MTA's U15 Team 2, already State Cup winners, are now also "Champion of Champions"
Yesterday Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-15 Team 2 won the U15 "Champion of Champions" tournament held at the American School in Even Yehuda. The competition, now in its seventh year honouring the late Israel Ben Dror, Maccabi Petach Tikva and Israel defender from 1948 to 1962, was held for the first time in a new format that saw all of the tournament's matches held on the same day. The six participating teams were divided into two groups of three teams playing matches of forty minutes each. The winners of the two groups then faced off in a final that determined the "Champion of Champions"
Maccabi's Under-15s won their first match against Maccabi Petach Tikva 2-0 courtesy of goals by Guy Dahan and Desalin Balacho. Next up were Hapoel Bnei I'billin and head coach Haim Siton's lads won their second consecutive match, this time by the far wider margin of 7-0. Seven different squad members shared in the victory: Yarden Shua, Prince Thomas, Desalin Balacho, Naor Cohen, Itay Shauli, Netanel Peretz and Roni Petrovsky. In their third group stage encounter Maccabi Tel Aviv maintained their perfect record by beating Maccabi Haifa 2-0 on goals by Guy Dahan and Desalin Balacho to finish top of their group and gain entrance to the final.
In that final their opponents were Maccabi Netanya, and after a goalless forty minutes, the fate of the tournament's champions was settled from the penalty spot. There, successful strikes once again by Guy Dahan and Desalin Balacho, and a save by keeper Yaniv Goldshtein, handed Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-15s a 2-1 edge and the title of "Champion of Champions". Desalin Balacho, who scored a total of four goals in as many matches, was designated the outstanding player of the tournament, while Yarden Shua's one goal and three assists were also a notable contribution to the Maccabi Tel Aviv triumph.
In other matches that were played yesterday in the Youth Division, the Under-17s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded", beat municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda 1-4 away in their penultimate match of the season to secure the second spot in the national Under-17 Premier League. Maccabi opened the scoring in the first half courtesy of a goal by defender Yonatan Feldman. That advantage was trebled after the restart by Dor Galili and Omri Haramati before the home side got one back to make the score 1-3. But in the final minute Raz Itzhak added a fourth for the visitors to complete the rout.
Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" began their campaign in the Under-16 "Champion of Champions" with a home tie against Maccabi Netanya. Head coach Erez Belfer's lads jumped off to a 1-0 advantage courtesy of a goal by midfielder Guy Shetach, a lead that was defended courageously until the end of regulation time. Unfortunately the visitors managed to draw level in time added on leaving the Under-16s with just the single point.
Maccabi's Under-14s Team South, already champions of the nationwide U14 League Central District, added yet another victory in their penultimate match of the season by handily beating Gadna Tel Aviv 0-4 away. Gal Porat scored a brace, Amit Mordehayev and Adir Hardon added individual efforts. Meanwhile the championship decider in the nationwide U14 League Sharon District will have to wait until the last week of the season after both league leaders Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv Team North, trailing on goal difference alone, were victorious in Saturday's contests. Maccabi Tel Aviv won their encounter against Beitar Haifa 3-0.
The largest goal tally of the week-end was recorded by Maccabi's Under-13 Team South as they scored a whopping 13 goals to no response against Beitar Tel Aviv Ramle. If they win their match next week against municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda, they will have added the league title to their State Cup winning credentials to boast a 2013/14 season double. Team North won in a more modest fashion, beating Hapoel Petach Tikva 0-1 away.
