The Israeli Cup entered yesterday the stages worth mentioning, when the teams from the National League started their participation in what can give the best a European place. And what could we see? Well, considering the fact they were playing against the teams from the lower Leagues, both the results and the performances were embarrassing! And the National League Hapoel teams fully discredited themselves - just 3 out of 7 will continue the struggle, and they didn't convince either.

The statistics of the yesterday games is the following: 47 goals, 3 penalties scored and 1 missed, 7 red cards, 1 nil draw, 3 1:0 games, 1 game with a penalty shoot-out (9 scored, 7 missed), and - 4 National teams out of the Cup struggles!

Just 2 of the National teams, out of 13 playing yesterday, can be satisfied with their performances - Beitar Jerusalem (1) and Bnei-Yehuda (12), both playing indeed against the weakest possible rivals (League D), but at least devastating the opponents and showing a real superiority. The progressing teams of the National League, Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa and Maccabee Herzliya, can be quite pleased too, as they defeated their opponents from League B, Hapoel Ashdod and Maccabee Netanya respectively, with the margin of 2 goals each; but here the certain credit can be given to the rivals, as Ashdod, led by Meir Goldfinger, wasn't much worse than Petakh-Tikwa, and Netanya even took an early lead and could've won hadn't Alexander Gaiduk missed so much. So, to sum up: 2 National League teams with a great skill and 2 with an acceptable one. And what about the rest?

Hapoel Kefar-Saba, the Cup surprise of the last year, lost all of a sudden to Maccabee Ironi Ashdod, where the former player of Beitar Jerusalem, the Hungarian midfielder Laszlo Czeh, registered a superb performance. Hapoel Beer-Sheva, as usual in the last Cup years, lost to Kiryat-Shmona from League B, 1:2, after being down 0:2 at the 12th minute at home and not being able to come back properly. Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa registered an awful performance, as they couldn't penetrate the wonderful defence of Maccabee Shaarayim for 120 minutes, lost a player, and even the two saves of Shai Hess in the penalty shoot-out were met by two saves of a wonderful Amir Guz, our "Keeper Of The Round", to bring Shaarayim an advancement. [Guz after the match: "They (Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa - M.M.) didn't want me at the beginning of the season, and told me they have a perfect keeper on the pitch. I wanted very much to show them that I'm no worse than Shai Hess, and I believe I did show it."] And Hapoel Tel-Aviv was the biggest disappointment, taking an early lead of 2 goals, losing it still before the break, seeing its player sent off and then being saved from a regular time defeat by Alon Offir's header 10 seconds from time, just to be humiliated once more in the extra-time.

The rest of the National League teams hadn't a picnic either. Just 3 Hapoels from League A stayed in the Cup - Hapoel Beit-Shean had to wait 68 minutes to score against Beitar Beer-Sheva (League C), and wasn't far from suffering an equalizer of the guests in the dying seconds; Hapoel Haifa, able to defeat nearly every team in Israel, was saved from the early lead of Hapoel Bat-Yam due to the single sparkles of Reuven Attar and Amir Turgeman; Hapoel Rishon le-Zion had to wait till the dying seconds to defeat Maccabee Yavne. Maccabee Tel-Aviv was worse than Hapoel Jerusalem from League B, but had Eli Driks to do the job. And the worst is still to be told. Maccabee Haifa, the team that defeated Ajax a week ago, struggled hard against Nes-Tsiona, was down 0:1 and then 2:4, saw Moshe Glam sent off for the 3rd time this season (so that both teams stayed with 10 players), but had Offer Shitrit, our "Player Of The Week", saving it from humiliation with 4 goals, and Eyal Berkovich, the only other player to stay at the level, scoring another important goal as well.

Three games were postponed because of the poor weather and field conditions. These will be played on Tuesday.

