Watch: Keane ahead of Maccabi Haifa

After uniting members of the club's two squads, Maccabi's U15s took off for the Italian town of Pordenone to participate in an annual football competition

About a fortnight ago, Maccabi Tel Aviv's two Under-15 teams, "Eldad" and Team 2, both reached the finals of national U15 State Cup competition, to be held at the end of the month. Days later a team was formed from members of both the Under-15 squads, which then headed out to the small northeastern Italian town of Pordenone, where they participated in the annual U15 football tournament known as the "Memorial Franco Gallini International Football Tournament". This is the first time an Israeli youth team has participated in the tournament, which was first held in 1998.

Joining 31 other U15 teams from all over the world, Maccabi's youngsters were assigned to one of the eight groups of four teams that competed in the tournament, with the top two teams of each group advancing to the final stages of the competition. In the event Maccabi's Under-15s finished second in their group after facing challenges from counterparts from clubs Atalanta, Fiume Bannia and Don Bosco Ve. In the last sixteen head coach Erez Belfer's squad lost a penalty shoot-out 4-3 to Bulgarian team Ludogrets after playing out a goalless draw. But the Maccabi youngsters were able to console themselves with victories in their final two encounters against other last-16 losers to finish a highly respectable ninth in the final standings of the competition. The ultimate winners of the tournament were none other than domestic heavyweights Milan.

The professional staff that accompanied Maccabi's Under-15s to Pordenone reported that the pitch conditions there were far from ideal. Nonetheless the qualities of physicality and speed the Maccabi youngsters encountered in their tournament opponents provided a healthy challenge for the young players, who coped more than admirably and forged new bonds of friendship between members of the two Maccabi Under-15 teams, who starting next season will be officially merged.   

After uniting members of the club's two squads, Maccabi's U15s took off ...

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" beat Beitar Jerusalem 3-1 to advance to the U17 State Cup final

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded", under the able leadership of coaches Eliezer Ben Aharon and Gadi Brumer, have reached the finals of the U17 State Cup competition after beating their counterparts from Beitar Jerusalem 3-1 in the semis at "Beit Nivharot" in the Tel Aviv suburb of Shfayim. "Oded"'s road to the semi-finals was not an easy one by any means and included such strong rivals as Ashdod FC, Maccabi Petach Tikva and Hakoach Amidar Ramat Gan.

Maccabi opened the match brightly and after a number of excellent scoring opportunities they netted their first goal on 17 minutes. Tomer Altman tore down the right and sent the ball across the pitch to Ron Gabay. Gabay passed on to the prolific Omer Lakao, who scored on the half-volley to give his side a 1-0 lead in an otherwise goalless first half.

After the break Roy Ronen came on for the injured Amit Shapira and on 62 minutes would be involved in Maccabi's second. After a continued good performance by the whole Maccabi team, an exceptional personal effort by the substitute enabled Ron Gabay to poke home to expand "Oded"'s advantage to 2-0. On 70 minutes Beitar exploited some weak marking on the part of the Maccabi defence to pull a goal back but "Oded" had the last word when once again Roy Ronen stepped up, this time to take a corner, and Lenny Aharon headed home to finish off the scoring at 3-1.

In the final, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" will face Hapoel Nir Ramat Hasharon, who defeated Hapoel Beer Sheva 3-2 in the other U17 State Cup semi-final.

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" beat Beitar Jerusalem 3-1 to advance to the ...

After a successful week in State Cup competition, Maccabi's Youth Division returned to league duties this Saturday. Here follow all the goals and results

Saturday proved a busy day for the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division, with head coach Arie Ziv's Under-19s stealing the headlines with an impressive 3-0 home win against Nes Ziona at Ramla municipal stadium that returned them to winning ways. Providing the goals were Congolese striker Mavis Tchibota, midfielder Eliel Peretz and striker Raz Yitzhak. The win kept "Shachar" joint top of the national U19 Premier League table, leading title rivals Maccabi Haifa on goal difference. Next week will see them face tough opposition at Ironi Kiryat Shmona.

Maccabi's Under-17s also turned in an impressive performance as they beat Bnei Sakhnin 2-0 at the Kiryat Shalom training ground. Roy Ronen and Omer Lakao contributed "Oded"'s two goals that returned head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's squad to the top of the national U17 Premier League. Next week they'll head off to the nation's capital to face Beitar Jerusalem. The club's Under-16  were less fortunate on Saturday, losing to Ashdod FC 2-1. Nonetheless head coach Shlomi Mitelka's lads stay top of the nationwide U16 League South table.

