MACCABEE IRONI ASHDOD - Hapoel Haifa 3:2 (1:0). ------------------------------------------------- Hosts: Alberto Naveda (20), Amir Turgeman (82 pen, 87). | Devadze 6; Hazut 6, Masouli 6, Fibakh 6 (Y. Malka, 62), Spire 7; S. | Ben-Hemo 6 (Zrihen, 75), Naveda 6 (Martsiano, 88), Balog 7, A. Sharabi 6, | Dego 6; AMIR TURGEMAN 7. ******** Guests: Goran Milenko (60), Giovanni Rosso (70). | Awwat 5.5; Talker 6, Ben-Shimon 5.5, Ami Azulai 5, Grayib 5; Zeituni 5 | (Ilan Tal, 88), Ulyanov 6.5, Milenko 6, Rosso 6; Basis 4.5 (Aziz, 55 - 4), | Nissim 4 (Jovic, 35 - 5.5). ******** REFEREE: Dani Koren (8). AUDIENCE: 3,000, Yud-Alef Stadium, Ashdod. ********
An incredible game was full of comebacks and beautiful moments, and finally resulted in a great surprise - indeed, Maccabee Ironi Ashdod is the team to take the points from the wealthy and to give them to the poor, and so Beitar Jerusalem should beware the next week. After only 20 minutes of play, Alberto Naveda, after a pass of Tibor Balog, shot an incredible ball from 22 meters under the right crossbar of a surprised Dudu Awwat and opened the score; there were several opportunities for both sides, but Ashdod's defence could preserve the surprising development until the 61st minute - then, a mirror image of the opener was performed by Offer Talker's pass and Goran Milenko's mastershot to beat a good Akakiy Devadze. 9 minutes afterwards, Haifa finished a comeback with the 2nd consecutive week of wrongly performed free kick - Naveda's handball 35 meters from Ashdod's net was punished so, and Dmitriy Ulyanov didn't completely stop the ball, but sent it quickly to Giovanni Rosso, who had no problems inside the box, 2:1. However, Ashdod emerged from nowhere and fulfilled a sensation against all odds. 8 minutes from time, Alberto Naveda raised the ball into the box, and Goran Milenko caught Yossi Malka's shirt; Malka released himself and shot a ball superbly parried by Awwat to his post, and then the penalty for Milenko's foul was awarded, converted by Amir Turgeman into an equalizer with a mighty centered shot. And 5 minutes later, Turgeman sent Igal Zrihen into a rush to Haifa's box; the defenders lost the track for the first time, Awwat could just parry Zrihen's shot, and Turgeman was there on the rebound to shoot into an empty net from 16 meters. Hapoel Haifa's defence stopped to be the European best, conceding as many goals in this game as it did in the last 13; Ashdod can be very proud of itself, saving the League in a certain way.
MACCABEE HAIFA - Maccabee Yaffa 2:0 (0:0). -------------------------------------------- Hosts: Avishai Zhano (79), Alon Mizrahi (89). | Davidovich 6; AVISHAI ZHANO 7, A. Harazi 6, Benado 6, A. Keisi 6.5; Nagar | 6, Calman 5 (Koppel, 63), Benayoun 6, Romatko 5 (Vilner, 71), Doro 5.5 | (Katan, 46 - 6.5); A. Mizrahi 6. ******** Guests: -. | Zoidze 7; Zeladzevic 5.5, Dan Levi 4.5 (Vaaknin, 90), G. Hershlikovich 5.5, | Abu-Kishak 5.5; U. Ohayon 5.5, Mahamid 5, G. Nakhman 5.5 (Kokhavi, 89), | Elmakeis 4.5; Bukhari 4 (Rishti, 37 - 4), Valentinic 4. ******** REFEREE: Lior Korenfeld (8). AUDIENCE: 6,000, Kiryat-Eliezer Stadium, Haifa. ********
For the 4th consecutive game, Maccabee Haifa frustrated its fans until the very last minutes; however, again it won and closed the top gap to 3 points. The great skill of Irakliy Zoidze in the net of Yaffa, as well as the awful misses of Yossi Benayoun and Liron Vilner and the post of Yaniv Katan, left the game scoreless until the 79th minute - then, Liron Vilner managed to penetrate at the left wing and to make a cool wide pass, and Avishai Zhano sent the ball from 3 meters diagonally under the bar, 1:0. The matters were summed up just before the final whistle, when no less than 6 passes (!) were made inside the box between the static Yaffa defenders and the helpless Zoidze, until Alon Mizrahi finally finished the mess with a shot from 2 meters. The next week, away vs Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa away, this skill of Haifa will not be enough, that's for sure.
