The League started, and the European disappointments of our teams were forgotten in a very interesting round, with 31 goals in 8 matches and some real thrillers on the field. Maccabee Herzliya and Hapoel Beit-Shean were the pleasant surprises, and Hapoel Haifa, though losing, was an active participant of a cool game and showed us its intentions to the future. Maccabee Tel-Aviv refreshed after Grasshoppers, and so did Hapoel Tel-Aviv after Zimbru Kishinau. Maccabee Haifa managed to forget the painful loss to Klaaksvikkaar, but only after another dreadful 45 minutes. And Hapoel Tsafririm Holon, being down 1:4 at home, made it to a 4:4 draw - a wonderful drama!
2:1 was the score in Holon before the break, after Najouan Grayib (formerly Maccabee Haifa) and Alexander Gaiduk scored their openers, and Shai Holtzman could just reduce it from the penalty kick. Guy Itzhak passed alone all the home defence and made a wonderful 3:1, and Gaiduk used the stupid defensive mistake to pass Alexander Zhidkov and to score, 4:1. But then Fabrice Mege from Nice (France) reduced it again, Tal Bnaya from Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa got a red card for a really redundant foul, and the 2 goals came quickly to equalize the score. A great comeback by Holon, isn't it?
Zoltan Veg, the National Hungarian keeper of Hapoel Haifa, played a very secure game in Jerusalem, and Itzhak Korenfein of Beitar Jerusalem, on the other hand, made great saves from Ran Ben-Shimon's shot (36) and Tal Banin's far-ranger from a free kick (38); so, the nets were dry in the 1st half. The score was opened with 20 minutes to go - Tal Banin shot, Korenfein parried it greatly, Dani Niron took the rebound and passed it to Amir Turgeman, and the last year Best Scorer had no problems, 1:0 to Haifa. And just 4 minutes later came the fantastic equalizer: Haifa's defence cleared the ball from the box, Ilan Elharar headed it from 28 meters (!) back inside, and Istvan Salloi performed a wonderful back scissors kick from 10 meters, 1:1. And this wasn't the end, for the same Ilan Elharar made a goal pass to the young Sahar Saado, 2 minutes from time. 2:1 to the hosts, but both teams have still much to repair in order to be fully considered the top threats.
Maccabee Tel-Aviv, disappointed after the loss to the Swiss squad of Grasshoppers, was the shadow of itself during most of the first half, and just the great reaction of Uvarov to the header of Eisenberg (21) saved the team from humiliation. But Victor Moroz found the net from 25 meters just before the break, Avi Nimni converted the early 2nd half penalty into the second goal, and one team remained on the field up to the end.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv met Hapoel Beer-Sheva, both teams participating in UEFA Cup and just Beer-Sheva passing to the next round, to be drawn against Barcelona. The Spanish "spies" were in Bloomfield to see their rival with some attractive pieces of football, but losing at the end. Yossi Madar used the early handplay of Shlomo Iluz to convert a penalty to 1:0 of the hosts; Jaroslav Baku slipped the free kick of Gadi Hazut and so let Sergei Gusev equalize from a rebound, 1:1. Oren Sagron scored a wonderful goal from inside the box, 1:2, but then it was the turn of Nissim Avitan (last year in Beer-Sheva) who stang twice, the last goal with a fantastic header.
In the game played in Monday, Maccabee Haifa met Maccabee Yaffa, the team most likely to relegate at the end of this season. Maccabee Haifa, defeating time after time the really good teams, has a certain problem in playing with the inferior squads, and in the 1st half it was expressed again. Yaffa made just one counterattack and scored, and Haifa wasn't close to the equalizer, partly because of its midfield's terrible weakness (where were Revivo, Hazan and Ronnie Levi?), and partly because of the great game shown by Yaffa's Ukrainean keeper Boris Beloshapka. But after the break, it finally came. The pressure of Haifa was unbelievable, and Beloshapka made the impossible saves to deny Ronnie Levi, Offer Shitrit (twice), Haim Revivo and Moshe Glam. But Hazan managed to score from 22 meters (after the great pass by Eyal Berkovich, the No. 1 on the field), Revivo made it 3 minutes later with a cool free kick, and Berkovich made the debute sweet for our Copa America Champion, Edgardo Adinolfi, with another great pass. Maccabee Yaffa can be proud of its keeper, but no more than that; as for Haifa, it should be aware of such mental problems, but I'm sure these will be shown neither vs Beer-Sheva, nor vs Sporting Lisbon.
