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| Week 30 | Main Page | Soccer Page | 1997-98, History |
As usual, some summaries of the whole season of this year's National League are made. As usual, the ones to do them are "Yedioth Ahronoth" (YA), myself (MO), "Shirim u-Shearim" (SS) and "Ha'Daka Ha'91" (91). Hopefully, you will enjoy those summaries.
YA: Yossi Abuksis, midfielder, Beitar Jerusalem.
91: Agreed.
SS: Agreed.
MO: To tell you the truth, I would go into the direction of Istvan Pisont (Hungary and Beitar Jerusalem, midfielder) or of Shalom Tikwa (Hapoel Tel-Aviv, midfielder). Still, the choice isn't bad at all. 4 goals and especially 11 goal passes talk for themselves, and in addition, he was twice "The Man Of The Week", 4 times "The Man Of The Game" and 9 times in "The 11 Of The Week". Even one red card, in the famous game against Hapoel Beer-Sheva, could not spoil the whole impression.
YA: Dror Kashtan, Beitar Jerusalem.
SS: Agreed.
MO: Dror Kashtan. Only the last weeks mighty finishing of Beitar, and its double victory in "The Games Of The Season", took this title from Eli Cohen, the last year "Coach Of The Season", who has passed this time from Beitar Jerusalem to Hapoel Tel-Aviv. Another ray of light was Eli Gutman, who continued his last year success with Hapoel Beer-Sheva, this time in Hapoel Haifa. And we should mention Yossi Mizrahi, the coach of Hapoel Jerusalem who brought it up to the Cup Final. Had not the finishing accords of Maccabee Ironi Ashdod been so disastrous and even scandalous, Rami Levi could've been mentioned here as well.
YA: Beitar Jerusalem.
91: Agreed.
SS: Agreed.
MO: Of course, there is just one team to deserve this award - Beitar Jerusalem. Hapoel Tel-Aviv surprised for good, jumping within one season from the bottom zone to the harsh Championship rivalry, but even with its extraordinary defence, most of the Red games couldn't even be compared to the sparkles of Beitar. The team which played an extremely attractive football this season was, no doubt, Hapoel Haifa, but it failed to gain a European berth, and therefore deserves just an honorable reminder here.
SS:
Shavit Elimelekh
(Hapoel Tel-Aviv)
Alon Harazi Shimon Gershon Asi Domb Najouan Grayib
(Beitar Jerusalem) (Hapoel Tel-Aviv) (Hapoel Tel-Aviv) (Hapoel Haifa)
Yossi Abuksis Istvan Pisont Jean Talesnikov Yossi Benayoun
(Beitar Jerusalem) (Beitar Jerusalem) (Beitar Jerusalem) (Hapoel Beer-Sheva)
Alon Mizrahi Offer Shitrit
(Maccabee Haifa) (Hapoel Tel-Aviv)
Beitar Jerusalem - 4.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv - 4.
Hapoel Haifa - 1.
Maccabee Haifa - 1.
Hapoel Beer-Sheva - 1.
YA:
Shavit Elimelekh
(Hapoel Tel-Aviv)
Alon Harazi Sergei Tretyak Asi Domb David Amsalem
(Beitar Jerusalem) (Beitar Jerusalem) (Hapoel Tel-Aviv) (Beitar Jerusalem)
Yossi Abuksis Istvan Pisont Giovanni Rosso Shalom Tikwa
(Beitar Jerusalem) (Beitar Jerusalem) (Hapoel Haifa) (Hapoel Tel-Aviv)
Alon Mizrahi Offer Shitrit
(Maccabee Haifa) (Hapoel Tel-Aviv)
Beitar Jerusalem - 5.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv - 4.
Hapoel Haifa - 1.
Maccabee Haifa - 1.
MO: Definitely, the team of "Shirim u-Shearim", with 2 minor changes. I'd like to see there Istvan Salloi (Beitar Jerusalem) instead of Yossi Abuksis, and I'd find a place for Shalom Tikwa instead of Jean Talesnikov, however big was the advancement of the latter.
