22 goals and only one red card shown - this was the story of the last weekend which I personally spent in Eilat. 5 penalties were awarded, and only 3 scored, but if the miss of Tibor Shallai can be fatal to his team, Hapoel Beit-Shean, the miss of Avi Nimni made the victory of the Yellows even sweeter. There are still black spots in the table before the last week, but one thing is true - Maccabee Tel-Aviv officially won the Championship yesterday, the 2nd consecutive one of this club.
On Friday, Maccabee Haifa won in Kefar-Saba - Offer Shitrit scored, and Rafi Cohen made a good performance and didn't concede a goal. That meant Kefar-Saba had certain problems at the bottom, and Maccabee Tel-Aviv still should take at least one point from Beitar Jerusalem in order to win the Championship early. Beitar was certainly a stubborn rival, and could've scored twice - first, when Istvan Pisont missed from a good position in the 1st half, and then, when Uvarov stretched to parry a mighty bomb by Eli Ohana in the 2nd half. Moreover, Eli Driks was knocked down in the box, but Avi Nimni failed to beat Korenfein from the white spot. And still, Maccabee managed to collect all the points - Nir Klinger found Avi Nimni inside the box, and the latter left Korenfein on the ground and shot the ball in from a hard angle. A Championship goal, which secured the Championship for Maccabee Tel-Aviv and the Vice-Championship for Maccabee Haifa. The Greens can be happy also by securing an European place, either in the UEFA Cup or in the Cup Winners' Cup.
The Rabin Square in Tel-Aviv was full with the yellow flags and lots of people, and the famous ETHNIX band released officially their song "Tsahov Ole" ("A Yellow Rises"), dedicated to the Championship of Maccabee Tel-Aviv. And the Championship was well deserved by all the squad. The glorious Alexander Uvarov, conceding 16 goals in 29 games (!) and staying unbeaten in 18 (!) games, not mentioning his 3 dry Cup performances. The wonderful defenders, Gadi Brumer and Amir Shelakh, who helped the keeper to have a great balance. The Nakhman twins who made a great advancement during the last year. Yaacov Hillel, a barometer of the titles who won 5 titles in the last 5 years (the Championships in 1991-92, 1994-95, 1995-96 with Maccabee Tel-Aviv, 1992-93 with Beitar Jerusalem, the Cup in 1993-94 with Maccabee Tel-Aviv). The wonderful midline of Itzhak Zohar, Avi Nimni and Nir Klinger, and of course, Haim Hageage, "The Discovery Of The Season". Noam Shoham, without whom the black work would not have been done. Victor Moroz, a disappointing signing who nevertheless helped Maccabee a lot, throwing Hapoel Haifa from its back. A speedy Evgeniy Kashentsev, who made the attacks unstoppable. And, maybe most of all, Eli Driks, who gave here the best season in his life.
The loss of Beitar Jerusalem gave Hapoel Haifa an opportunity to catch up with the team from the capital, and Hapoel did so quite easily. Amir Turgeman and Reuven Attar didn't have any problems against the absence of Holonian defence; Tal Banin added 2 goals later on, the first after a fantastic dribbling and passing 3 players, and in between, Denecz Eszenyi could just reduce the score from the penalty spot. Haifa has now the same number of points as Jerusalem, the same number of victories and goals scored, but 2 goals more conceded; the balance of face-to-face games is also in favour of Beitar. Still, the UEFA place battle is officially open, for another 90 minutes.
Beitar Tel-Aviv knew it should win so as to have the slightest chance to stay in the National League; on the other hand, Hapoel Beit-Shean had to take one more point in order to assure the escape from relegation. Beitar won, due to its wonderful keeper Sagi Strauss, and Hapoel Beit-Shean is now in the complicated situation. Ronen Schweig opened the score with a flat shot, but Vyacheslav Melnikov equalized quickly, after passing the keeper. The young Sharon Kattav gave Beitar a lead again, after a wonderful penetration of Gonen Botel, and then, just before the break, Moshe Eisenberg scored from the penalty spot. After the break, Beit-Shean was better, but Strauss was in his best; he reached his peak, parrying the penalty kick by Tibor Shallai after a foul on the substitute Yossi Alpiya. Alpiya himself reduced the score in an injury time, after a wonderful volley kick under the bar from inside the box, but that did not matter already.
