No wonder it's all smiles at the MTA Youth Division. No less than 12 trophies in the 2013/14 season. And that's not all . . .
Another successful season has come to a close at the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division, with a trophy cabinet bulging with reminders of the achievements of the various Youth Division teams. Eleven titles in all – three league championships, six prestigious State Cups, one "Super Cup" trophy and the winners' trophy at this year's "Nike Israel" tournament.
The Division's first silverware came at the very start of the season when the Under-19s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar", won the Under-19 Premier League "Super Cup" after beating last season's double winners Maccabi Haifa 3-1. In the league itself, head coach Ziv Arie's charges finished second, just two points behind winners Maccabi Haifa. Nonetheless, Maccabi's Under-19s finished the season level with the leaders in league victories (18) and fewest goals conceded (27). As for total number of goals scored, "Shachar" led the league with 60 but unfortunately still fell short of returning the league trophy to the Division, where it last stood after the 2011/12 season. Another achievement for the Division's flagship side was seeing their promising young striker, Dor Jan, take his first steps in the senior squad in the final stages of their championship campaign after scoring eleven goals for the Under-19s.
The club's Under-17s, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded", won the prestigious U17 State Cup trophy and did it with panache. The U17 squad of head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon and his assistants Gadi Bromer and Reviv Dakar comprehensively beat Maccabi Haifa 4-0 in the final held at the National Stadium in Ramat Gan last month, with Daniel Rahimi, Raz Itzhak, Dor Galili and Ro'i Tzarum all getting on the scoresheet. In addition to Cup celebrations, the Under-17s also celebrated sending two of their numbers, Raz Itzhak and Rany Hamza, for try-outs with the Under-19 squad.
Maccabi's Under-16s were one of two Youth Division teams to complete an excellent season with a league and Cup double. The squad of head coach Erez Belfer and his assistants Haim Lanziano and Eitan Katz celebrated the first half of that double in April when they beat Beitar Tubruk 3-1 to capture the prestigious U16 State Cup. The double was completed early in May when a derby win against Hapoel Tel Aviv handed them the nationwide U16 League South title. And what an impressive title it was: Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" finished the league season leading their nearest rivals by 9 points, with 27 victories and just 3 losses. Even more impressive was their goalscoring record, 128 in all with a goal difference of 107! Outstanding goalscorer was Omer Lakou with 33 league goals and 41 in all competitions.
Maccabi's Under-15 Team 1 may have finished the league only in third place but they too have something to be proud of. In March the team of head coach Shlomi Mitelka and his assistant Gil Meltzer won the "Nike Israel" tournament, held this year in Ra'anana, after beating Maccabi Netanya, Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi's own Under-15 team 2 and, in the final, Hapoel Rishon Lezion. In their own right, Team 2, under the tutelage of head coach Haim Siton and his assistant Haim Nimni, also won one of the Youth Division's six State Cup titles after beating Maccabi Haifa 3-1 in the final. They crowned their season 2013/14 achievements by winning an additional title, the Under-15 "Champion of Champions", held this year at the Tel Aviv suburb of Even Yehuda. Meanwhile the club's Under-14 Team South, guided by head coach Ayal Tzachi and his assistant Israel Kakon, won the U14 Central District League title with 77 points and an impressive goal difference of 83, having conceded just 12 goals all season.
The second of the Youth Division's clubs to capture a league and Cup double were the Under-13 Team South. The U13 State Cup was won early in April, when head coach Ori David's lads beat Maccabi Haifa 6-3 in the final. The battle for the league title was much tighter and was decided only in the last matchweek of the season at the end of May. They went into the match ahead on goal difference and with their fate in their own hands. But a resounding 1-6 triumph at municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda guaranteed that Maccabi's Under-13s would also lift the U13 Central District league trophy to crown an outstanding season.
An additional State Cup trophy was won by Maccabi's Under-12 Team North, led by head coach Micha Dahan and his assistants Guy Shemesh and Yoav Izober, after a 6-3 triumph over Hapoel Rishon Lezion. The youngest Maccabi Youth Division team to win a title this season was the class of '04, the Under-10 Team South. In April, the youngsters of head coach Asaf Profeta and his assistant Eliran Mizrachi booked a resounding 9-1 victory in the U10 State Cup final against Maccabi Petach Tikva.
