Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa - HAPOEL HAIFA 1:2 (0:0). ----------------------------------------------- Hosts: Moti Kakun (90). | Hess 5.5; Maya 5.5, Kolosevic 6, R. Amar 5.5, I. Boaron 5.5; Stan 5 (Rosen, | 76), Zandberg 5, Badir 5.5 (Shamir, 86), Abrabanel 6 (Hassan, 66), | Makoveyev 5; Kakun 5.5. ******** Guests: OG (Ilan Boaron, 73), Liron Basis (83). | Awwat 5.5; Talker 6, Ben-Shimon 6, A. Halfon 6, Grayib 6; Zeituni 6, | Ben-Margi 5.5, Milenko 6 (Ami Azulai, 87), Rosso 6, LIRON BASIS 6 (Hageage, | 86); Nissim 5.5 (Ilan Tal, 66). ******** REFEREE: Meir Levi (8). AUDIENCE: 6,000, Ironi Stadium, Petakh-Tikwa. ********
Another well passed exam of Hapoel Haifa, and it doesn't seem anybody can deny the team its historic first Championship. The game was very tactical, and no big opportunities were given to any side. 17 minutes from time, when Petakh-Tikwa started pressing on the leaders, those performed a lethal counterattack - Giovanni Rosso found Liron Basis at the right wing, Basis entered the box and tried to release a wide ball, but it hit Ilan Boaron and misled the advancing Shai Hess, 1:0. The goal broke Petakh-Tikwa, and although Basis managed to miss an empty frame from 8 meters, after a sweeping left-wing penetration of Najouan Grayib (77), 10 minutes after the goal he fixed his mistake - a great pass of Offer Talker left Basis in front of Shai Hess, and the forward threw the ball over the keeper and headed it home into an empty net under the defender's pressure. During the garbage time, Moti Kakun managed to beat Dudu Awwat with a great curved header to the keeper's far corner, but "The Best Scorer" seems to be the only title Petakh-Tikwa is still capable of taking this year.
Maccabee Herzliya - MACCABEE TEL-AVIV 0:1 (0:0). -------------------------------------------------- Hosts: -. | SHULI GILARDI 8; A. Levi 6, Ivanov 7, Y. Koretski 5.5, Entebbi 5.5; Gat | 5.5, Mishal 4.5, Naduda 5, Shabo 4 (Simhon, 30 - 5), Mchitarian 4.5; Vilner | 4.5 (Filipchuk, 59 - 5). ******** Guests: Guy Tsarfati (57). | Uvarov 6; G. Brumer 5, Emenalo 6, Balbul 6, Ben-Dayan 5.5; Kosolapov 5.5, | Tsarfati 6 (Glam, 88), Luz 7 (D. Revivo, 81), Edri 7, Nimni 6.5; Kubica 6.5 | (O. Haim, 90). ******** REFEREE: Dani Koren (7). AUDIENCE: 6,500, Ironi Stadium, Herzliya. ********
A huge performance of Shuli Gilardi in Herzliya's net, as well as a good defensive work of Vassili Ivanov, were mostly responsible for Herzliya's minimal loss under a terrible pressure of Maccabee Tel-Aviv. Stopping the dangerous header of Andrzej Kubica (7) and a penetration of Avi Nimni (9), Gilardi registered a brave denial of Kefir Edri in one-to-one (32) and a brilliant flying save from the header of Kubica again (39). A header of Guy Tsarfati to the bar (47) and an unearthy save of Gilardi in one-to-one with Kubica (48) made it seem the runners-up would lose points; another save of Gilardi in one-to-one with Edri (55) made the feeling even bigger. However, 2 minutes later on, the solo penetration of Guy Tsarfati resulted in passing 3 defenders, misleading Gilardi and rolling the ball into an empty net, 1:0. Nothing could deny Gilardi the title of "The Player Of The Week", an award very rarely given to the member of the losing team, but Maccabee Tel-Aviv worried much more about the 3 points than about the goal difference. The veteran Alexander Uvarov saw to it on the other side, parrying a dangerous ball of Yair Simhon (84).