In the Intertoto battle, Hapoel Tel-Aviv secured the 5th place, registering a superb away performance. Nissim Avitan was the first to beat Golan Malul, and the 2nd goal was also his, after a bad keeper's mistake. From that moment on, it was Yossi Madar who scored twice, the 2nd goal coming as a wonderful strike from 12 meters diagonally under the left crossbar of Malul. Hapoel is getting the Intertoto berth, but it's still unclear if it would participate there, as its manager, Moshe Sinai, thinks his team is still not grown up enough to play there. We'll live and see, though...
Hapoel Beer-Sheva defeated Hapoel Rishon le-Zion at home, 3:0, and stayed in the League, as Eli Gutman stays to coach the team for one more season; the 2nd goal of Hisham Zoabi was beautiful, as he performed a perfect scissors kick from 12 meters to the left low corner of Shavit Elimelekh. Maccabee Yaffa defeated the pathetic squad of Maccabee Herzliya, but the team seems to relegate, and only a miracle can save it. And Bnei-Yehuda took a point it needed to be secure, playing at home against Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa; Alon Mizrahi scored an early penalty kick, but was sent off later on.
NEXT WEEK (and the last one): both Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Haifa are supposed to win, playing against the teams that have no interest in the games anymore. The bottom is much more complicated - here Hapoel Tel-Aviv (5) hosts Maccabee Yaffa (16), and Hapoel Rishon le-Zion (10) hosts Beitar Tel-Aviv (15). Maccabee Tel-Aviv goes to Beit-Shean, and Hapoel Tsafririm Holon (13) faces Hapoel Kefar-Saba (12) at home. It will be interesting.
MACCABEE TEL-AVIV - Beitar Jerusalem 1:0 (0:0).
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Hosts: Avi Nimni (54).
Guests: -.
THE BEST: Avi Nimni, midfielder, Maccabee Tel-Aviv.
On the 46th minute Avi Nimni (Maccabee Tel-Aviv) missed a penalty kick -
Itzhak Korenfein saved.
Hapoel Kefar-Saba - MACCABEE HAIFA 0:1 (0:1).
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Hosts: -.
Guests: Offer Shitrit (12).
THE BEST: Eyal Berkovich, midfielder, Maccabee Haifa.
HAPOEL HAIFA - Hapoel Tsafririm Holon 4:1 (3:0).
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Hosts: Amir Turgeman (21), Reuven Attar (31), Tal Banin (41, 82).
Guests: Denecz Eczenyi (79 pen).
THE BEST: Tal Banin, midfielder, Hapoel Haifa.
Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa - HAPOEL TEL-AVIV 0:4 (0:1).
----------------------------------------------------
Hosts: -.
Guests: Nissim Avitan (42, 56), Yossi Madar (63, 78).
THE BEST: Nissim Avitan, forward, Hapoel Tel-Aviv.
Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv - Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa 1:1 (1:1).
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Hosts: Alon Mizrahi (2 pen).
Guests: Tomacz Czibola (38).
RED: Alon Mizrahi, forward, Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv, 45.
THE BEST: Igor Shkvyrin, forward, Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv.
MACCABEE YAFFA - Maccabee Herzliya 1:0 (0:0).
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Hosts: Dan Levi (74).
Guests: -.
THE BEST: NO ONE!!!
HAPOEL BEER-SHEVA - Hapoel Rishon le-Zion 3:0 (2:0).
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Hosts: Zlatko Leikovic (3), Hisham Zoabi (12, 82).
Guests: -.
THE BEST: Hisham Zoabi, forward, Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
BEITAR TEL-AVIV - Hapoel Beit-Shean 3:2 (3:1).
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Hosts: Ronen Schweig (7), Sharon Kattav (32), Moshe Eisenberg (45 pen).
Guests: Vyacheslav Melnikov (14), Yossi Alpiya (90).
THE BEST: Sagi Strauss, keeper, Beitar Tel-Aviv.
On the 75th minute Tibor Shallai (Hapoel Beit-Shean) missed a penalty kick -
Sagi Strauss saved.