Maccabee Herzliya defeated Rishon le-Zion, 1:0, and the National forward Offer Mizrahi is in a good shape before Slovakia; also, the serious threat to every defence comes from Nissim Cohen, 40.5 (!) years old, who still remains the player to take into consideration in our League. Hapoel Beit-Shean defeated the unconvincing squad of Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv, even with the National keeper Bonnie Ginzburg in the latters' net. And Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa made it easily against the newcomer, Hapoel Kefar-Saba - 3:1. Pay attention to Manor Hassan, Petakh-Tikwa's young (19) and promising forward.
The next week no League is held, since our National team plays a crucial game in Slovakia at 06/09; the victory there gives our guys a considerable chance of playing in EC'96, if later we defeat Azerbaijan, don't lose to France, and the Romanians prove their reputation of one of the strongest teams of Europe against France and Poland. If we win, everything becomes possible again.
And later, we return to the league with a very interesting Week 02. The remaining "European" teams, Hapoel Beer-Sheva (EC3) and Maccabee Haifa (EC2), meet in Beer-Sheva; for the hosts it will be a good repetition before Barcelona, and for Haifa a good one before Sporting Lisbon away. Also to watch - Maccabee Herzliya vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv, the Petakh-Tikwa derby, Hapoel Rishon le-Zion vs Maccabee Tel-Aviv.
Beitar Tel-Aviv - MACCABEE TEL-AVIV 0:3 (0:1).
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Hosts: -.
Guests: Victor Moroz (44), Avi Nimni (52 pen), Evgeniy Kashentsev (77).
THE BEST: Alon Brumer, midfielder, Maccabee Tel-Aviv.
MACCABEE HAIFA - Maccabee Yaffa 3:1 (0:1). [Played on 28/08]
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Hosts: Alon Hazan (60), Haim Revivo (63), Edgardo Adinolfi (88).
Guests: OG (Alon Harazi, 16).
THE BEST: Eyal Berkovich, midfielder, Maccabee Haifa.
HAPOEL PETAKH-TIKWA - Hapoel Kefar-Saba 3:1 (1:0).
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Hosts: Manor Hassan (15, 70), Moti Kakun (49).
Guests: Moti Eberbaum (75).
RED: Idan Shum, midfielder, Hapoel Kefar-Saba, 29.
THE BEST: Offir Koppel, midfielder, Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa.
HAPOEL TEL-AVIV - Hapoel Beer-Sheva 3:2 (1:1).
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Hosts: Yossi Madar (3 pen), Nissim Avitan (74, 80).
Guests: Sergei Gusev (42), Oren Sagron (54).
THE BEST: Nissim Avitan, forward, Hapoel Tel-Aviv.
BEITAR JERUSALEM - Hapoel Haifa 2:1 (0:0).
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Hosts: Istvan Salloi (74), Sahar Saado (89).
Guests: Amir Turgeman (70).
THE BEST: Arik Benado, defender, Beitar Jerusalem.
HAPOEL BEIT-SHEAN - Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv 2:1 (1:0).
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Hosts: Nassim Agbariya (41, 46).
Guests: Sahar Mizrahi (65 pen).
RED: Roi Hadad, defender, Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv, 77.
THE BEST: Nassim Agbariya, forward, Hapoel Beit-Shean.
MACCABEE HERZLIYA - Hapoel Rishon le-Zion 1:0 (1:0).
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Hosts: Offer Mizrahi (45).
Guests: -.
THE BEST: Offer Mizrahi, forward, Maccabee Herzliya.
On the 73rd minute Claudio Kahimi (Maccabee Herzliya) missed a penalty kick -
Shavit Elimelekh saved.
Hapoel Tsafririm Holon - Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa 4:4 (1:2).