Maccabee Yaffa - Beitar Jerusalem 0:0. --------------------------------------- Hosts: -. | Zoidze injured (Davidoff, 22 - 5.5); Lupo 5, Mahamid 5, Rabinovich 5.5, | Moyal 5, Abu-Kishak 5.5; M. Sason 4.5, N. Cohen 5.5, Djilovski 5.5 | (Rishti, 89), Afek 5; Bukhari 5. ******** Guests: -. | Korenfein 5.5; Bakhar 4, Shelakh 4.5, Domb injured (R. Deri, 22 - 4), E. | Mizrahi 5; Abuksis 5, Talesnikov 4, T. Sandor 4, Hamar 4; O. Shitrit 3.5 | (Yaacobi, 78), Sevilla 4.5. ******** REFEREE: Arik Haimovich (8). AUDIENCE: 2,500, Gaon Stadium, Yaffa. ********
One of the most disastrous games lastly seen in the League, by far if shown by Beitar Jerusalem; Dror Kashtan, its coach, said it was the most disastrous game of any team he ever coached. Tamas Sandor's shot was well parried by the Georgian keeper Irakliy Zoidze (15), and Nir Sevilla's shot was parried by David Davidoff (54); in between, it was a terrible clash between Zoidze and Asi Domb, after which both were evacuated to the hospital, most likely without any chance to play this season anymore. 13 minutes from time, Omri Afek kidnapped the ball from Abuksis and raised it widely to Nissim Cohen; the 44-years-old player (!) headed the ball mightily from 7 meters, but Itzhak Korenfein registered a superb save to make the surprise a bit smaller.
MACCABEE HAIFA - Hapoel Rishon le-Zion 3:1 (1:0). --------------------------------------------------- Hosts: Shuki Nagar (11), Ibrahim Doro (58), Ronen Harazi (64). | Vakrat 6; Zhano 6.5, Benado 6, Melamed 6, A. Keisi 6.5; Nagar 6.5, Silbas | 6, Brzeczek 5.5 (Romatko, 66), Benayoun 6, IBRAHIM DORO 7 (Katan, 76); R. | Harazi 6 (Pacha, 80). ******** Guests: Nir Shikwa (88). | Y. Mizrahi 4; G. Deri 5.5 (RED, 73), Rothem 4, T. Eliyahu 5, Albert 5; A. | Brumer 4.5, Pitusi 5, Markicevic 5.5 (E. Cohen, 72), Sebeg 4; Capeta 4 (Y. | Amar, 84), Kabudi 4 (Shikwa, 64). ******** REFEREE: Alon Yaffet (7). AUDIENCE: 6,000, Kiryat-Eliezer Stadium, Haifa. ********
Maccabee Haifa, playing without the injured National team key players Nir Davidovich and Alon Harazi, and with Jerzy Brzeczek tired after his 2 exhausting International games vs England and Sweden, still had no problems at all to defeat Hapoel Rishon le-Zion; however, the big question is whether it could be that easy without the generous help of Yaniv Mizrahi in his disastrous day. After just 11 minutes of play, it was Shuki Nagar with a shot from 23 meters, to which Mizrahi reacted late and which he could only parry to his own net, 1:0. A big save of Eyal Vakrat from the free kick of Oren Rothem (27) denied the guests the equalizer, but it was completely clear who was the boss. 58 minutes from the start, Yossi Benayoun found the cool Ibrahim Doro inside the box, after Ronen Harazi was denied the ball; Doro advanced and shot a hopeless ball that still penetrated in between the confused hands and legs of the crawling Mizrahi, 2:0. 6 minutes afterwards, it was a far-ranger of Brzeczek, which Mizrahi failed to collect; the ball rolled into the post, rolled on the line into the other post, and Ronen Harazi touched it before Yossi Benayoun and Yaniv Mizrahi to push it home, 3:0. In addition, 17 minutes later on, Golan Deri was sent off after a yellow-card foul on Ibrahim Doro and the applauses to the referee's Alon Yaffet's decision. However, it was in 10 men that Rishon managed to reduce the score, when Tomer Eliyahu's high ball found Nir Shikwa, who overplayed Vakrat in his 2nd attempt, 3:1.