The club's Under-15 Team 1 registered a handsome 5-1 home win against Beitar Tel Aviv – Ramla. Goals for Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad" came courtesy of a hat-trick by Leon Gardashov and individual efforts by Raz Hadar and Shla'ata Muflach. The win keeps coaches Eyal Tzachi and Oded Barnea's side top of the nationwide U15 Central District League table with two games in hand. Eyal Chen and Omer Brami were the goalscorers as coaches Erez Belfer and Roei Talmor's Under-15 Team 2 fought out a 2-2 draw away at Maccabi Haifa. 

After a successful week in State Cup competition, Maccabi's Youth Division returned ...

After celebrating two State Cup wins last Wednesday, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division will return to league duties this Saturday with a number of exciting fixtures on the programme. Here follows a summary

This Saturday, in gameweek 25 of the national U19 Premier League, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will welcome their counterparts from Sektzia Nes Ziona, who are currently languishing in fifteenth place in the table. The match will be played at Ramla's municipal stadium with the kick-off scheduled for 11.30am. Head coach Ziv Arie's "Shachar" go into the match after a 1-0 loss last week at Hapoel Beer Sheva that left them level at the top of the table with title rivals Maccabi Haifa and leading them on goal difference alone. The joint leaders are scheduled to face off in two weeks' time.

After two consecutive league victories and an impressive win over Beitar Jerusalem that advanced them to the U17 State Cup finals last Wednesday, head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" will host Bnei Sakhnin at the Kiryat Shalom training ground for an 11am kick-off. Head coach Shlomi Mitelka's Under-16s will try to maintain the momentum of five consecutive league victories when they set out on Saturday to face Ashdod FC at 11.30am. With a number of squad members having just returned from a tournament in Italy, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", the club's Under-15 Team 1, will host Beitar Tel Aviv–Ramla at Kiryat Shalom at noon. Their counterparts from Team 2 will travel up the coast to face Maccabi Haifa at their "Ketzef" training ground at 11am.

A second Maccabi Youth Division Team to have won their State Cup competition last Wednesday, the Under-14 Team South, will head in the opposite direction for an early 9am kick-off against Ashdod FC with a view to closing the three-point gap with title rivals Maccabi Haifa. Much like the Under-15 Team 2, coaches Nissim Dvash and Tamir Shamir's Under-14 Team North will also be playing in Haifa on Saturday afternoon at 3pm, in their case against the red half of the city, Hapoel Haifa. Maccabi's Under-13 Team North will host Bnei Yehuda for a "little derby" at Kiryat Shalom at 10.15am, with Team South welcoming Maccabi Shoham to their Hadar Yosef playing field at the same hour.

After celebrating two State Cup wins last Wednesday, the Maccabi Tel Aviv ...

Gala day for the Youth Division as both U15 teams win their State Cup semis to guarantee an all-Maccabi final!

The Youth Division enjoyed a victorious afternoon as both Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad" and the Under-15 Team  2 passed the hurdle of the State Cup semi-finals to set up the mouth-watering prospect of an all-Maccabi U15 State Cup final.

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad" beat Maccabi Petach Tikva 5-4 on penalties after the two sides finished the 90 minutes deadlocked in a goalless draw. "We played a good match and created a lot of good chances," said head coach Eyal Tzachi after the match. "The better team won and now at least Maccabi are guaranteed the trophy".

The Under-15 Team 2 won their semi-final encounter 3-1 in a derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv. Sahar Barabi, Eden Kartsev and Gil Rahimi were the goalscorers for Erez Belfer's side. After the match the head coach had this to say: "We played good football. We were aggressive, determined and deserved to win the tie. And now that "Eldad" have also won their semi-final we can rest assured that the trophy will be in Maccabi hands".

Gala day for the Youth Division as both U15 teams win their ...

Another busy weekend in the Youth Division. Here's all the action

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division teams were all in action this Saturday, and with the exception of one loss and one draw, every one of them emerged victorious. Head coach Ziv Arie's Under-19s faced tough opposition at Hapoel Beer Sheva and despite dominating throughout failed to recover from a one-goal deficit and finished at the wrong end of a 1-0 result. "Shachar" are still on top of the U19 Premier League, but now only on goal difference from second-placed Maccabi Haifa.

Maccabi's Under-17s also dropped points on Saturday when their away tie at Ironi Kiryat Shmona ended in a goalless draw. The result leaves them in second place in the U17 Premier League, two points behind Maccabi Haifa. The club's Under-16s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", booked an emphatic win at home, beating Hapoel Jerusalem 6-1 at the Kiryat Shalom training ground. Zamir Ron scored a hat-trick, Desalin Balacho a brace and Nadav Reuveny added an individual effort. The impressive victory cements their place atop the nationwide U16 League South.