BNEI-YEHUDA TEL-AVIV - Hapoel Bir-Mahsour (League D)  5:0 (2:0).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Alon Mizrahi (3, 58 pen), Nir Sevilla (8, 77), Nir Shitrit (80).
Guests:   -.
THE BEST: Vassili Moukan, midfielder, Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv.


MACCABEE HAIFA - Nes-Tsiona (League B)  6:4 (2:2).
---------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Offer Shitrit (21, 74, 75, 85), Eyal Berkovich (27), 
          Haim Revivo (90).
Guests:   Rave Sharabi (7), Shlomi Irim (31), Eyal Haim (46),
          Offir Haim (49).
RED:      Shlomi Orenshtein, defender, Nes-Tsiona, 63.
          Moshe Glam, defender, Maccabee Haifa, 65.
THE BEST: Offer Shitrit, forward, Maccabee Haifa.
On the 29th minute Haim Revivo (Maccabee Haifa) missed a penalty kick -
Boris Tkachev saved.


Tsairei Yaffa (League D) - BEITAR JERUSALEM  1:6 (1:4).
--------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Offer Bakhar (14).
Guests:   Istvan Pisont (12, 25 pen, 58, 82), Eli Ohana (41, 43).
RED:      Raanan Deri, defender, Beitar Jerusalem, 70.
THE BEST: Istvan Pisont, midfielder, Beitar Jerusalem.


HAPOEL BEIT-SHEAN - Beitar Beer-Sheva (League C)  2:1 (0:0).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Hannah Farhoud (68), Shimon Danan (70).
Guests:   Charlie Camshow (83).
THE BEST: Jackie Sourjoun, midfielder, Hapoel Beit-Shean.


Maccabee Netanya (League B) - MACCABEE HERZLIYA  1:3 (1:1).
------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Liron Vilner (2).
Guests:   Yair Simhon (41), Nissim Cohen (51), Ilan Bakhar (89).
RED:      Alex Barmecher, defender, Maccabee Herzliya, 87.
THE BEST: Offer Mizrahi, forward, Maccabee Herzliya.


Hapoel Ashdod (League B) - MACCABEE PETAKH-TIKWA  0:2 (0:1).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    -.
Guests:   Tal Bnaya (5), Yossi Shoshani (63).
THE BEST: Guy Itzhak, midfielder, Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa.


HAPOEL HAIFA - Hapoel Bat-Yam (League B)  2:1 (0:1).
-----------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Reuven Attar (57 pen), Amir Turgeman (60).
Guests:   Alon Elmakeis (16).
THE BEST: Rami Barda, forward, Hapoel Bat-Yam.


MACCABEE IRONI ASHDOD (League B) - Hapoel Kefar-Saba  1:0 (0:0).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Jean Talesnikov (71).
Guests:   -.
THE BEST: Laszlo Czeh, midfielder, Maccabee Ironi Ashdod.


MACCABEE TEL-AVIV - Hapoel Jerusalem (League B)  1:0 (0:0).
------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Eli Driks (50).
Guests:   -.
RED:      Yair Asayag, forward, Hapoel Jerusalem, 74.
THE BEST: Haim Hageage, midfielder, Maccabee Tel-Aviv.


Maccabee Yavne (League B) - HAPOEL RISHON LE-ZION  0:1 (0:0).
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    -.
Guests:   Dani Albert (90).
THE BEST: Asi Rakhamim, keeper, Maccabee Yavne.


MACCABEE SHAARAYIM (League C) - Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa  5:4 (0:0 AET).
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    -.
PENALTIES (second):  Yehuda Benodis   0:0  (Shai Hess)
                     Inbar Mussafi    1:0
                     Shmuel Cozy      1:1  (missed the frame)
                     Yariv Sadeh      2:1
                     Ronnie Maman     2:2  (Shai Hess)
                     Yossi Aflallo    3:3
                     Ronnie Itakh     4:4
                     Sassi Mingad     5:4
Guests:   -.
PENALTIES (first):   Beni Kozoshvili  0:0  (post)
                     Avi Fletcher     0:0  (post)
                     Eli Abrabanel    1:1
                     Manor Hassan     1:1  (Amir Guz)
                     Offir Koppel     2:2
                     Meni Bason       2:3
                     Walid Badir      3:4
                     Yaniv Hermesh    4:4  (Amir Guz)

RED:      Alon Maya, midfielder, Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa, 103.
THE BEST: Ronnie Maman, defender, Maccabee Shaarayim.


