19 goals in 7 games (the game of Hapoel Rishon le-Zion postponed because of the team's participation, though unsuccessful, in EC2), 2 red cards and 1 missed penalty - this was the story of the starting week of another Israeli Championship. Hapoel Haifa surprised Maccabee Tel-Aviv in Kiryat-Eliezer, 3:1, and both Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabee Haifa were convincing as well; surprisingly enough, Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, Hapoel Tsafririm Holon and Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv were also amongst the winners. Hapoel Jerusalem seems to be a team with no chance in the National League, even though it played yesterday without the wonderful Jaroslav Baku in its net; its coach, Yossi Mizrahi, ultimatively told the club's president: "Either the team collects strength by buying several players in the close days, or I resign, as there is nothing I can do with such a squad". And we've seen several great goals - all those of Hapoel Haifa, as well as the efforts of Liron Basis, Itzhak Zohar and Cobi Refua...
One more thing to emphasize before we proceed - this summer was a busy one in everything concerning the players' transfers, and yesterday a lot of new signings proved to be rightly done. Sergei Belianchuk and Arik Benado were very secure in Maccabee Haifa's defensive line, and Israel Cohen made the same in Hapoel Haifa, scoring in addition a wonderful goal and actually causing the 2nd one; and another Cohen, Rafi, made a wonderful job in the net, preventing the Champions from scoring but once. Avi Tikwa, Yaniv Offri, Giovanni Rosso, Liron Basis, Cobi Refua, Moti Fleeter and Itzhak Zohar were extraordinary too, the last 5 also scoring. And it was, of course, Hezi Shirazi of Maccabee Haifa, scoring twice and becoming "The Player Of The Week".
In a great "Battle Of Coaches" between Ivan Katalinic and Avraham Grant, the start was of the latter's team, Maccabee Tel-Aviv; however, 8 minutes've passed, and Hapoel Haifa performed a wonderful move resulting in a goal. Georgi Kovac managed to clear the ball from his area and found Reuven Attar, who sent a wonderful ball to Tal Banin. The latter managed to grab the ball on the left wing, to cut his direction into the center on the expense of Evgeniy Kashentsev and to find with a charming bounce the flying header of Israel Cohen. Uvarov flew in vain. 1:0.
And again, Maccabee was better, and again, the goal came on the other side. Uvarov threw the ball away by hand, but Israel Cohen kidnapped it from Amir Shelakh and passed it to Amir Turgeman, in one-to-one with Uvarov. The keeper managed to get out and to block the shot, but it deflected to the direction of rushing Reuven Attar and Gadi Brumer. Attar, a true genius of Soccer, was there a second before Brumer, swinging a full turnover in the air and meeting the ball with a scissors kick at the highest point of its trajectory. 2:0, despite the fact that Brumer claimed the foul on him. What a flight of Attar!
Avi Nimni used a mistake in Haifa's defence to beat Rafi Cohen with a marvellous shot to the far keeper's corner, but Haifa managed to answer immediately. Attar performed a free kick and passed a ball to Turgeman, the latter heeled it back to Zupatic, and Haifa's Croatian midfielder bombed it from 18 meters, the ball hidden from Uvarov and therefore leaving the keeper with no reaction. After all, Uvarov wasn't guilty in any of the goals, but his game is surely not as secure as before, after all the tragic events in his family during the last weeks. And on the other side, Rafi Cohen was in his best, denying several great goal chances of Nimni, Driks and Hageage. Katalinic was glad, and Grant still has to improve.
Maccabee Haifa did actually the same in Bloomfield against Hapoel Tel-Aviv, and it wasn't easy either. Hezi Shirazi opened the score with a header into the bar and in, after a good preparation of Kandaurov; however, a mistake of Marco Balbul in Haifa's defence gave Cobi Hadadi a chance, and the latter beat Ginzburg with a sharp flat shot, 1:1. Nevertheless, Ronnie Levi made Haifa lead again, and then, when Hapoel stayed in 10 players, Hezi Shirazi headed another ball home, this time after Offir Koppel's preparation. Haifa played yesterday without Alon Hazan, Eyal Berkovich (seems to sign a contract in Logrognes, Spain) and, of course, Haim Revivo (plays now in Celta Vigo, Spain), but it didn't prevent the team from winning and showing some pieces of definitely attractive football.