Hapoel Kefar-Saba - BEITAR JERUSALEM 2:3 (0:1). ------------------------------------------------- Hosts: Adrian Ungur (47), Yaniv Avvargeal (61 pen). | Strauss 5; Shem-Tov 5 (Ben-Haim, 80), Catalyn 6, Netser 5 (Shum, 46 - 5.5), | Ganon 6; A. Itzhak 6, Masterovic 5.5 (S. Danan, 84), Niv Tal 5.5, I. Koren | 6; Avvargeal 6, Ungur 6.5. ******** Guests: Offer Shitrit (8, 70 pen, 74). | Korenfein 5; Bakhar 4.5 (R. Deri, 58 - 5), Tretyak 5.5, Shelakh 6. E. | Mizrahi 5; S. Levi 5, Abuksis 5, T. Sandor 6, Hamar 5.5; OFFER SHITRIT 7.5, | Sevilla 5.5 (Theodoriku, 79). ******** REFEREE: Meir Levi (6). AUDIENCE: 5,500, Ironi Stadium, Kefar-Saba. ********
Played on Friday, this was in no way the usual Friday boredom we are used to see between X and Hapoel Beit-Shean, for example. Beitar opened the score after just 8 minutes, when Nir Sevilla's goal pass from the right wing found Offer Shitrit, who coolly overplayed Sagi Strauss with a flat ball to the keeper's left corner, 1:0. From that moment on, Kefar-Saba was better for something like an hour, and the opportunities grew like grass - Niv Tal earned a penalty after a collision with Korenfein, but was booked by Meir Levi for pretence, and Adrian Ungur's goal was also surprisingly disallowed (50); and still, Kefar-Saba performed a comeback. Idan Shum raised a corner kick (47), Cobi Ganon headed it forward, and Adrian Ungur with a double heel kick (the first was parried by Korenfein) levelled the score; 14 minutes later on, Korenfein's foul on Ungur inside the box resulted in booking the keeper and awarding the hosts a penalty kick converted by Yaniv Avvargeal, 2:1. However, here Beitar returned to the game, after a dubious penalty caused by Itai Koren on Offer Shitrit - the forward himself equalized from the white spot (70). 4 minutes afterwards, Beitar scored a brilliant winner, and it was Offer Shitrit again - getting the ball, he passed 3 players and from 18 meters launched a perfect left-footer under the left crossbar of Strauss, 3:2.
Hapoel Rishon le-Zion - HAPOEL PETAKH-TIKWA 0:1 (0:0). -------------------------------------------------------- Hosts: -. | Y. Mizrahi 5.5; G. Deri 5.5, Agassi 6, T. Eliyahu 5.5, Albert 5.5; Pitusi | 6, Markicevic 5.5, Nussbaum 5 (Shikwa, 75), Capeta 5.5 (E. Cohen, 82); | Kabudi 5 (Abu-Dib, 87), Rafi Cohen 5.5. ******** Guests: Walid Badir (71). | Hess 5; Shamir 6.5, Kolosevic 5, Kozoshvili 5, I. Boaron 5.5; Stan 5, WALID | BADIR 6.5, Abrabanel 5.5, Marton 5.5 (Rosen, 89), Attar 5 (Angelkovic, 70); | Kakun 5 (Ben-Ishai, 76). ******** REFEREE: Arik Haimovich (8). AUDIENCE: 1,000, Superland Stadium, Rishon le-Zion. ********
Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa was again very disappointing, and Rishon le-Zion wasn't bad after all - two goals of Rafi Cohen (35, 55) were rightly disallowed because of the offsides, and Moti Kakun's opportunity (the guests) was wasted as well as Udi Kabudi's (the hosts). Finally, Walid Badir scored a winner with a flat shot to the right post of Yaniv Mizrahi and in, after a preparation of Gabor Marton and a failed attempt of Dani Albert to clear the ball. Just before the end, it was an incredible slalom of Badir who passed 4 players and flatly shot the ball past Yaniv Mizrahi, but Dani Albert saved it from the line.
Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv - MACCABEE TEL-AVIV 0:6 (0:1).
-----------------------------------------------------
Hosts: -.
| Smadja 6; Y. Avihail 4, Siton 4, Feigenbaum 5, Caplan 4; Ballas (RED, 15),
| Fibernik 4.5, Y. Abuksis 4 (S. Mizrahi, 70 - RED, 89), Y. Gordana 4.5 (Y.
| Alpiya, 46 - RED, 89), Madar 4 (Baldud, 80); Refua 4.5.
********
Guests: Moshe Glam (37, 64), Kefir Edri (55), Alexei Kosolapov (69),
Andrzej Kubica (80), Avi Nimni (90).
| Uvarov 6; A. Offir 6, Emenalo 6.5, Balbul 6, Ben-Dayan 5.5; Kosolapov 7,
| Nimni 7, D. Revivo 6 (Tsarfati, 73), Edri 6 (Driks, 71), MOSHE GLAM 7 (O.
| Haim, 82); Kubica 6.5.
********
REFEREE: Eyal Tsur (8).
AUDIENCE: 3,000, Shkhunat-ha'Tikwa Stadium, Tel-Aviv.
********
A truly miserable performance of Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv after the break, including the scandalous events of the last minutes, were the reason for such a score - Maccabee Tel-Aviv, and especially its best forward Andrzej Kubica, could be much better, but still did the job. In the 1st half, it was only a mighty header of Moshe Glam after Alon Offir's goal pass to separate between the teams, but Bnei-Yehuda stayed in 10 men after just 15 minutes as well, after a very unclear red card shown to Yossi Ballas (according to the referee, bacause of Ballas' elbow to the face of Kefir Edri, but this was something nobody else saw). Kefir Edri was on the rebound (55) after Kubica's incredible miss (a header from 5 meters to the bar), with his first goal in the National League, and here Bnei-Yehuda stopped playing, especially when in 9 more minutes 3 Yellows walked undisturbed inside the box, and Glam rolled the ball into an empty net after the shot of Kubica had been parried by Shaul Smadja. A tremendous shot of Alexei Kosolapov from 30 meters under the bar made the score 4:0, and 10 minutes from time, the mistakes of Bnei-Yehuda's defence were so huge that even Kubica in his bad day had no other choice but to score. And then the circus started... Just before the end, Yossi Alpiya ran to the linesman and told him something; the linesman Shabtai Nahamias called immediately the referee Eyal Tsur, and the latter didn't hesitate to send Alpiya off as well as to send off Sahar Mizrahi who tried to hold referee's hand. A huge mess erupted then, when Alpiya and some of Bnei-Yehuda's logistics men tried to hit the referee, and Mizrahi refused to go away, supported by his coach Rami Levi; even Maccabee's keeper Alexander Uvarov, who finally helped to calm the two down and to accompany them from the pitch, expressed a complete surprise as for Tsur's behaviour. The game was finally renewed for another 3 minutes, and this was Avi Nimni this time with a header after Alon Offir's pass to seal the score, 6:0.
MACCABEE PETAKH-TIKWA - Hapoel Beit-Shean 4:0 (1:0).
------------------------------------------------------
Hosts: Tsakhi Shemariyahu (22, 55), Kefir Partieli (61),
Rajid Bransi (72).
| O. Cohen 6; Muslem 6, S. Tsofin 5.5, Ben-Yosef 5.5, Partieli 6.5 (Bialla,
| 84); Malihi 6 (RED, 68), Idan Tal 6.5, Lusek 6 (G. Itzhak, 75), TSAKHI
| SHEMARIYAHU 7; S. Avitan 6 (Petrosian, 60 - 5.5), Bransi 6.5.
********
Guests: -.
| M. Cohen 4.5; O. Asulin 4, Taib 4.5, Dudu Dahan 5 (Hader, 77), Sapir 4.5;
| Pancheladze 5, Gili Levi 5.5 (Roi Sagi, 85), Y. Biton 4.5, M. Uzan 5.5,
| Almog Hazan 4 (Tsuref, 57 - 5); Culakovic 4.5.
