The MTA Youth Division's second 2013/14 season league title brings awards tally to eight
After winning six prestigious State Cups, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division added a second league title to that of the Under-16s as the Under-14 Team South clinched the nationwide Central District championship following a goalless draw against Maccabi Haifa. The single point proved sufficient as the league's second-placed team Hapoel Rishon Lezion failed to take advantage after drawing themselves, enabling MTA's Under-14s to maintain their eight point lead at the top of the table with just two games left to the season. As things stand, head coach Eyal Tzahi's lads already lead the league in attack with 89 goals and have also presented the best defence, conceding just 12 goals all season.
In other Youth Division matches, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded", the club's Under-17s, saw their home tie against Maccabi Netanya also end in a goalless draw. Head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's charges, who only last week won the sixth of the Division's State Cups, lie second in the national Under-17 Premier League table. But with just two games left till the end of the season the gap between themselves and league leaders Maccabi Haifa remains unassailable. Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", the club's Under-16s, have already won the Under-16 District South League and Under-16 Cup double and have now added a season final 1-2 away win against Ironi Bat Yam, with strikers Amit Cohen and Omer Lakou contributing the goals. Head coach Erez Belfer's charges now face an additional challenge, the "Champion of Champions" tournament, which will begin next Saturday. During the tournament the top three teams of the regional North and South Under-16 leagues will face off against one another. "Eli Fuchs"'s first match will be against League North's third-placed club, Maccabi Netanya.
Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", the club's Under-15 Team 1, finished their season in the Under-15 Central District League in the third spot after beating Hapoel Jerusalem 1-2 in the nation's capital. Team 2, playing in the parallel Sharon District League, also finished third after an impressive 1-5 victory away to Beitar Haifa in the last match of the season. Desalin Balacho netted a brace and Prince Thomas, Peleg Moshe and Ari Itzhak all contributed individual goals to the effort. Head coach Haim Siton's crew already lifted a trophy this season, having won the Under-15 State Cup final only last month.
After a handsome 0-3 away win against Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi's Under-14 Team North kept hopes alive that both of the club's Under-14 teams will win their league titles. They trail league leaders Maccabi Haifa on goal difference alone and there are still two games left till the end of their season. The state of play is similar in the nationwide Under-13 League Central District, where Maccabi's Team South have equal points to municipal rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv at the top of the table, but with a superior goal difference. The State Cup winners maintained that state of affairs with an impressive 2-6 away win at Beitar Jerusalem. In a further contest, Maccabi's Under-13 Team North defeated Hapoel Ra'anana 4-0.
