Arie: “We will continue on our path”

The Maccabi "Shachar" Tel Aviv coach spoke about his side's important 1:0 win over Maccabi Netanya and discussed how he sees his team improving week to week.

Maccabi “Shachar” recorded a critical victory and collected three crucial points to pull within only one point of table leaders Maccabi Haifa. Oliel Peretz scored the match’s lone goal in the 42nd minute helping Ziv’s club to the win as both he and central defender Ran Vaturi commented on the game.

“We aren’t counting wins. There was a point early on in the season where we were playing in the Champions League and we had a run of five matches where we didn’t win, so I’m not counting now. We have a very short squad and sent three players to train with the First Team which of course I’m thrilled about, but we also have had a number of injuries and players called up for National Team duty. The guys come and work hard each and every practice.

About the match itself:

“Our defense was a bit soft and allowed Netanya a number of good opportunities but luckily for us Haviv Ohayon saved us time and time again. We scored a great goal today as well and talked about how we can improve in the second half. We controlled the tempo and tried as best as possible to prevent them from getting chances during the final 45 minutes.”

On the team’s goals:

“I talk to the players about three things. Helping the players improve which we are doing very well, the State Cup which is an important goal for us as well as staying at the top of the table. I didn’t cry when we were 7-points off the top of the table and I’m not jumping up and down now that we are only one point from Maccabi Haifa. The Greens have more talented and experienced attackers than we have, and we don’t dwell on the results every week. We will continue on our path and with our way.

Ran Vaturi the Maccabi “Shachar” central defender discussed the team’s improvement every week:

“We work very hard during the training sessions and I’m happy to see that things are coming together. We always think about defense first. As the season has continued along, so have we and we are still a young side and have to all chip in on the defensive side including the strikers.

The battle for first place:

“Of course it’s great that we are only one point away from Haifa, but we are taking it game by game. A streak this way or that way really doesn’t concern us. At the end of the day, we all know the importance for the youth team to take titles, but the main goal is to have players advance and improve and I believe”

Maccabi “Shachar” recorded a critical victory and collected three crucial ...

Maccabi Shachar defeats Netanya 1-0

The young Yellow-and-Blue won their fourth game in a row as Oliel Peretz's goal decided the game and moved the club to within one point of first place

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Under-19 club visited the Maccabi Netanya training facility on Matchday 18 of the Toto Youth League. Entering the match with a three game winning streak, Ziv Arie’s team had been playing terrific football of late as the coach made one change to last week’s starting lineup inserting Eden Kartzev in place of Omri Harami who had been in basic training for the majority of the week.

As the teams walked onto the pitch, the Yellow-and-Blue found themselves four points from the top of the table and leaders Maccabi Haifa. The hosts had the first chance of the day as a left side cross met the head of the Netanya striker but Haviv Ohayon was in place to knock the ball away. Immediately following the Netanya opportunity it was time for Maccabi to have a pair of chances but Gaby Kanichowsky and Eden Kartzev both couldn’t find the back of the goal.

In the 22nd minute Almog Eylon was fouled right outside of the box but his 17-meter free kick went wide of the goal. As the match hit the 30th tick of the clock, Ohayon kept his clean sheet intact as the young keeper made two fantastic saves to keep the game goalless.

However, that would change in the 42nd minute as the match hit the turning point with a beautiful goal by Oliel Peretz. Amit Shapira began the attack sending the ball to Almog who chipped it to Peretz who raced up the middle of the pitch and nutmegged the Netanya keeper giving the Yellow-and-Blue the lead as the sides headed into the break.

The first fifteen minutes of the second half saw Idan Yogev and Ran Vaturi pick up yellow cards and coach Ziv make a pair of substitutions bringing in Omri Haramati and Or Dasa in place of Shay Golan and Eden Kartzev. Almog then had a chance to double the Maccabi “Shachar” lead as he took a deep pass and made it through the defense but couldn’t find a way to put the ball past the keeper. Mahmoud Awesat was then brought into the match for Almog to try and find the elusive insurance marker.

Haviv Ohayon made sure to keep his side in the lead though, making another tremendous save with a quarter hour remaining in the contest. Haramati had an opportunity to add to the lead as he took a fabulous ball from Peretz but was also unable to beat the Netanya shot stopper as the match ended in a 1:0 win for Maccabi.

The victory moved the Yellow-and-Blue to within one point of first place Maccabi Haifa as the Greens fell to Hapoel Beer Sheva potentially setting up a massive game between the teams in just two weeks.

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Under-19 club visited the Maccabi ...