Maccabi's two Under-15 teams are on the threshold of making club history after both succeeded mid-week in reaching the finals of the U15 State Cup competition and will face one another mid-April for the right to hoist the prestigious State Cup trophy. And on Saturday, both continued to get good results. Coaches Eyal Tzachi and Oded Barnea's Team 1 beat Ironi Modi'in 2-1 at home courtesy of goals by Muflah Shalata and Raz Hadar. Team 2 also won at Kiryat Shalom, scoring three goals without conceding in their 3-0 win over Maccabi Herzliya Hadar.  Shachar Eyelon Drucker, Eyal Chen and Yuval Levin were the goalscorers.

One of the Division's best results of the weekend came from coaches Ori David and Aviv Rein's Under-14 Team South, who outran fellow title-chasers Maccabi Haifa 0-5 away. Five different players contributed to the rout – Omri Ram, Tal Binyamin Yagudaev, Osher Davida, Bar Cohen, and Menahem Mendel Asraf. The win brings them level with their northern namesakes at the top of the U14 League Central District in what looks like becoming a title race that will go right down to the wire. The club's Under-14 Team North, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shlomo", beat Maccabi Emek Heffer 1-2 away on goals by Amit Ya'akov and Dan Lugasi.

Last but by no means least, Maccabi's Under-13 Team South beat Sektzia Nes Tsiona 0-2 away and are now only three points off the pace in the nationwide U13 League Central District. Head coach Kfir Alfonte's Under-13 Team North brought home the Youth Division's biggest results of the weekend, overwhelming Hapoel Rishon Lezion 7-1 at home. Niv Berkovitch  Lazar both scored braces, Mor Kochav, Afek Sapir-Nevot and Ro'I Ma'ayan all added on.

Another busy weekend in the Youth Division. Here's all the action

Maccabi's U19s will be out to strengthen their lead at the top of the league at a difficult away tie against Hapoel Beer Sheva

The Under-19 Premier League season is entering its final phase with just seven matches to go till the end of the season. With a lead of just three points at the top of the table, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will head south for a difficult but crucial tie against an up-and-coming Hapoel Beer Sheva, with a live broadcast on Israeli sports channel 55 at 3pm. Half an hour earlier Maccabi's Under -17s will also be facing tough opposition away, but at the northern end of the country against Ironi Kiryat Shmona. At the start of gameweek 25, Eliezer Ben Aharon's squad sit second behind Maccabi Haifa in the national Under-17 Premier League table, but on goal difference only and with a game in hand.

Nationwide U16 League South leaders Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" will welcome second from bottom Hapoel Jerusalem to Kiryat Shalom training ground at 10am. After winning their respective mid-week State Cup semi-final ties to set up an all-Maccabi final, both of the club's Under-15 teams will return to league duties on Saturday. At 12.30pm Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" will travel  to Ironi Modi'in and Under-15 Team 2 will have the early 8.30 kick-off at Kiryat Shalom against Maccabi Herzliya.

Both of Maccabi's Under-14 teams play away on Saturday, Team South at Maccabi Haifa's "Ketzef" training ground at 11am and Team North against Emek Heffer in Givat Haim at 8.30am. The club's Under-13 Team North will welcome Hapoel Rishon Lezion to the synthetic pitch at Kiryat Shalom at noon while the Under-13 Team South will play away at Sektzia Nes Tziona at 9am in the morning. 

Maccabi's U19s will be out to strengthen their lead at the top ...

Maccabi's U14 Team South recorded their ninth consecutive victory as the U13 derby ends in a goal-packed draw

After Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s defeated Beitar Jerusalem on Saturday morning, it came as a disappointment that Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" were knocked out of the U16 State Cup competition at the quarter-final stage after losing 2-1 to Maccabi Haifa at their "Ketzef" training ground. The home side jumped to a 1-0 lead after just twelve minutes but six minutes from the break Eden Kartsev restored Maccabi Tel Aviv's hopes of victory with an equaliser, his sixth goal of the season. The stalemate lasted until the hour mark when Maccabi Haifa scored their second, the final goal in a game that sent the hosts into the semi-finals at "Eli Fuchs"'s expense.