********
REFEREE: Alon Yaffet (8).
AUDIENCE: 300, Ironi Stadium, Petakh-Tikwa.
********
The story of the game was a good attack of Petakh-Tikwa against the non-existent defence of Beit-Shean; however, the 1st half resulted only in one goal of Tsakhi Shemariyahu, after another mistake of Meir Cohen. 10 minutes after the break, Shemariyahu again was the first on the rebound, after Sharon Avitan's shot and Cohen's save. An incredible helplessness of both Meir Cohen and Gabi Sapir enabled the combination of Idan Tal - Rajid Bransi - Kefir Partieli to result in a 3rd goal, and after another mistake of Eitan Taib Rajid Bransi sealed the score with a cannon shot from a hard angle under the bar, 18 minutes from time. Beit-Shean didn't activate itself even after having an advantage of a player - the young Idan Malihi was sent off with a 2nd yellow card (68), however dubious both of them were.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv - Hapoel Tsafririm Holon 0:0. ----------------------------------------------- Hosts: -. | Elimelekh 5; Israel Cohen 6 (F. Halfon, 75), Gershon 5, EHUD KAHILA 6, | Ben-Ami 5; Avi Azulai 6, Tezetski 4.5 (Tuama, 46 - 4.5), Rupenik 4.5, | Tikwa 5; Udi 5, Tubi 5 (Simerotic, 46 - 4.5). ******** Guests: -. | Pashko 6; Fleeter 5.5, Fur 5.5, Sokher 5.5, Avigdor 5.5; Shlomi Dahan 6, | Zaric 5, Daraselia 5, Flash 5 (D. Kabeda, 90); B. Hadad 4.5 (Ben-Barukh, | 46 - 5), Siasiah 4.5 (Khen, 83). ******** REFEREE: Haim Yaacov (7). AUDIENCE: 3,000, Bloomfield Stadium, Yaffa. ********
This game sucked, and it's sad to see the defending silver medalists in such a shape; Holon wasn't good as well, but at least had several nice counterattacks to make Ehud Kahila, the hosts' defender in his debut after a transfer from Hapoel Kefar-Saba, "The Man Of The Game". Martin Pashko in Holon's net made several cool saves, leaving Holon's defence the 3rd best in the League after the 2 Haifa teams. Every other word about the game will be redundant.
HAPOEL JERUSALEM - Maccabee Herzliya 1:0 (1:0). ------------------------------------------------- Hosts: Victor Pacha (28). | LIRAN STRAUBER 6.5; Menakhem 6, T. Azulai 6, Hermon 5.5, Yogev 5.5 (E. | Avrahami, 58 - 6); S. Danino 5.5, Shnorman 6, Gola 6, Setti 5.5 (Costelnik, | 64), M. Salman 5.5 (Y. Asayag, 83); Pacha 6. ******** Guests: -. | Gilardi 6; S. Asraf 5 (Dantziger, 62), Ivanov 6.5, Mishal 5, Entebbi 6; A. | Levi 5, Gat 5.5, Mchitarian 6, Zanetti 6, Niederhaus 5 (L. Asulin, 83); | Simhon 5.5. ******** REFEREE: Nir Baabour (7). AUDIENCE: 2,000, Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem. ********
In the game of 2 troubled teams, the home squad was luckier and enjoyed a good keeping of Liran Strauber to steal the 3 points and, in all likelihood, to send home the midfielder Vladimir Niederhaus and the coach Andrei Bal of Maccabee Herzliya. The only goal was scored after a pass of Moti Menakhem from the right wing and a clever header of Victor Pacha to the far corner of Shuli Gilardi. The goal of Tsakhi Zanetti, from the goal pass of Niederhaus, was disallowed because of a dubious offside (42), and Strauber saved his net from the shots of Vassili Ivanov, Hamlet Mchitarian, Tsakhi Zanetti, Vladimir Niederhaus and Yair Simhon.
