Maccabi Tel Aviv's young international Dor Micha was credited with an assist as Ironi Kiryat Shmona's Ophir Mizrachi scored in a 1-1 draw in an Under-21 friendly in Belgium. Maccabi keeper Barak Levi played the full 90 minutes
Two of Maccabi Tel Aviv's brightest young stars, keeper Barak Levi and midfielder Dor Micha, played last night in an Under-21 international friendly against their Belgian counterparts at the home of the Belgian first division's 2nd placed side, S.V. Zulte Waregem. Levi, appearing in his second match for the Israel Under-21s, opened the match and played the full 90 minutes. Micha played the first hour and was credited with an assist in the goal that put Israel ahead in the 17th minute when he broke down the flank and placed an accurate cross for Ironi Kiryat Shmona forward Ophir Mizrachi to strike into an open net. But the hosts levelled just four minutes later courtesy of a goal from FC Copenhagen striker Igor Vetokele and so the score remained till the referee's final whistle.
The match in Belgium was the Israeli Under-21's last friendly in preparation for next month's start of the qualifiers for next summer's Under-21 European finals, opening with a home tie against Azerbaijan on the 8th of September. One day earlier Israel's senior internationals will also be facing their Azerbaijani counterparts in a qualifier for next summer's World Cup finals in Brazil. Tomorrow the senior squad, boasting four Maccabi Tel Aviv stars, will play a friendly against the Ukraine. Defenders Eitan Tibi and Sheran Yeini and midfielders Gal Alberman and Maharan Radi already conducted their first training tonight with the international squad in the Ukraine and are expected to be available to coach Eli Gutman for the match, to be played at Kiev's Olympic Stadium and broadcast live at 9 pm on Israeli sports channel 5+.