Youth Department Action, Saturday February 20

Maccabi "Shachar" visits Netanya, while all of the other teams play at Kiryat Shalom. All the details are inside

Maccabi “Shlomi” Netanya – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 12:30, Netanya

The Under-19 side plays away at Netanya in an important contest this Saturday with one goal in mind: to continue their winning streak that currently stands at three games after defeating Bnei Sakhnin, SC Ashdod and Bnei Yehuda. The point differential between first and second place where Maccabi finds themselves, stands at four.

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv – SC Julis 12:15, Kiryat Shalom

Maccabi “Oded” hosts SC Julis this Saturday at Kiryat Shalom as the Under-17 team will try to get back onto the winning track after falling to Kiryat Shemona last week.

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv – Bnei Yehuda 10:20, Kiryat Shalom

Eliezer Ben Aharon and Gady Brumer’s charges will kick off against Bnei Yehuda in the Mini-Derby at Kiryat Shalom. The Under-16 club is neck and neck with SC Ashdod atop of the table with the young Yellow-and-Blue holding a light advantage due to better goal differential.

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv – Hapoel Ramat Gan 08:30, Kiryat Shalom

Maccabi “Eldad” leads their league by eight points and this Saturday they will host Ramat Gan hoping to continue their good form and maintain their advantage.

Maccabi “Team 2 Tel Aviv – Hapoel “Nir” Ramat HaSharon 10:20, Kiryat Shalom

After a fabulous victory last Matchday against Hapoel Haifa, the Under-15 side will host Ramat HaSharon at Kiryat Shalom and try to collect three points to cut the point differential atop of the table.

Maccabi “Shlomi” Netanya – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 12:30, ...

Maccabi Shachar picks up 1-0 win

The young Yellow-and-Blue defeated Bnei Sakhnin 1:0 on a goal by Amit Shapira as Peter Bosz and Hendrie Kruzen looked on

After beginning the second round of the Toto League campaign on the right foot, Maccabi “Shachar” looked to avenge a first round loss against Bnei Sakhnin, this time under the watchful eyes of First Team Head Coach Peter Bosz and his assistant Hendrie Kruzen.

The first fifteen minutes of the match saw both sides checking each other out with neither team taking the bull by the horns early on. In the 16th minute Eylon Almog looked to have scored the game’s first goal on a gorgeous header, but it was ruled to be offside keeping the contest goalless. Two minutes later, Sakhnin had a chance to take the lead but Haviv Ohayon was in the right place to keep the ball out of the Maccabi goal.

Gaby Kanichowsky and Almog each had a quality chance just a few minutes later, with the former taking a deep pass from Omri Haramti and shooting the ball right into the opposing keeper’s hands while the latter’s one-on-one opportunity went wide of the goal. As the match began to settle down, the two teams went into the break knotted up at 0:0.

Maccabi “Shachar” came out for the second half like a house on fire as Haramati’s header went off the post and out. Finally in the 51st minute, the hosts would see their efforts pay dividends. Amit Rosenboim’s free kick went off of the post and right to Amit Shapira who chipped the ball over the keeper and the opposing players giving the Yellow-and-Blue a 1:0 lead. Following the goal, Head Coach Ziv Arie introduced Eden Kartzev in place of Shay Golan and four minutes later brought on Mahmoud Awesat for Almog.

The match remained close right to the final clicks of the clocks with efforts by Awesat and Kartzev not finding the back of the Sakhnin goal. In the 88th minute the visitors had a chance to draw even after the referee whistled for a penalty after a handball in the box. However, the Sakhnin keeper stepped up to take the spot kick and hit the bar as Ohayon controlled the ball and helped his side earn the valuable three points.

After beginning the second round of the Toto League ...

Maccabi Defeats Netanya 3-1

Maccabi Tel Aviv visited Maccabi Netanya on Matchday 23 of the WINNER league at The Moshava Stadium due to a radius penalty

The Yellow-and-Blue picked up three valuable points against Netanya at the Moshava Stadium as Eden Ben Basat, Eran Zahavi and Tal Ben Chaim all scored in the 3:1 away victory.

Head Coach Peter Bosz made a couple of changes to his starting lineup from last match against Hapoel Kfar Saba in the first leg of the State Cup quarterfinals.

Dor Micha received the starting nod in place of winger Tal Ben Chaim as did central defender Carlos Garcia for Omri Ben Harush who was out due to yellow card accumulation. Rounding out the defense in front of Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic was Eli Dasa, Avi Rikan and Eitan Tibi. In the midfield was Gal Alberman, Nosa Igiebor and Haris Medunjanin with Eden Ben Basat, Captain Eran Zahavi and Micha providing the attack.

