Maccabi's first season 2014/15 friendly ended in a convincing 6-0 victory, thanks to Zahavi's brace and goals by Chibote, Prica, Radi and Margulies
Maccabi Tel Aviv opened their series of four training camp friendlies with a decisive 6-0 victory over Austrian side SC Weiz. The Austrians just recently celebrated their promotion to the Austrian Bundesliga's second division and have also begun their preparations for the 2014/15 season. During the course of the encounter, Maccabi head coach Oscar Garcia fielded all three of the squad's goalkeepers – veteran Spaniard Juan Pablo, back-up keeper Barak Levi and the 15 year-old Haviv Ohayon – with each spending half an hour defending the Maccabi net. At half-time Garcia substituted all ten of the remaining first eleven, providing playing time for all of his on-field players with the exception of defender Yoav Ziv, who was side-lined with a light injury.
The match began under "wintry" conditions that included light rain accompanied by flashes of lightning and thunder. After a measured opening, Eran Zahavi made light of the opposition defence, passing three players before striking home Maccabi's first just after the twenty minute mark. The goal energised the star midfielder and just two minutes later he exchanged passes with striker Barak Badash but his final touch missed its mark. At the same time Maccabi's young Congolese striker Mavis Chibote, who last season played for the club's Under-19s, was getting into gear and five minutes before half-time also took a pass off of Barak Badash but converted it for Maccabi's second. Two minutes later Zahavi completed his brace and made it 3-0 at the break by curling a free kick past the Austrian keeper.
The second half saw all ten of Maccabi's on-field players replaced and just six minutes after the restart Rade Prica provided head coach Oscar Garcia with Maccabi's fourth goal of the match. The Swedish striker pulled down a ball 25 yards out and struck powerfully past Austrian keeper Sascha Harrer. Just a minute later young midfielder Omri Altman was fouled and two-season veteran Mahran Radi converted the resulting free kick for Maccabi's fifth. Two minutes shy of the hour mark, Altman and Prica set up winger Tal Ben Haim but his goal was ruled offside. Ten minutes before full time, defender Omri Ben Harush found Gael Margulies down the right beating his marker to the ball, and after passing yet another Austrian defender the young striker shot home to complete Maccabi's 6-0 triumph.
Maccabi's next friendly will take place this coming Tuesday against SC Wiener Neustadt, who last season finished eighth in the Austrian Bundesliga.
