Today Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-16s and Under-15 Team 2 joined three other MTA Youth Division teams who in midweek reached their age group finals of the coveted State Cup
Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", the club's Under-16s, today (Saturday) booked their place in the finals of the coveted State Cup after beating Hapoel Beer Sheva 3-0 at "Beit Hanivcharot" in the Tel Aviv suburb of Shfayim. Striker Or Dasa scored a brace and fellow striker Roy Ronen added an individual effort to ensure nationwide Under-16 League South leaders "Eli Fuchs" passed their southern counterparts on their way to the State Cup finals ten days from now on April 22nd, where they will face Beitar Tubruk, who won their semi-final tie against Hapoel Tel Aviv.
In another State Cup semi-final played today at "Beit Hanivcharot" in Shfayim, Under-15 Team 2 became the fifth Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division team to book their place in the finals of this prestigious competition. Head coach Haim Siton's charges beat Maccabi Netanya 2-0 courtesy of goals by Guy Dahan and Desalin Balacho. They will now go on to face northern namesakes Maccabi Haifa in the final.
Today's two victories capped a successful week for Maccabi's Youth Division in State Cup competition after similar semi-final triumphs by the Under-10 Team South, the Under-12 Team North and the Under-13 Team South, who will all now appear in the State Cup finals for their age groups. The Under-10 Team South, Maccabi's class of '04, beat Beitar Jerusalem 7-6 and will now face Maccabi Petach Tikva in the finals on Friday April 18th. Head coach Micha Dahan's Under-12 Team North, the first MTA Youth Division team to book their place in the finals, did so at the expense of Hapoel Hod Hasharon in an 11-2 romp that will see them facing Hapoel Rishon Lezion in the finals, also this coming Friday. Finally, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-13 Team South beat Maccabi Netanya 4-2 and will now face their counterparts from Maccabi Haifa, who prevented the Under-13 State Cup final from becoming an in-house affair by beating MTA's Under-13 Team North in the second semi-final for their age group.
In addition to these State Cup ties there was also league action midweek. Maccabi's Under-17s, who booked their place in the State Cup finals last week, faced off against Hapoel Ra'anana at their Kiryat Shalom training ground in matchweek 22 of the national Under-17 Premier League. A Ra'anana own goal in the first half and an Omri Haramati strike ten minutes from time handed Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" yet another home win and brought them level on points, temporarily at least, with national Under-17 Premier League leaders Maccabi Haifa, remaining second but with a game in hand.