HAPOEL TEL-AVIV - Maccabee Ironi Ashdod 1:0 (0:0). ---------------------------------------------------- Hosts: Shalom Tikwa (90). | Elimelekh 5.5 (RED, 53); FELIX HALFON 6.5, Gershon 6, M. Ohayon 6, Hillel | 5.5; Rupenik 6, Tuama 5 (Tikwa, 46 - 6), Marton 5.5 (Shallo, 53 - 5.5), | Idan Tal 5.5; Simerotic 5, Tubi 5 (Walnerman, 46 - 5.5). ******** Guests: -. | Devadze 6.5; Hazut 5.5, Masouli 5.5, Y. Malka 6, Spire 6; Fibakh 5.5, | Elmoshnino 5.5 (Martsiano, 85), Tobol 5 (RED, 49), Dego 6, Balog 5 (Y. | Offir, 51 - 5); Turgeman 5 (Zrihen, 65). On the 54th minute Amir Turgeman missed a penalty kick - Cobi Shallo saved. ******** REFEREE: Nir Baabour (7). AUDIENCE: 5,000, Bloomfield Stadium, Yaffa. ********
An interesting game, which passed under the pressure of Hapoel Tel-Aviv vs the team that desperately needed points and therefore prepared well to the away game. While the hosts could not overplay Akakiy Devadze in a good day, and Assaf Tubi missed from a wonderful situation (35), Shavit Elimelekh parried the dangerous ball of Barukh Dego (15) on the other side. The hopes of Tel-Aviv became bigger, when Adir Tobol was sent off with a 2nd yellow card (49), but 4 minutes later on, it was 10 vs 10 again. Amir Turgeman got a ball from Dego and rushed into the box; passing Moti Ohayon and Yaacov Hillel and being fouled by the latter, Turgeman managed to get up and then was kicked down by the lying keeper Shavit Elimelekh, a red card and a penalty; however, the young keeper Cobi Shallo managed to parry the ball of Turgeman. Later on, those were the misses of the young Aviv Walnerman and of Sebastian Simerotic, but then came the injury time. Davor Rupenik sent a clever arched ball to Shalom Tikwa, and the maestro sent it flatly to the far corner of the helpless Georgian keeper. A sweet victory to the Reds, still hoping to catch the 2nd place.
Hapoel Jerusalem - Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa 1:1 (1:1). ----------------------------------------------------- Hosts: Itzhak Oka (35). | Strauber 5; S. Amar 5, S. Mihei 5, A. Sason 5.5, Oka 6; T. Azulai 5.5, | Setti 5.5 (Y. Avrahami, 73), E. Avrahami 6, Zeladzevic 5.5 (Costelnik, 66), | M. Salman 6.5; Menakhem 5 (Valentinic, 58 - 5). ******** Guests: Rajid Bransi (15 pen). | O. Cohen 5; I. Amar 6, Magamedov 5.5, S. Tsofin 5.5, Ben-Yosef 5; Lusek | 5.5, Muslem 5, Malihi 5, G. Itzhak 6 (Bialla, 89), R. Sharabi 5 | (Shemariyahu, 78); RAJID BRANSI 6.5. ******** REFEREE: Amit Klein (7). AUDIENCE: 1,000, Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem. ********
"After a loss of Bnei-Yehuda, the 2 teams wanted not to lose much more than they wanted to win". A summary of the hosts' coach Yossi Mizrahi is totally correct; after all, the point was not a bad achievement for both of the teams. Petakh-Tikwa opened the score after 15 minutes, when Rajid Bransi was knocked down by the keeper Liran Strauber inside the box; Strauber was booked, and Bransi himself converted the penalty. 20 minutes later on, a young Itzhak Oka released a wide ball; Ohad Cohen should've stopped it, but instead he got in trouble and finally pushed the ball into his own net, 1:1. A couple of more opportunities belonged to each side, but they were never used. The strangest one belonged to ... Liran Strauber (47) - his keeper's kick passed everybody and jumped over the badly positioned Ohad Cohen, but the keeper of the guests managed to reach the ball in a back flight and to send it to a corner.