THE WEEK'S TEAM:
----------------
Irakliy Zoidze
(Maccabee Yaffa)
Avishai Zhano Vassili Ivanov Michael Emenalo Eliezer Spire
(Maccabee Haifa) (Maccabee Herzliya) (Mcb. Tel-Aviv) (Mcb. Ironi Ashdod)
Tibor Balog Alexei Kosolapov Tsakhi Shemariyahu Moshe Glam
(Mcb. Ironi Ashdod) (Mcb. Tel-Aviv) (Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa) (Mcb. Tel-Aviv)
Amir Turgeman Offer Shitrit
(Mcb. Ironi Ashdod) (Beitar Jerusalem)
Maccabee Tel-Aviv, Maccabee Ironi Ashdod - 3.
Maccabee Haifa, Beitar Jerusalem,
Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa, Maccabee Herzliya, Maccabee Yaffa - 1.
PLACE TEAM G W T L Goals Points
1 (1) Hapoel Haifa 14 11 2 1 28- 6 35
2 (2) Maccabee Haifa 14 10 2 2 33-10 32
3 (3) Beitar Jerusalem 14 9 1 4 39-18 28
4 (4) Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa 14 9 1 4 29-17 28
5 (5) Maccabee Tel-Aviv 14 7 3 4 30-18 24
6 (7) Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa 14 6 5 3 27-16 23
7 (6) Hapoel Tel-Aviv 14 6 4 4 21-16 22
8 (9) Maccabee Ironi Ashdod 14 5 5 4 23-22 20
9 (10) Hapoel Jerusalem 14 6 2 6 22-25 20
10 (8) Hapoel Tsafririm Holon 14 5 4 5 19-12 19
11 (11) Hapoel Kefar-Saba 14 5 2 7 20-31 17
12 (12) Hapoel Rishon le-Zion 14 4 4 6 23-30 16
13 (13) Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv 14 3 3 8 17-32 12
14 (14) Maccabee Herzliya 14 3 1 10 13-24 10
15 (15) Hapoel Beit-Shean 14 1 2 11 7-44 5
16 (16) Maccabee Yaffa 14 1 1 12 8-38 4
IN BRACKETS - the places of the teams after the last week.
BEST PLAYER: Offer Shitrit, forward, Beitar Jerusalem.
TOP SCORERS: Offer Shitrit (Beitar Jerusalem) 13(1) 3(1)
Moti Kakun (Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa) 13(1)
**********************************************************
Alon Mizrahi (Maccabee Haifa) 12(2) 1(0)
Amir Turgeman (Maccabee Ironi Ashdod) 12(5) 2(1)
**********************************************************
Victor Pacha (Hapoel Jerusalem) 9(0) 1(0)
**********************************************************
Giovanni Rosso (Hapoel Haifa) 8(2) 1(0)
Andrzej Kubica (Maccabee Tel-Aviv) 8(3) 1(0)
**********************************************************
Adrian Ungur (Hapoel Kefar-Saba) 7(0) 1(0)
Yossi Benayoun (Maccabee Haifa) 7(0)
Udi Kabudi (Hapoel Rishon le-Zion) 7(0)
Avi Nimni (Maccabee Tel-Aviv) 7(2) 1(0)
Rajid Bransi (Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa) 7(2) 1(0)
Yaniv Avvargeal (Hapoel Kefar-Saba) 7(4) 1(1)
**********************************************************
Rafi Cohen (Hapoel Rishon le-Zion) 6(0)
Nir Sevilla (Beitar Jerusalem) 6(0)
Cobi Refua (Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv) 6(0)
Nissan Capeta (Hapoel Rishon le-Zion) 6(3)
NOTE - the penalties scored are put in brackets. The last
column means the number of goals scored this week.
THE NEXT ROUND (in a week):
| Hosts | Guests |
| Hapoel Haifa (1) | Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa (6) |
| Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa (4) | Maccabee Haifa (2) |
| Beitar Jerusalem (3) | Maccabee Ironi Ashdod (8) |
| Maccabee Tel-Aviv (5) | Hapoel Kefar-Saba (11) |
| Maccabee Herzliya (14) | Hapoel Tel-Aviv (7) |
| Maccabee Yaffa (16) | Hapoel Jerusalem (9) |
| Hapoel Tsafririm Holon (10) | Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv (14) |
| Hapoel Beit-Shean (15) | Hapoel Rishon le-Zion (12) |
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