THE WEEK'S TEAM:
----------------
Sagi Strauss
(Beitar Tel-Aviv)
Ron Nakhman Guy Sharabi Stav Elimelekh Alon Halfon
(Maccabee Tel-Aviv) (Hapoel Tel-Aviv) (Hapoel Beer-Sheva) (Hapoel Haifa)
Ronen Schweig Yossi Madar Avi Nimni Tal Banin
(Beitar Tel-Aviv) (Hapoel Tel-Aviv) (Maccabee Tel-Aviv) (Hapoel Haifa)
Hisham Zoabi Nissim Avitan
(Hapoel Beer-Sheva) (Hapoel Tel-Aviv)
Hapoel Tel-Aviv - 3.
Maccabee Tel-Aviv, Hapoel Haifa, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, Beitar Tel-Aviv - 2.
PLACE TEAM G W T L Goals Points
1 (1) Maccabee Tel-Aviv 29 22 5 2 58-16 71 EC1
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2 (2) Maccabee Haifa 29 19 8 2 73-30 65 (EC2/3)
3 (3) Beitar Jerusalem 29 18 7 4 62-29 61 (EC3/4)
4 (4) Hapoel Haifa 29 18 7 4 62-31 61 (EC3/4)
5 (5) Hapoel Tel-Aviv 29 15 6 8 43-26 51 EC4
6 (6) Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa 29 13 9 7 42-36 48 (EC4)
7 (8) Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa 29 7 15 7 29-36 36
8 (7) Maccabee Herzliya 29 10 5 14 32-36 35
9 (14) Hapoel Beer-Sheva 29 6 10 13 31-35 28
10 (9) Hapoel Rishon le-Zion 29 7 7 15 23-40 28 (EC2)
11 (10) Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv 29 7 7 15 44-62 28 (EC2)
12 (11) Hapoel Kefar-Saba 29 8 3 18 29-53 27
13 (12) Hapoel Tsafririm Holon 29 7 5 17 32-52 26
14 (13) Hapoel Beit-Shean 29 5 11 13 28-48 26
15 (15) Beitar Tel-Aviv 29 6 6 17 30-61 24
16 (16) Maccabee Yaffa 29 6 5 18 22-49 23
EC1 - The Champions League, EC2 - The Cup Winners Cup, EC3 - The UEFA Cup,
EC4 - The Intertoto Cup. () - still having a chance to play there.
BEST PLAYER: Avi Nimni, midfielder, Maccabee Tel-Aviv.
TOP SCORERS: Haim Revivo (Maccabee Haifa) 25 (0)
***********************************************************
Reuven Attar (Hapoel Haifa) 21 (6) 1
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(3 in M. Haifa) Alon Mizrahi (Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv) 16 (2) 1(1)
***********************************************************
Offer Shitrit (Maccabee Haifa) 15 (0) 1
Eli Driks (Maccabee Tel-Aviv) 15 (1)
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Istvan Salloi (Beitar Jerusalem) 14 (1)
Roman Filipchuk (Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa) 14 (2)
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Amir Turgeman (Hapoel Haifa) 13 (0) 1
Eli Ohana (Beitar Jerusalem) 13 (0)
Ronen Harazi (Beitar Jerusalem) 13 (3)
***********************************************************
Nissim Avitan (Hapoel Tel-Aviv) 11 (0) 2
Cobi Refua (Hapoel Kefar-Saba) 11 (4)
Sergei Kandaurov (Maccabee Haifa) 11 (4)
***********************************************************
Nir Klinger (Maccabee Tel-Aviv) 10 (0)
Najouan Grayib (Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa) 10 (1)
Moti Kakun (Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa) 10 (1)
Offer Mizrahi (Maccabee Herzliya) 10 (3)
NOTE - the penalties scored are put in brackets. The last
column means the number of goals scored this week.
NEXT ROUND (in a week):
| Hosts | Guests |
| Hapoel Beit-Shean (14) | Maccabee Tel-Aviv (1) |
| Maccabee Haifa (2) | Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa (6) |
| Beitar Jerusalem (3) | Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv (11) |
| Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa (7) | Hapoel Haifa (4) |
| Hapoel Tel-Aviv (5) | Maccabee Yaffa (16) |
| Maccabee Herzliya (8) | Hapoel Beer-Sheva (9) |
| Hapoel Rishon le-Zion (10) | Beitar Tel-Aviv (15) |
| Hapoel Tsafririm Holon (13) | Hapoel Kefar-Saba (12) |
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