Head coach Eyal Tzachi's Under-15 Team 1, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", had a far easier time with Hapoel Beer Sheva, beating their opponents comprehensively 5-2 in gameweek 19 of the nationwide U15 League Central District. The home side were first to get on the scoreboard courtesy of an early goal by Adir Hardon. The visitors briefly managed to turn the match around in the first half, but the second half belonged to "Eldad" alone as Tal Daon scored a hat-trick to bring his season total to 20 goals in all competitions. Maccabi's fifth came courtesy of a Beer Sheva own goal. Head coach Erez Belfer's Under-15 Team 2 were also in celebratory mood after a 0-2 away win at Hapoel Petch Tikva in their nationwide U15 League Sharon District gameweek 19 fixture. Yam Ben Yehuda and Tomer Tzitrin contributed the goals in what was the team's fifth win in their last six outings.

Maccabi's Under-14 Team South hammered Hapoel Rishon Lezion 7-0 at Kiryat Shalom to book their ninth consecutive win, with seven individual players finding the net. Not to be outdone, their Team North counterparts reached double figures in their jaw-dropping 12-0 victory over Nesher FC. In the nationwide U13 Central District League the two Maccabi teams, North and South, played out a derby of the quality we've come to expect from the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division, with both sides scoring four times in a goal-packed 4-4 draw.  

Maccabi's U14 Team South recorded their ninth consecutive victory as the U13 ...

Maccabi's U19s will host Beitar Jerusalem, the U16s hope to advance to the State Cup semi-finals

After having last week failed to score for the first time this season in a goalless draw against Maccabi Netanya, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s will attempt to get their title aspirations back on track when they host Beitar Jerusalem at the Ramla municipal stadium on Saturday in a match to be broadcast on Israeli sports channel 55 starting at noon. The club's Under-16s will have a break from league duties to play their State Cup quarter-final tie at Maccabi Haifa's "Ketzef" training ground at 1.15pm.

Maccabi's Under-15 Team 1 will host Hapoel Beer Sheva at the Kiryat Shalom training ground's artificial pitch at 11am with a view to maintaining their six-point advantage atop the nationwide U15 League Central District table. Head coach Erez Belfer's Under-15 Team 2 will be looking to stay in good form when they play away to Hapoel Petach Tikva at Sirkin Field at 8.30am in gameweek 19 of the nationwide U15 League Sharon District.

Head coach Ori David's Under-14 Team South will have the early kick-off at Kiryat Shalom's artificial pitch when they welcome Hapoel Rishon Lezion at 9am on Saturday. The Under-14 Team North will open the afternoon on the same pitch when they host Nesher FC at 12.45pm. Finally, the nationwide U13 League Central District will serve up a Maccabi derby when Team North greet Team South at the Hadar Yosef playing field at 8.30am.   

Maccabi's U19s will host Beitar Jerusalem, the U16s hope to advance to ...

Another Saturday of goals and victories galore in Maccabi's Youth Division

Saturday's slate of Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division fixtures began with the Under-17s, who played their game in hand at Ashdod FC and turned it into a 1-11 rout. Ofri Mashta led the assault with a hat-trick, but three different Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" players scored a brace each: Omer Lakao, Almog Eylon and Ron Gabay. Ran Vaturi and Lenny Aharon rounded off the scoring and helped head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's team to climb to the top of the national U17 Premier League table, a point ahead of title rivals Maccabi Haifa, with nine games left to the season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" were able to maintain their pre-eminence in the nationwide U16 League South table courtesy of a 0-5 away win at Maccabi Shoham. Neil Goldberg scored twice, Prince Thomas and Rom Wasserman once each, with a Shoham own goal completing the impressive scoreline that sends head coach Shlomi Mitelka's lads three points clear of nearest rivals Maccabi Petach Tikva. Despite playing out a 3-3 draw against Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi's Under-15 Team 1 also managed to hold on to the top spot in the nationwide U15 Central District table, albeit with a decreased six-point margin ahead of Jerusalem's second U15 team, Beitar. All three of Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad"'s goals were scored by Muflah Shla'ata.

But it wasn't only league duties that occupied the Youth Division on Saturday, as a number of the teams were also involved in contests for advancement to the final stages of their respective State Cup competitions. Head coach Ori David's Under-14 Team South booked their place in the semi-finals after a 4-1 home win against Beitar Jerusalem. Tal Yagudaev produced a hat-trick and Omri Ram added the fourth for the home side. Maccabi's Under-14 Team North also passed their quarter-final test, but in far more dramatic fashion. They were hosted by Hapoel Ra'anana and at the end of regulation time the scoreboard showed three goals for each side. Only in the ensuing penalty shoot-out did head coach Asaf Profeta's charges succeed in showing their superiority, overturning a 3-3 draw in favour of a 4-2 triumph. The only Youth Division team to see their advance in State Cup competition halted were the Under 13 Team North, who succumbed to Maccabi Haifa 3-6.

Another Saturday of goals and victories galore in Maccabi's Youth Division