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Hosts: Shai Holtzman (42 pen), Fabrice Mege (50), Assaf Tubi (67),
Hezi Shirazi (74).
Guests: Najouan Grayib (20), Alexander Gaiduk (25, 49), Guy Itzhak (48).
RED: Tal Bnaya, defender, Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa, 53.
THE BEST: Assaf Tubi, midfielder, Hapoel Tsafririm Holon.
THE ROUND'S TEAM:
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Zoltan Veg
(Hapoel Haifa)
Eran Cohen Alexander Taikov Arik Benado Eyal Cohen
(Maccabee Herzliya) (Maccabee Herzliya) (Beitar Jerusalem) (Hapoel Tel-Aviv)
Tibor Shallai Offir Koppel Alon Brumer Assaf Tubi
(Hapoel Beit-Shean) (Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa) (Mcb. Tel-Aviv) (Tsafririm Holon)
Nissim Avitan Nassim Agbariya
(Hapoel Tel-Aviv) (Hapoel Beit-Shean)
NOTE: The best players of this starting round had been chosen in Saturday,
before the postponed game between Maccabee Haifa and Maccabee Yaffa.
If held in Tuesday, the list would contain Boris Beloshapka (Maccabee
Yaffa) instead of Zoltan Veg, and Eyal Berkovich (Maccabee Haifa) in-
stead of Tibor Shallai.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Hapoel Beit-Shean, Maccabee Herzliya - 2.
Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Haifa, Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa,
Maccabee Tel-Aviv, Hapoel Tsafririm Holon - 1.
PLACE TEAM G W T L Goals Points
1 (1) Maccabee Tel-Aviv 01 1 0 0 3- 0 3
2 (2) Maccabee Haifa 01 1 0 0 3- 1 3
- (5) Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa 01 1 0 0 3- 1 3
4 (4) Hapoel Tel-Aviv 01 1 0 0 3- 2 3
5 (6) Beitar Jerusalem 01 1 0 0 2- 1 3
- (12) Hapoel Beit-Shean 01 1 0 0 2- 1 3
7 (14) Maccabee Herzliya 01 1 0 0 1- 0 3
8 (7) Hapoel Tsafririm Holon 01 0 1 0 4- 4 1
- (8) Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa 01 0 1 0 4- 4 1
10 (3) Hapoel Beer-Sheva 01 0 0 1 2- 3 0
11 (13) Hapoel Haifa 01 0 0 1 1- 2 0
-- (10) Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv 01 0 0 1 1- 2 0
13 (9) Hapoel Rishon le-Zion 01 0 0 1 0- 1 0
14 (16) Hapoel Kefar-Saba 01 0 0 1 1- 3 0
-- (15) Maccabee Yaffa 01 0 0 1 1- 3 0
16 (11) Beitar Tel-Aviv 01 0 0 1 0- 3 0
NOTE: The places beforehand (here - at the last Championship, later - in
the previous rounds) are put in brackets.
BEST PLAYER: Offir Koppel, midfielder, Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa.
NOTE: After Monday it would've been Eyal Berkovich, midfielder, Mcb. Haifa.
TOP SCORERS: Nissim Avitan (Hapoel Tel-Aviv) 2(0)
Nassim Agbariya (Hapoel Beit-Shean) 2(0)
Alexander Gaiduk (Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa) 2(0)
Manor Hassan (Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa) 2(0)
NOTE - the penalties scored are put in brackets.
NEXT ROUND (in a fortnight):
| Hosts | Guests |
| Hapoel Rishon le-Zion (13) | Maccabee Tel-Aviv (1) |
| Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa (8-9) | Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa (2-3) |
| Hapoel Beer-Sheva (10) | Maccabee Haifa (2-3) |
| Maccabee Herzliya (7) | Hapoel Tel-Aviv (4) |
| Hapoel Haifa (11-12) | Hapoel Beit-Shean (5-6) |
| Hapoel Kefar-Saba (14-15) | Beitar Jerusalem (5-6) |
| Maccabee Yaffa (14-15) | Hapoel Tsafririm Holon (8-9) |
| Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv (11-12) | Beitar Tel-Aviv (16) |
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