haifa in the Israel State Cup Quarterfinals in a contest held at Kiryat Haim, home of the Northern Reds. The Yellow-and-Blue looked to avenge two defeats to Haifa and continue on in the competition.

Following a 4:1 victory at Wassermil Stadium against Hapoel Beer Sheva, Head Coach Ziv Arie made only one change to his starting XI with Noam Cohen replacing Amit Rosenboim who was off on Army duty.

The match opened up in very cautious fashion by both sides as Oliel Peretz picked up a yellow card early on. Following a number of quality corner kicks by the young Yellow-and-Blue, Haifa was off to the races as Derrick Bonnah made his way towards the Maccabi “Shachar” goal and keeper Hen Ozeri, beating the shot stopper to give the home side a 1:0 lead.

The Under-19 team didn’t let the deficit get them down and applied pressure to find the equalizer, but Peretz’s chance went right to the Red’s keeper as they took their slim advantage into the break.

Head Coach Arie made one substitution to begin the second half as Tomer Altman was introduced in place of Noam Cohen as Maccabi moved to a formation sporting three central defenders. Unfortunately, the second half began just as the first did with the Yellow-and-Blue giving up another goal to go down by two. Maxim Falchenko’s free kick from 20 meters again beat Ozeri as the Reds increased their lead to 2:0.

Arie brought on Omri Haramati who had a number of chances but couldn’t find the back of the goal while a Gaby Kanichowsky short range effort was stopped cold by the Haifa keeper. To add insult to injury, five minutes from time, a counter attack by the Reds led to their third and final goal of the match when Ener Shecter beat Ozeri to finish the match off 3:0 and bounce Maccabi “Shachar” from the tourney.

After winning their two previous State Cup matches, the Under-19 team was ...

Arie: “There’s no room for mistakes in Cup play”

Maccabi "Shachar" Tel Aviv's coach spoke about the upcoming State Cup match against Hapoel Haifa on Wednesday at 16:00: "We'll try to make the difference in the box"

The Yellow-and-Blue Under-19 team will kick off against Hapoel Haifa on Wednesday in State Cup quarterfinal action. The match will take place at Kiryat Haim and Maccabi will look to pick up an important win having already suffered two defeats at the hands of the Northern Reds.

Head Coach Ziv Arie spoke to the Official Website following the final training session prior to the match: “The two losses against them were actually two totally different games. It’s going to be tough to play our football at Kiryat Haim. We’ll try to make the difference in the box. About last game at Ramle, I’d rather forget about it.”

The players and the challenge ahead:

“A lot of the players here have been through some big matches, be it the Champions League Youth League and also in the earlier round of the State Cup. We’re not a team that knows how to move the ball forward but we will make some adjustments and make sure we don’t make any mistakes.”

Encouraged from last Saturday’s match:

“It’s been tough to put a finger on where the momentum will swing next this season. We made some second half changes and the players responded well. I hope that it gave them some confidence but we still have to be a bit more aggressive and not be as soft as we were. There’s no room for mistakes in Cup play.”

The importance of the match and the State Cup:

“The players know full well what our goal is with the Cup tournament and they are not afraid of it. I told the players that it doesn’t matter who we get drawn against. Did they get it? We’ll find out tomorrow at 18:00.”

The Yellow-and-Blue Under-19 team will kick off against Hapoel Haifa on Wednesday ...

Rajikovic comes up big in 3-0 win

Rajikovic, Zahavi, Ben Chaim and Medunjanin help celebrate the 1995/96 Double Club and honor the memory of Johan Cruyff in the emotional victory at Bloomfield Stadium

Maccabi Tel Aviv faced Hapoel Raanana at Bloomfield Stadium on Matchday 29 of the WINNER League Championship Playoffs as the club introduced the “Ex-Players Club” with the 1995/96 Double squad and honored the memory of football legend Johan Cruyff, father of Sports Director Jordi Cruyff.