Hapoel Tsafririm Holon - Hapoel Kefar-Saba 2:2 (2:1). ------------------------------------------------------- Hosts: Samson Siasiah (4, 39). | Pashko 5; Fleeter 6, Fur 5.5, Sokher 5, Avigdor 5.5; B. Hadad 5 (Flash, | 58 - 5), Khen 5, Shlomi Dahan 5.5, Daraselia 6; SAMSON SIASIAH 6.5, Tsafrir | 5 (Zaric, 58 - 5). On the 4th minute Samson Siasiah missed a penalty kick - Sagi Strauss saved. Siasiah was the first on the rebound to put the ball in. ******** Guests: Tomer Shem-Tov (22), Niv Tal (82). | Strauss 6; I. Koren 5.5 (Niv Tal, 62 - 6), Ben-Haim 5.5, Netser 5.5, Ganon | 6; Shem-Tov 6, A. Itzhak 6, Masterovic 5 (Chichian, 46 - 6), Shum 5.5 (S. | Danan, 75) (RED, 87); Avvargeal 5, Ungur 5. ******** REFEREE: Haim Yaacov (9). AUDIENCE: 1,500, Ironi Stadium, Holon. ********
Holon had an early opportunity to score, when Cobi Ganon fouled Georgi Daraselia inside the box (4); Sagi Strauss managed to parry the penalty of Samson Siasiah, but the Nigerian forward was there to push the rebound in, 1:0. However, the hosts, who always played awfully at home, failed to enlarge the advantage, and finally an equalizer came, when Martin Pashko slipped the high ball and was beaten by a rebound volley of Tomer Shem-Tov. 6 minutes before the break, Siasiah volleyed a diagonal ball under the guests' bar after a short corner of Beni Hadad, a magnificent goal! And still, Holon couldn't win. A heroic defence of Kefar-Saba saved its net on the 68th minute; it was Strauss who parried the ball of Tal Khen, Siasiah's header was cleared away by Idan Shum, Siasiah shot another rebound, parried again by Strauss, and finally, Avigdor Itzhak stopped the ball on the line. And then, 8 minutes from time, it was the goal of the substitutes - Niv Tal got a ball inside the box from Shimon Danan, turned around to pass Rafi Fur and rolled it to the far corner of Pashko, 2:2. Even when Danan was sent off 5 minutes after the equalizer, after a dirty back foul on Oren Flash, Holon couldn't use it to take all the 3 points.
HAPOEL BEIT-SHEAN - Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv 2:1 (1:1). ----------------------------------------------------- Hosts: Meir Cohen (43 pen), Haim Irmiyahu (80). | M. Cohen 6; A. Danan 6, ELI TSUREF 7, Hader 6, Elkaslassi 6; Y. Biton 5.5 | (Caplan, 55 - 5.5), Cinka 6.5, Rozosevic 6, Gili Levi 5.5 (Sapir, 82); M. | Uzan 5.5 (H. Irmiyahu, 69), Culakovic 6. ******** Guests: Rothem Asraf (25). | Smadja 5.5; Schwegger 6, Fletcher 5.5 (S. Abuksis, 56 - 5), Feigenbaum 6.5, | Y. Avihail 5.5; Siton 5, Fibernik 5 (Y. Abuksis, 75), Mararo 6, O. Levi | 5.5; Liberman 5 (Barkolin, 62), R. Asraf 5.5. ******** REFEREE: Shmuel Steiff (9). AUDIENCE: 1,500, Ironi Stadium, Beit-Shean. ********
And this was the game, in which the keeper even scored - it was Meir Cohen with his first National League goal, with a mightily taken penalty kick (43), after a foul of Aharon Siton on Marius Cinka. Actually, Cohen asked to fix his awful mistake, which resulted in the guests' opener after 25 minutes of play, when he didn't react properly to the back-sent ball of Avi Danan and only gave it to Rothem Asraf. After the equalizer, only Beit-Shean was on the pitch - Bnei-Yehuda, playing without Hezi Shirazi and Cobi Refua, still failed to produce a game of winners, which it desperately needed in its gloomy situation. Finally, 10 minutes from time, the substitute Haim Irmiyahu got the ball from Marius Cinka, passed 4 defenders and shot a clever and mighty flat ball under the stomach of Shaul Smadja, 2:1.