Hapoel Beer-Sheva - HAPOEL KIRYAT-SHMONA (League B)  1:2 (0:2).
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Stav Elimelekh (71).
Guests:   Vickey Bukovza (5), Nimrod Elbaz (12).
THE BEST: Carlos Pero, midfielder, Hapoel Kiryat-Shmona.


Hapoel Tel-Aviv - MACCABEE ACCO (League B)  3:4 AET (2:2, 3:3, 3:4).
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Sharon Mimer (2), Yossi Madar (12), Alon Offir (90).
Guests:   Vladimir Zayarny (24, 94), Patrisio Sayag (29), Sami Yaish (58).
RED:      Moti Fleeter, defender, Hapoel Tel-Aviv, 39.
THE BEST: Vladimir Zayarny, midfielder, Maccabee Acco.





                         THE 11 OF THE ROUND
                         ------------------
                              Amir Guz
                        (Maccabee Shaarayim)

  Sagi Gonen         Shmuel Levi         Ronnie Maman       Yariv Sadeh
(Maccabee Acco)   (Beitar Jerusalem)   (Mcb. Shaarayim)   (Mcb. Shaarayim)

Vladimir Zayarny    Laszlo Czeh      Eyal Berkovich      Istvan Pisont
 (Maccabee Acco)   (Ironi Ashdod)   (Maccabee Haifa)   (Beitar Jerusalem)

                    Offer Shitrit        Eli Ohana
                   (Maccabee Haifa)  (Beitar Jerusalem)


3: Maccabee Shaarayim     (League C)
3: Beitar Jerusalem       (League A)
2: Maccabee Acco          (League B)
2: Maccabee Haifa         (League A)
1: Maccabee Ironi Ashdod  (League B)


THE BEST OF THE ROUND:  Offer Shitrit, forward, Maccabee Haifa.


THE BEST CUP SCORERS:
        Offer Shitrit (Maccabee Haifa)       4       4
        Istvan Pisont (Beitar Jerusalem)     4 (1)   4(1)
        *************************************************
        Eli Ohana (Beitar Jerusalem)         2       2
        Vladimir Zayarny (Maccabee Acco)     2       2
        Nir Sevilla (Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv)   2       2
        Alon Mizrahi (Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv)  2 (1)   2(1)


3 games are still to be played in Tuesday:

        Maccabee Yaffa                 - Hapoel Ramat-Gan (League B)
        Shimshon Tel-Aviv (League B)   - Hapoel Tsafririm Holon
        Hapoel Kefar-Shalem (League B) - Beitar Tel-Aviv


P.S.  These games ended in the following ways:

Maccabee Yaffa - HAPOEL RAMAT-GAN (League B)  0:1 (0:1).
---------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    -.
Guests:   Yuval Nayim (7 pen).
THE BEST: Yuval Nayim, defender, Hapoel Ramat-Gan.


Shimshon Tel-Aviv (League B) - H. TSAFRIRIM HOLON  0:3 AET (0:0, 0:0, 0:1).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    -.
Guests:   Shai Holtzman (102), Assaf Tubi (114), Hezi Shirazi (117).
THE BEST: Shai Holtzman, forward, Hapoel Tsafririm Holon.


Hapoel Kefar-Shalem (League B) - BEITAR TEL-AVIV  1:2 (1:0).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hosts:    Niv Tal (32).
Guests:   Doron Amar (51), Moshe Eisenberg (80).
THE BEST: Yaniv Avvargeal, forward, Beitar Tel-Aviv.

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