YA: Meir Levi.
SS: Haim Yaacov.
MO: No clear opinion, though I would tend to mark Meir Levi.
YA: Yossi Benayoun, midfielder, Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
SS: Agreed.
91: Shimon Gershon, defender, Hapoel Tel-Aviv, closely followed by Yossi Benayoun, midfielder, Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
MO: No doubt, it's Yossi Benayoun - with his 15 goals, he was very close to leave Beer-Sheva in the National League in its most disastrous season, and the fact that a member of the relegating squad was chosen into "The 11 Of The Season", being barely 18 (!), talks for itself. Benayoun is also playing in all the possible frames of the Israeli Soccer, still excluding the National team; unfortunately, his place of birth gives him an initial disadvantage for the world exposure, unlike, say, in case of Michael Owen from Liverpool. Other persons to be mentioned this year - Shimon Gershon (defender, Hapoel Tel-Aviv), Idan Tal (defender, Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa), Dudu Awwat (keeper, Hapoel Haifa).
MO: Alon Harazi, defender, Beitar Jerusalem. His transfer from Maccabee Haifa made the defence of Beitar very stable, and besides, he scored 5 goals, most of them decisive. Following him:
SS: Istvan Pisont (Hungary), midfielder, Beitar Jerusalem.
YA: Istvan Pisont (Hungary), midfielder, Beitar Jerusalem.
MO: Undoubtedly, it's Istvan Pisont who's stolen the performance, scoring 15 goals (and what the crucial ones several of them were!) and making 10 goal passes! Following him:
YA: Maccabee Tel-Aviv.
SS: Agreed.
MO: Maccabee Tel-Aviv and mostly Hapoel Beer-Sheva. In the light of the real sportive disasters mentioned above, Maccabee Haifa can't be considered a disappointment, especially after having won the Cup.
Here the 3 entities (without "Shirim u-Shearim") chose quite the same. I'll show you the list first, and I'll show the places afterwards.
01. Georgi Daraselia, Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Week 01, 1:0 vs Maccabee Herzliya (1:0). An incredible curved shot from 16 meters to the left corner at half a height, out of reach of the desperately flying Shuli Gilardi. The 90th minute winner of Hapoel Tel-Aviv, and one of Daraselia's cool goals - those were 6 of them during the season.
02. Miroslav Bicinic, Hapoel Haifa, Week 03, 2:1 vs Maccabee Tel-Aviv (2:1). What a shot! A goal very similar to the legendary goal of Haim Revivo against the same miserable Alexander Uvarov; Bicinic got a ball badly cleared away by Moshe Glam, and shot a magnificent arched volley from 25 meters that descended just under the left crossbar of Uvarov. Just 73 minutes in the National League did Bicinic need to score...
03. Alon Mizrahi, Maccabee Haifa, Week 03, 1:0 vs Maccabee Herzliya (2:2). A magnificent goal scored in a wrong week, altogether with Bicinic's. A swinging movement past the defender and a great shot with his left from 17 meters diagonally under the left crossbar of Shuli Gilardi.
04. Istvan Pisont, Beitar Jerusalem, Week 05, 3:0 vs Hapoel Rishon le-Zion (3:0). A great penetration of Pisont who has passed three defenders and finally released a threatening shot, stuck under the right crossbar.
05. Walid Badir, Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa, Week 08, 1:0 vs Hapoel Haifa (1:1). A magnificent effort, after advancing for some 20 meters and shooting threatening killer from 18 meters, under the right crossbar and centimeters out of reach of the flying Dudu Awwat.
06. Georgi Daraselia, Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Week 09, 1:0 vs Maccabee Tel-Aviv (1:0). A wonderful double-pass with Offer Shitrit, a cool penetration into the box and a clever shot to mislead the helpless Uvarov. A goal with a truly English scent.
07. Nir Sevilla, Beitar Jerusalem, Week 10, 1:0 vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv (2:1). A wonderful shot from inside the box, without stopping, to the right post of Shavit Elimelekh at half a height and in.