After  a quiet opening ten minutes, Maccabi finally broke the deadlock when Ben Basat received a terrific ball from Medunjanin and put his effort right by a
helpless Barak Levi to give the Yellow-and-Blue a 1:0 lead. Netanya tried to even the score up in the 20th minute but an alert Rajikovic was able to make a last second save and tip the ball over the bar for a corner kick to maintain the one goal lead.

Just  minutes later, Medunjanin took a Micha ball, swung around in the box but put his opportunity just wide right of the goal. Zahavi had a pair of chances to double the lead but his first effort was saved by Levi and the second from 25 meters out went wide of the goal. Iso Lingana’s long shot went over the goal as the Yellow-and-Blue took the slim 1:0 lead into the break.

The start of the second half saw Netanya looking for the equalizer and it took them only three minutes to get it. With the home side putting immense pressure on Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 48th minute, Milan Smiljanic sent Saar Benbenishti a fantastic ball in the box that he headed behind the Serbian keeper to draw Netanya even at 1:1.

With the score back to square one, Coach Bosz made a tactical substitution in the 55th minute introducing winger Tal Ben Chaim for goal scorer Ben Basat. And what would you know, the change would pay dividends soon thereafter. In the 61st minute, Dor Micha raced down the right side, sent the ball to Medujanin whose effort on goal was saved by Levi but Zahavi was in the right place at the right time to slam home the rebound to take a 2:1 lead.

Netanya didn’t give up hope as the Diamond City side looked to draw even once again as a Gael Margolis 17 meter chance was blocked by Rajikovic while Smiljanic’s opportunity went just wide left of the goal. On the other side of the pitch, Maccabi looked to increase their advantage.  Medunjanin’s 76th minute free kick was saved by Levi, Zahavi’s corner was cleared a minute later and Ben Chaim found Zahavi in the box but the captain couldn’t find the handle on the ball as the score remained 2:1 as the match entered the final ten minutes.

Finally in the 84th minute Maccabi found their third goal of the evening. Dor Micha sent Ben Chaim a ball right into the box as number 11 turned Levi inside out and slotted it home for the 3:1 lead as the Yellow-and-Blue collected the three points as they head into their Matchday 24 clash against Hapoel Haifa on Saturday February 20th at 17:00.

The Yellow-and-Blue picked up three valuable points against Netanya at ...

Yellow-and-Blue Saturday – Match Results

The Under-19 club picked up a big win, the Under-16 Derby ended in a draw and what did the Under-17's and other youth department teams do? Check it out inside

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 1:0 Bnei Sakhnin

Ziv Arie’s side defeated Bnei Sakhnin 1:0 on a goal by Amit Shapira under the watchful eyes of Peter Bosz and Hendrie Kruzen. For the complete match recap CLICK HERE.

Hapoel Kiryat Shemona 2:1 Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv

The young Yellow-and-Blue lost to Kiryat Shemona in a tough away match. Prince Thomas gave Maccabi the lead, but a pair of goals by the hosts sent the Under-17 team home from the north empty handed.

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv 2:2 Hapoel Tel Aviv

Maccabi and Hapoel split the points in a Derby draw. Eliezer Ben Aharon and Gady Brumer’s side took the lead twice on goals by Gil Rahimi and Idan Tzioni, however the Reds came back to draw even and take a point.

Hapoel Rishon Le’Zion 0:1 Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv

In Ran Elias’s first match as coach, the Under-15 team won away at the wine city 1:0. Omri Ram scored the lone goal of the match in the 5th minute to take the three points.

Hapoel Haifa 0:5 Maccabi “Team 2” Tel Aviv

The Yellow-and-Blue scored five times to get back onto the winning track after last Matchday’s defeat. Goal scorers for the Under-15 side included a brace by Amit Ya’akov, Stav Aharon, Eden Silam and Idan Dahan.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 1:0 Bnei Sakhnin

Top 5: Goals from past Netanya matches

Tonight, 20:30 at the Moshava Stadium. Maccabi heads out to play Maccabi Netanya, so take a minute and check out the goals from the past matches between the clubs

Youth Department Action, Saturday February 13

The Under-19 side will look to make amends against Bnei Sakhnin after a first round loss and all of the other youth action is inside

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv – Bnei Sakhnin 11:00, Ramle Stadium

After two wins in a row, the Under-19 side returns to Ramle Stadium looking to make up for a first round loss against Bnei Sakhnin.