THE WEEK'S TEAM:
----------------
Shuli Gilardi
(Maccabee Herzliya)
Felix Halfon Eli Tsuref Vassili Ivanov Adoram Keisi
(Hapoel Tel-Aviv) (Hapoel Beit-Shean) (Maccabee Herzliya) (Maccabee Haifa)
Ben Luz Marius Cinka Ibrahim Doro Kefir Edri
(Maccabee Tel-Aviv) (Hapoel Beit-Shean) (Maccabee Haifa) (Maccabee Tel-Aviv)
Samson Siasiah Rajid Bransi
(Hapoel Tsafririm Holon) (Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa)
Maccabee Tel-Aviv, Maccabee Haifa, Maccabee Herzliya, Hapoel Beit-Shean - 2.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa, Hapoel Tsafririm Holon - 1.
PLACE TEAM G W T L Goals Points
1 (1) Hapoel Haifa 23 18 3 2 47-10 57
2 (2) Maccabee Tel-Aviv 23 15 3 5 55-22 48
3 (3) Beitar Jerusalem 23 14 4 5 52-23 46
4 (4) Maccabee Haifa 22* 14 3 5 50-19 45
5 (6) Hapoel Tel-Aviv 23 12 7 4 33-19 43
6 (5) Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa 23 12 4 7 44-31 40
7 (7) Hapoel Jerusalem 23 9 3 11 29-40 30
8 (9) Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa 23 7 6 10 33-36 27
9 (8) Hapoel Rishon le-Zion 23 7 6 10 36-47 27
10 (10) Hapoel Tsafririm Holon 23 6 8 9 27-26 26
11 (12) Hapoel Kefar-Saba 23 7 5 11 30-51 26
12 (11) Maccabee Herzliya 23 7 4 12 24-33 25
13 (13) Maccabee Ironi Ashdod 22* 6 6 10 27-37 24
14 (14) Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv 23 6 5 12 30-44 23
15 (15) Hapoel Beit-Shean 23 5 3 15 22-59 18
16 (16) Maccabee Yaffa 23 1 4 18 11-53 7
* - missing game, will be played on 07/04/1999
IN BRACKETS - the places of the teams after the last week.
BEST PLAYER: Shuli Gilardi, keeper, Maccabee Herzliya.
TOP SCORERS: Moti Kakun (Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa) 18(2) 1(0)
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Offer Shitrit (Beitar Jerusalem) 16(1)
Andrzej Kubica (Maccabee Tel-Aviv) 16(3)
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Alon Mizrahi (Maccabee Haifa) 14(2)
Avi Nimni (Maccabee Tel-Aviv) 14(4)
Amir Turgeman (Maccabee Ironi Ashdod) 14(6)
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Yossi Benayoun (Maccabee Haifa) 12(0)
Victor Pacha (Maccabee Haifa) 12(0)
(9 goals in Hapoel Jerusalem)
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Nir Sevilla (Beitar Jerusalem) 11(0)
Cobi Refua (Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv) 11(0)
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Samson Siasiah (Hapoel Tsafririm Holon) 10(0) 2(0)
Giovanni Rosso (Hapoel Haifa) 10(3)
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Rafi Cohen (Hapoel Rishon le-Zion) 9(0)
Adrian Ungur (Hapoel Kefar-Saba) 9(0)
Rajid Bransi (Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa) 9(4) 1(1)
Yaniv Avvargeal (Hapoel Kefar-Saba) 9(6)
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Assaf Tubi (Hapoel Tel-Aviv) 8(0)
Udi Kabudi (Hapoel Rishon le-Zion) 8(1)
NOTE - the penalties scored are put in brackets. The last
column means the number of goals scored this week.
THE NEXT ROUND (in a fortnight):
| Hosts | Guests |
| Hapoel Haifa (1) | Hapoel Beit-Shean (15) |
| Maccabee Tel-Aviv (2) | Maccabee Yaffa (16) |
| Beitar Jerusalem (3) | Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa (6) |
| Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv (14) | Maccabee Haifa (4) |
| Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa (8) | Hapoel Tel-Aviv (5) |
| Hapoel Rishon le-Zion (11) | Hapoel Jerusalem (7) |
| Maccabee Ironi Ashdod (13) | Hapoel Tsafririm Holon (10) |
| Hapoel Kefar-Saba (11) | Maccabee Herzliya (12) |
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