In their 1st round contest in the "Toto" (League) Cup, neither Maccabi Tel Aviv nor Maccabi Netanya got farther than hitting the post in playing out a goalless draw
After four encounters in their European campaign, Maccabi Tel Aviv tonight played their first official game of the domestic 2014/15 season. Some 4,000 spectators turned up at Netanya's brand new stadium to watch them square off against hosts Maccabi Netanya in round one of the group stage of the "Toto" (League) Cup, with Hapoel Ra'anana and Hapoel Tel Aviv the two other clubs rounding off Group 2.
The first half hour of the match passed off largely without incident, the only potential threats coming from two off-target long range efforts from Netanya's Romanian midfielder Gabriel Giurgiu and his Tel Aviv counterpart Eran Zahavi respectively. Four minutes from the break Maccabi Tel Aviv came close to opening the scoring when first team debutant, midfielder Dor Peretz, nearly made a dream start in his maiden appearance by heading a corner off the far post. Peretz was one of four of last year's Under-19 squad taking their first steps in the senior squad, alongside fellow midfielder Dan Glazer and defenders Shaun Goldberg and Guy Aviv. But perhaps the best chance of the half came just a minute before its conclusion when Tel Aviv striker Rade Prica rose up to meet a long ball in the area, but his header towards the near post was saved well on the stretch by Netanya keeper Ohad Levita to keep the match goalless going into the break.
After the restart it was Prica once again declaring intent in outsmarting his marker inside the area and releasing a powerful low shot on goal, but it was Levita once again who was there to stop it. From that point on the initiative moved to the other end of the pitch, starting with a free kick by striker Eran Levy that sailed close over the bar. On 71 minutes it was Maccabi Netanya's turn to hit the post after left back Shimon Harush's successful run past defender Eitan Tibi ended in his strike careening off the woodwork just beyond the outstretched arm of Tel Aviv keeper Juan Carlos. Much like the start of the match, the final twenty minutes passed without further incident leaving the two sides to share the points in their initial encounter in this season's "Toto" (League) Cup.
Round two of the competition is scheduled for this Saturday, with Maccabi Tel Aviv hosting Hapoel Ra'anana at Petach Tikva's "Moshava" Stadium.
