Maccabi's U17s suffered their first defeat of the new season, losing 0-1 in a municipal derby to Hapoel Tel Aviv
After opening the league with three consecutive wins to take all nine available points, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17s dropped their first points of the season after losing 0-1 in a municipal derby to Hapoel Tel Aviv. Derbies are always eagerly anticipated matches, whatever the season or age group, and the Under-17 Yellow-against-Red contests are no exception. This derby, played at Maccabi's home ground Kiryat Shalom, attracted a healthy number of spectators, among them members of the senior squad, the club's sports director Jordi Cruyff and first team head coach Oscar Garcia, all of whom came to have a look at Maccabi's next-gen players.
The match itself didn't quite live up to expectations but in typical derby fashion tensions ran high topped off with a dramatic finish. Visitors and municipal archrivals Hapoel Tel Aviv, who also came into the match with nine points from three outings, scored the match's only goal after 36 minutes courtesy of Yoel Abuhatzera, who was left facing an open goal. Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" went on the attack to find an equaliser before the break, with Guy Aviv and Matan Hozez breaking down the flanks to provide Yonatan Cohen's repeated attempts on goal, but to no avail. Maccabi kept up the pressure after the break but the visitors' defence held firm. Only in the match's final official minute were the home side provided with a golden opportunity to regain parity. A hand ball in the area by a Hapoel defender saw the ref point at the penalty spot but Yonatan Cohen failed to convert and injury time provided no further joy. Hapoel's single goal handed them all three points and "Oded" dropped their first points of the new season. They'll try to return to winning ways next week against their counterparts at Maccabi Haifa.
