With the sweet memories of this week's triumph still fresh in our minds, time to turn the clocks back 14 years to Maccabi's first Tel Aviv derby in the "Toto" Cup
For six years Maccabi Tel Aviv had been waiting for a pre-season encounter with Hapoel Tel Aviv in the "Toto" (League) Cup. After a number of earlier ties against the smaller Tel Aviv fish Beitar and Shimshon, in the 1990/91 pre-season Maccabi were finally drawn against their main municipal archrivals. After beating Rehovot outfit Maccabi Sha'arayim and losing to Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi now had this third, and most intriguing of League Cup ties just as the Jewish New Year approached. Neither club were in particularly great shape at the time: Maccabi hadn't won a title in twelve years and Hapoel were just returning from a year in the wilderness of the then second tier "Artzit" League after being relegated a year earlier. Playing as they were in different leagues, the two Tel Aviv giants hadn't met at Bloomfield Stadium the whole previous season and this "Toto" Cup match would be the first taste of yet two more derby encounters to come.
It wasn't a sell-out crowd but still 10,000 fans of both sides waited impatiently for kick-off. After having spent a season at titleholders Bnei Yehuda and being elected player of the year, Moshe Sinai had returned to Hapoel as player/manager together with former goalkeeper Arie Bejerano, who occupied the technical area. The Maccabi boss was Tzvika Rosen and the squad had been fortified with Nir Klinger, later Maccabi head coach, who had just arrived from Maccabi Haifa and had already appeared in the first two "Toto" Cup matches. The Maccabi first eleven made a bright start with some of the most famous names in the club's history: Eli Dricks, Moti Ivanir, Itzik Zohar and Uri Malmilyan. The only spanner in the works was the early dismissal of midfielder Mickey Cohen, who received two yellow cards within a minute's play for fouls on Hapoel midfielder Moris Jano, leaving his side a man short for the rest of the match. Hosts Hapoel controlled midfield, largely due to the presence of Sinai and his dominating influence on his fellow midfielders. At the other end Itzik Zohar lead the counter attacks together with Dricks and Malmilyan but after 45 minutes and a number of opportunities left begging, the two sides went into the break without either getting on the scoreboard.
After the restart Hapoel continued to dominate, with Moshe Sinai once again representing the major threat and Maccabi keeper Moshe Marcus keeping him at bay. On the Maccabi bench they decided to make a change and sent on Maccabi all-time highest goalscorer Avi Nimni, then in only his second season and wearing the number 13 jersey. It was he who gave Maccabi their first clear scoring opportunity when he was later brought down in the area by a player who himself would join Maccabi nine years later for one season only, Hapoel defender Felix Halfon. Maccabi fans behind the goal cheered loudly as Uri Malmilyan stepped up to take the spot kick, but his weak effort was saved by Hapoel keeper Shuli Gilardi.
Ten minutes from time Moshe Sinai found Tamir Linhart in space in the Maccabi 16 yard box, and the substitute striker turned on his defender and shot past three Maccabi defenders to beat Moshe Marcus. With five minutes remaining on the clock Hapoel fans were already celebrating victory, but just then came the moment Uri Malmilyan would display the talent that had led Maccabi to bring him in from Beitar Jerusalem in the first place. Here too it was Avi Nimni who earned his side the opportunity, passing two Hapoel defenders before being brought down by Eli Cohen 20 metres from the goal. Gilardi put five players in his wall but not even they were able to stop Mamilyan's curling shot that ricocheted in off the left post. He had made up for his earlier transgression and sent Maccabi fans home to enjoy their holiday eve celebrations with contented smiles on their faces.
photograph courtesy of David Duek