The double battle between Haifa and Tel-Aviv ended with a great victory of Haifa, but as for the double battle between Jerusalem and Petakh-Tikwa, it ended equally, with the winning squads leading the Championship after one game and the losing ones closing the table. Beitar Jerusalem devastated Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa away, 3:0, with the goals of its stars, Itzhak Zohar, Eli Ohana and Ronen Harazi; Zohar scored with a great flat shot from 20 meters, and we should also mention Golan Malul who saved his net several more times. Petakh-Tikwa made several great purchases this season, adding to its advanced line Offer Shitrit, Igor Shkvyrin and a wonderful Hungarian midfielder of Ferencvaros named Florian Albert (a man who scored a surprising goal against Real Madrid in the Champions' League the last year, leading to 1:1 draw); however, these 3, altogether with a great talent of Najouan Grayib, should get some glue in order to become a real attacking force. Yesterday all their efforts resulted just in Grayib's bar.
Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa, on the other hand, had a slow and secure trip to Jerusalem, defeating there the newcomer, Hapoel Jerusalem, 3:0. It started with Moti Kakun, exploiting a terrible misunderstanding between the Polish defender Stephan Mihei and the keeper Ishai Ben-Harush to roll the ball into an empty net. Walid Badir headed it home after a corner of Manor Hassan, after an uncomprehensible stumble of Ben-Harush, and the keeper made another mistake later on - Manor Hassan passed him and rolled the ball to Moti Kakun who stood 4 meters before an empty net and had no problem to find it with his shot. Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa with its new coach, Nir Levin, can be pleased, and Hapoel Jerusalem should quickly find the solutions. BTW, now I recalled that 4 years ago, this was this couple again, Levin and Kakun, with their goals to cause the defeat of Feyenoord, 2:1, in EC2...
In Beer-Sheva, Hapoel managed to defeat Maccabee Herzliya, 2:0 - first, it was the wonderful Croatian midfielder Giovanni Rosso who finished greatly his well-planned double pass with Gadi Hazut, and then, Liron Basis used a preparation of Alon Riff to score "The Goal Of The Week", stretching his right foot to beat Shuli Gilardi with a bounce from 15 meters. And in Beit-Shean, the only goal was scored after a great effort of Cobi Refua, who stopped the ball on the chest, after Amir Avigdor's preparation, and bombed it home in a turn from 15 meters. Meir Cohen could do nothing, and so Beit-Shean was helpless throughout the game, failing to equalize despite its optical pressure.
Last but not the least, the game that opened the Championship. It was the young Moshe Dvir who scored the 1st goal of this season after a preparation of David Kabeda, and the second one of Holon against Kefar-Saba away was the flying header of Moti Fleeter - the ball tore the net (!), and so the arguments were burning there, up to the referee's correct decision to count the goal. After 55 minutes, Kefar-Saba had an opportunity to reduce the score; however, Assaf Tubi shot a penalty kick straight into the hands of Alexander Zhidkov, our "Keeper Of The Week".
NEXT WEEK: the games will be held in a fortnight, and the great battle between Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Haifa is central; Maccabee Tel-Aviv will try to recover on Beer-Sheva's expense, and Maccabee Haifa should have a pleasant home entertainment against Hapoel Jerusalem. And as for September 1st, then Israel will play Bulgaria in WC'98 preliminaries, in Ramat-Gan; and I'll probably be there. Let our guys win!
Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa - BEITAR JERUSALEM 0:3 (0:1).
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Hosts: -.
Guests: Itzhak Zohar (32), Eli Ohana (53), Ronen Harazi (90).
THE BEST: Itzhak Zohar, midfielder, Beitar Jerusalem.
Hapoel Jerusalem - HAPOEL PETAKH-TIKWA 0:3 (0:1).
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Hosts: -.
Guests: Moti Kakun (4, 79), Walid Badir (67).
THE BEST: Yaniv Offri, forward, Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv - MACCABEE HAIFA 1:3 (0:1).
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Hosts: Cobi Hadadi (50).
Guests: Hezi Shirazi (26, 85), Ronnie Levi (66).
RED: Avi Azulai, midfielder, Hapoel Tel-Aviv, 76.
THE BEST: Hezi Shirazi, forward, Maccabee Haifa.
HAPOEL HAIFA - Maccabee Tel-Aviv 3:1 (1:0).
