MTA's U16s are poised to enter the "Champion of Champions", the U15s play in a special tournament of their own
After the Under-19s finished off their season last week, the remaining teams of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division will carry on with matches of their own this week-end. After claiming the prestigious State Cup this month, head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" will be looking to use the last two matches of the season to hold down the second spot in the national Under-17 Premier League table. This Saturday at 10.30am they'll play the first of those two matches away against municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda.
Also on Saturday League and Cup double winners Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" will start their run in the "Champion of Champions" tournament, where the top three teams in the nationwide North and South District Under-16 leagues will face off against one another to determine the national Under-16 champions. The first of three tests for head coach Erez Belfer's charges will be at home against Maccabi Netanya at 9am at the Kiryat Shalom training ground.
Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad", the club's Under-15 Team 1, finished their season last Saturday but this week will play in a special tournament in honour of the late Yisrael Ben Dror, a former football player , teacher and educator who made a major contribution to Israeli sports and to youth education in Israel in general. This is the seventh consecutive year that the Israel Football Association, together with the Ben Dror family, are holding this tournament, which will be played at the American School in Even Yehuda starting on Saturday at 9am and will host Under-15 teams from Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Bnei I'billin, Ashdod FC, Maccabi Petach Tikva, Hapoel Beer Sheva, Maccabi Netanya and Maccabi London.
Head coach Arik Levi's Under-14 Team North trail Under-14 Sharon District League leaders Maccabi Haifa on goal difference alone and therefore play a crucial penultimate match on Saturday when they host Beitar Haifa on the centre pitch at Kiryat Shalom at 11am. Team South, who won the Central District title only last Saturday, will play away to Gadna Tel Aviv in a noontime kick-off. Under-13 team North will play away to Hapoel Petch Tikva at 10.30 while Team South will be looking to extend their run of good form and finish off an already successful season in style. Head coach Ori David's youngsters lead the Under-13 Central District table on goal difference and will play their penultimate match of the season against Beitar Tel Aviv Ramle on the artificial grass pitch at Kiryat Shalom at 10.15am with a view to maintaining their place at the top of the league.
