Matchweek 2 for the U16s and U17s. A second victory for the latter and a close-run derby for the former
The 2012/13 season for Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-17s could not have got off to a brighter start last week, with a convincing 7-0 win over Hapoel Beer Sheva. This week head coach Ziv Arie's charges welcomed Hapoel Rishon Lezion to the Kiryat Shalom training ground and with a 4-1 victory demonstrated that their matchweek 1 success was no coincidence, and that despite the visitors jumping to an early 0-1 lead. By half-time however Maccabi were already in command, having turned the match around to 2-1 courtesy of a brace by defensive midfielder Guy Aviv, his third and fourth goals in two U17 matches after having joined the squad this year from the Under-16s. Two other squad members who scored against Beer Sheva last week, midfielder Sohil Armeli and striker Yonatan Cohen, were also on the scoreboard this week against Rishon Lezion. For Armeli, who scored Maccabi's third today, it was also his fourth goal of the young season. Cohen sealed the victory seven minutes from time with his second in as many matches. Next week there will be no matches in the nationwide U17 Southern District League, with Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" returning to action in a fortnight with a visit to Ashdod FC.
Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs", the club's Under-16s, hosted municipal rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv in the nationwide U16 Central District League for an intriguing derby that ended in a 1-1 draw. Hadar Levi put Maccabi in the lead in the first half, but after the restart Hapoel found an equaliser that saw the two clubs share the points when the match drew to a close. Next week the Under-16s will be looking to register their first victory of the new season when they head out to play Hapoel Ramat Gan .