Prior to the match, the members of the 1995/96 Double Season team were recognized as the first class of the brand new “Ex-Players Club” to a standing ovation by the fans in attendance. Nir Klinger, Eli Drikes, Avi Nimni and Shura Uvarov were just some of the players on hand to receive the love and cheers by the supporters. Each player wore a Maccabi jersey with their name and number emblazoned on the back as they paraded around the stadium with the State Cup to the delight of the crowd.

The Club then paid homage to footballing great Johan Cruyff who passed away at the age of 68 after a battle with cancer. Jordi Cruyff, son of the late Johan Cruyff and the club’s Sports Director could not be on hand for the ceremony but sent his thanks in an emotional video message to the fans on the Official Website.

All of the Maccabi players then placed flowers around the number “14” on the pitch as the fans unfurled a huge picture of Cruyff with a sign “Johan Cruyff 1947-2016 RIP” beneath it. The players and training staff stood around the center circle while the whole stadium stood up at once and clapped hands for a minute long tribute to one of the game’s legends.

Head Coach Peter Bosz started Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic in goal with a defensive quartet of Yuval Shpungin, Omri Ben Harush, Eitan Tibi and Carlos Garcia. Gal Alberman and Haris Medunjanin manned the midfield while Dor Micha, Tal Ben Chaim, Captain Eran Zahavi and Orlando Sa provided the attack.

The match started off on the right foot for Maccabi as it didn’t take long for the Yellow-and-Blue to score a goal after coming back from the International break. Following a brilliant curling effort by Ben Chaim in the 2nd minute that just missed the mark, Dor Micha lofted a ball into the area from the right side in the 7th minute and a Raanana player handled it the box good for a penalty. Zahavi stepped up and confidently slammed the ball home to give his side the 1:0 lead. The goal was his 29th on the year as his chase towards the single season goal scoring record continued unabated.

Raanana, however had two quality chances in the 20th and 22nd minutes when Evans Kangwa’s effort just went wide of the goal and Rajikovic came up big to stop former Maccabi striker Dejan Radonjic on a one-on-one opportunity. Ten minutes later Ben Chaim beat two Raanana players but his strike went wide while Sa’s long range effort from 25 meters out missed the target to keep the score as is.

Kangwa, who proved dangerous all half had a marvelous chance in the 43rd minute to draw his team even, but his effort all alone in front of the goal was stopped cold by Rajikovic’s kick save as the sides headed into the halftime break with Maccabi holding a slim 1:0 advantage.

Medunjanin had the first chance of the second half for Maccabi in the 52nd minute but his sizzler was saved by an alert Arik Yanko who rallied his team on as Raanana had the better chances over the next quarter hour. Yuval Shabtai looked to have evened up the match in the 59th minute, but Rajikovic saved the day yet again with an unbelievable stop to keep his clean-sheet intact.

Coach Bosz introduced Dor Peretz for Sa in the 64th minute and just three minutes later the Yellow-and-Blue took a 2:0 lead. A scathing attack by Maccabi allowed Zahavi to lay the ball off for Ben Chaim who avoided a Ranaana roadblock to chip the ball magnificently over a helpless Yanko good for the two goal advantage.

However, Maccabi wasn’t satisfied just yet and in the 75th minute Medunjanin added his name to the scoresheet. The Bosnian took a wonderful Micha ball in the box, pulled Yanko out of his goal, turned a couple of Raanana defenders inside out and put the ball into the one goal for the 3:0 advantage.

The Yellow-and-Blue made a pair of substitutions over the last ten minutes of the match as Eden Ben Basat and Barak Itzhaki came on for goal scorers Ben Chaim and Medunjanin as Maccabi leapfrogged Hapoel Beer Sheva into first place with the southern side playing Monday night at Beitar Jerusalem.

Maccabi Tel Aviv faced Hapoel Raanana at Bloomfield Stadium on Matchday 29 ...