08. Amir Turgeman, Maccabee Ironi Ashdod, Week 10, 2:0 vs Maccabee Haifa (2:1). A great lob from the Hagi point over Nir Davidovich who got far out of his net. A very precise execution.
09. Yossi Abuksis, Beitar Jerusalem, Week 14, 4:2 vs Hapoel Beit-Shean (5:2). A wonderful shot from 25 meters to the bar and in, leaving Meir Cohen no chance at all.
10. Idan Tal, Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa, Week 14, 1:0 vs Maccabee Tel-Aviv (1:0). A wonderful arched shot from 25 meters, mightily to the left high corner of Alexander Uvarov. How does the Russian keeper concede "only" the beauties?
11. Bakhva Ambidze, Hapoel Kefar-Saba, Week 18, 1:0 vs Beitar Jerusalem (1:0). An incredible in its beauty killing free kick from 35 meters (!) just under the right crossbar of Itzhak Korenfein. The only goal to defeat Beitar Jerusalem this season.
12. Moris Uzan, Maccabee Herzliya, Week 18, 2:2 vs Maccabee Haifa (2:2). The most original goal of the season. Getting a ball 7 meters from the net, Uzan turned around and bombed the net with his ... right shoulder! An unstoppable killer, the only goal Bonnie Ginzburg has conceded this season.
13. Ronen Harazi, Hapoel Haifa, Week 20, 1:0 vs Hapoel Kefar-Saba (4:1). An incredible volley half-scissors shot past the rushing Eran Scheinsinger from the hard angle to the far corner.
14. Cobi Ganon, Hapoel Beit-Shean, Week 22, 2:1 vs Hapoel Jerusalem (3:2). The first ever goal of Cobi Ganon in the National League. A wonderful shot from 25 meters under the left crossbar of Liran Strauber.
15. Offer Shitrit, Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Week 23, 1:0 vs Maccabee Ironi Ashdod (3:2). A very ordinary volley shot from 3 meters to an empty net. What gave this goal a nomination was an outstanding preparation work of Shalom Tikwa who did in Ashdod's box whatever he wanted.
16. Offer Talker, Hapoel Haifa, Week 23, 1:0 vs Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa (2:0). What a magnificent volley shot from 10 meters diagonally to the right corner of Shai Hess at half a height! The keeper even reacted and touched the ball, but it was just too unstoppable.
17. Chaba Horvath, Hapoel Jerusalem, Week 25, 1:0 vs Maccabee Tel-Aviv (1:1). An incredible in its beauty shot from 40 meters above Alexander Uvarov and in, a very rare in its precision execution.
18. Eli Driks, Maccabee Tel-Aviv, 4:1 vs Hapoel Beit-Shean (4:1). A great penetration of this old and experienced forward into the box of Beit-Shean past the 3 defenders, and the shot past the keeper.
19. Arik Sason, Hapoel Jerusalem, Week 29, 1:0 vs Hapoel Beer-Sheva (1:0). A short pass of Laszlo Czeh after a free kick met a killing might of Arik Sason's shot from 30 meters under the right crossbar of Shaul Smadja. One of the balls finally dropping Beer-Sheva a League down.
20. Almog Hazan, Hapoel Beit-Shean, Week 29, 2:2 vs Beitar Jerusalem (2:3). A great effort, when the midfielder shot a killing whipper from 20 meters diagonally under the right crossbar of the desperately flying Itzhak Korenfein. Unfortunately, this ball started the 8 most awful minutes of the season, when Hapoel Beit-Shean seemed to do everything to "apologize" before Beitar for that goal, and finally let Beitar score a crucial winner of Pisont deep in the injury time.
YA: (02), Miroslav Bicinic vs Alexander Uvarov.
91: FIRST - (04), Istvan Pisont vs Sagi Strauss.
Following this one, in no particular order:
MO: FIRST. (02), Miroslav Bicinic vs Alexander Uvarov.
The other goals out of the list deserve to be honorably mentioned.
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| Week 30 | Main Page | Soccer Page | 1997-98, History |