Hapoel Kiryat Shemona – Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv 13:00, Kiryat Shemona

Ori Uzan and Leon Asraf’s young Yellow-and-Blue will kick off at Kiryat Shmona on Matchday 18 after winning last week against Beitar Tubruk.

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv – Hapoel Tel Aviv 08:30, Kiryat Shalom

For those who are up early, there’s an Under-16 Derby between Eliezer Ben Aharon and Gady Brumer’s  team against their counterparts in Red.

Hapoel Rishon Le’Zion – Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv 08:30, Superland

 After Erez Belfer’s departure, the young Yellow-and-Blue under the direction of Ran Elias will look to continue it’s winning ways against Rishon Le’Zion.

 Hapoel Haifa – Maccabi “Team 2” Tel Aviv 14:30, Kiryat Chaim

 Ran Elias and his side will look to get back onto the winning track when they head up the Carmel to kick off against Hapoel Haifa.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv – Bnei Sakhnin 11:00, Ramle ...

Yellow-and-Blue Crosses Continents

Maccabi Tel Aviv donated football equipment that made it all the way to Ghana with the help of Itamar Dubinsky, a doctorate candidate in the area: "Maccabi made 70 new fans"

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC works with many non-profit organizations on a frequent basis and contributes to the social and logistical aspects of these institutions. A week ago, the Youth Department received a request to contribute various types of football equipment.

Itamar Dubinsky who is in the midst of working on his doctorate, travelled to the football academy in Ghana as part of a study he is working on through the Ben Gurion University. Dubinsky took off for the Unistar Soccer Academy in Ghana where he is the editor of this study, to interview children and the employees of the acadmey in order to learn about the development of populations through the football academy itself.

Dubinsky’s study explores four different football academies with Unistar being the one he is currently working on. This academy also received various articles of equipment from Maccabi Tel Aviv including jerseys, shorts, balls, hats and more. Dubinsky spoke to the Official Website about the academy and the importance of football to this area: “It’s an academy that serves 70 children and was founded by a Ghanian named Ernest Cooper in 2009 in a small city in the south of the country.”

The doctorate candidate Dubinsky also spoke about the importance of Maccabi’s equipment contribution: “Ernest is the sole financier of the academy which is a tremendous amount for just one person to handle. His contributions include free tuition for the children to attend school, meals three times a day, housing, operating expenses and more. The 15-year olds and younger age groups received the donated equipment. This team is composed of children from all over Ghana and its neighboring countries where scouts can come and see which children may have a future as professional footballers. Ernest hopes to sell the rights of the various players in order for him to continue the academy and the further development of the community.”

Dubinsky also commented on the relationship that has been established between the club and the football academy: “The Academy was so happy with the contribution and it was just what they needed, so now they’ll wear Maccabi kits when they play. I believe that the donation did wonders of good for Maccabi in Ghana and picked up 70 new fans. The academy plays matches every week against other teams in Ghana so that will also help raise awareness about Maccabi throughout other communities in the country.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC works with many non-profit organizations ...

Football School- Kfar Szold Branch

An additional branch of the Maccabi Youth Department opened in the Upper Galilee and serves the area's children. Alon Yogev, branch manager: "We want the children to enjoy the game"

 The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department is a household name when it comes to developing young talent as many of the league’s players have come out of the system. A little over two months ago, an additional branch was opened up in the north of the country that is being managed by Alon Yogev in Kfar Szold which is located in the Upper Galilee.

Yogev, who is responsible for the branch spoke to the Official Website about the activities that take place in Kfar Szold: “The idea was to open up a big center where the children from the north could come and take part in activities, enjoy and learn football. Currently, we are working with children ages 6-12, where every two grades train together. The Kfar Szold branch meets twice weekly for an hour each time.”

Aside from the spectacular scenery that accompanies the facility, Yogev continued to discuss the programs offered: “The professional guidelines come straight from the Youth Department at Kiryat Shalom. From a professional standpoint it is very similar to that of Kiryat Shalom, but we also have a lot of exercises without the ball as well as mini matches with less emphasis on running. We want the children to enjoy the game and the competition. The participants come from all over the north and the Galilee as well as from Kibbutzim and also Kiryat Shemona.”

Guy Romesh is one of the children who participates in the Kfar Szold branch programs. He is 8-years old and after just one month he moved up with distinction to train with children two years older than he is. Stav Hen, an 11-year old from Kfar Yuval in the Upper Galilee began attending the branch’s activities and has already been noted to be a player who works very hard in training. He is a standout with the team both from a professional and personal point of view.

 The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department is a household ...