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Hosts: Israel Cohen (8), Reuven Attar (51), Zlatko Zupatic (68).
Guests: Avi Nimni (66).
THE BEST: Israel Cohen, defender, Hapoel Haifa.
Hapoel Kefar-Saba - HAPOEL TSAFRIRIM HOLON 0:2 (0:2).
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Hosts: -.
Guests: Moshe Dvir (19), Moti Fleeter (37).
THE BEST: Moti Fleeter, midfielder, Hapoel Tsafririm Holon.
On the 55th minute Assaf Tubi (Hapoel Kefar-Saba) missed a penalty kick -
Alexander Zhidkov saved.
HAPOEL BEER-SHEVA - Maccabee Herzliya 2:0 (1:0).
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Hosts: Giovanni Rosso (23), Liron Basis (67).
Guests: -.
RED: Israel Cohen, defender, Maccabee Herzliya, 75.
THE BEST: Giovanni Rosso, midfielder, Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
Hapoel Beit-Shean - BNEI-YEHUDA TEL-AVIV 0:1 (0:1).
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Hosts: -.
Guests: Cobi Refua (8).
THE BEST: Avi Tikwa, midfielder, Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv.
THE WEEK'S TEAM:
----------------
Alexander Zhidkov
(Hapoel Tsafririm Holon)
Israel Cohen Sergei Belianchuk Arik Benado Shimon Biton
(Hapoel Haifa) (Maccabee Haifa) (Maccabee Haifa) (Hapoel Beer-Sheva)
Yaniv Offri Moti Fleeter Itzhak Zohar Tal Banin
(Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa) (Tsafririm Holon) (Beitar Jerusalem) (Hapoel Haifa)
Eli Ohana Hezi Shirazi
(Beitar Jerusalem) (Maccabee Haifa)
Maccabee Haifa - 3.
Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, Hapoel Tsafririm Holon - 2.
Hapoel Beer-Sheva, Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa - 1.
PLACE TEAM G W T L Goals Points
1 (3) Beitar Jerusalem 01 1 0 0 3- 0 3
- (8) Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa 01 1 0 0 3- 0 3
3 (2) Maccabee Haifa 01 1 0 0 3- 1 3
- (4) Hapoel Haifa 01 1 0 0 3- 1 3
5 (13) Hapoel Tsafririm Holon 01 1 0 0 2- 0 3
6 (10) Hapoel Beer-Sheva 01 1 0 0 2- 0 3
7 (11) Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv 01 1 0 0 1- 0 3
8 (9) Hapoel Rishon le-Zion 00* 0 0 0 0- 0 0
- (15) Hapoel Taibe 00* 0 0 0 0- 0 0
10 (14) Hapoel Beit-Shean 01 0 0 1 0- 1 0
11 (1) Maccabee Tel-Aviv 01 0 0 1 1- 3 0
12 (5) Hapoel Tel-Aviv 01 0 0 1 1- 3 0
13 (7) Maccabee Herzliya 01 0 0 1 0- 2 0
14 (12) Hapoel Kefar-Saba 01 0 0 1 0- 2 0
15 (6) Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa 01 0 0 1 0- 3 0
-- (16) Hapoel Jerusalem 01 0 0 1 0- 3 0
* - a missing game, will be played on Tuesday.
IN BRACKETS - the places of the teams after the last Championship.
BEST PLAYER: Hezi Shirazi, forward, Maccabee Haifa.
TOP SCORERS: Hezi Shirazi (Maccabee Haifa) 2 (0) 2
Moti Kakun (Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa) 2 (0) 2
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 |
| Beitar Jerusalem (1-2) | Hapoel Haifa (3-4) |
| Hapoel Petakh-Tikwa (1-2) | Hapoel Rishon le-Zion (8-9) |
| Maccabee Haifa (3-4) | Hapoel Jerusalem (15-16) |
| Hapoel Tsafririm Holon (5-6) | Maccabee Herzliya (13-14) |
| Maccabee Tel-Aviv (11-13) | Hapoel Beer-Sheva (6) |
| Bnei-Yehuda Tel-Aviv (7) | Maccabee Petakh-Tikwa (15-16) |
| Hapoel Kefar-Saba (13-14) | Hapoel Tel-Aviv (11-12) |
| Hapoel Beit-Shean (10) | Hapoel Taibe (8-9) |
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