Ido Shahar’s assist for Maccabi’s second goal against Hapoel Hadera that secured a 2-0 State Cup victory and a place in the Round of 16 draw. At the end of the match, the 22-year-old midfielder said after the tough match on a difficult surface at Netanya: “It was really difficult to play here tonight on this pitch. We noticed it already in the warm-up as after we returned from the warm-up the conditions were even worse. There was mud everywhere which made playing especially in midfield even more challenging. But that was something both teams had to deal with. Ultimately, this was a cup tie and the main thing was to advance through which is exactly what we did. We won a match which shows our character. We knew that this match would have certain stages which would have less football and more tackling, but I am delighted we kept a clean sheet and won.”
Shahar, who played the full 90 minutes for the first time this season as he made his 11th appearance in all competitions, added: “The best thing a player can do is play. I am delighted I got a chance to play the full 90 minutes but whenever I am asked to play, I will be here and ready. Regardless of what position I will be asked to play I will still do the maximum.”
The midfielder who recently signed a long-term contract at Maccabi, spoke about the competition he faces from his fellow teammates: “This is Maccabi Tel Aviv. There are plenty of good players here especially in my position with some of them national team players. They are fun to play with and fun to train with. I learn from them a lot which adds to my game and experience. Whenever I am called upon, I will do the maximum for the team.”
