The Israel National Team will arguably play their toughest match on Friday night when they go up against one of the best National Teams in the world. The Blue & White will visit Spain in a World Cup 2018 Qualifying Matchday 5 clash in the city of Gijon. Dor Micha is with the team after having played extremely well with Maccabi Tel Aviv over the past few months and hopes to make his first appearance versus one of the top teams from around the globe.
“I’m always excited when I get called up to the National Team and especially for a match against Spain,” Micha told the Official Maccabi Tel Aviv Website. “This is an important game and an incredible experience for any player, so that’s why I’m absolutely thrilled with this opportunity. I really hope that I will get some minutes and be a part of the action. Over the course of my career I’ve had some good periods where I believe that I could help out the National Team and play some minutes, but up until today it just hasn’t happened. I hope that this time I’ll get my chance.”
On the special challenge of facing Spain:
“We’re facing players that we both admire and respect, but we have to set up a boundary as to just how much we will respect them on the pitch. Once we get onto the field of play, we must focus only on ourselves and try to reach the goal that we set which is to return back to Israel with some points in hand. There’s no question that this will be a difficult task, one of the hardest that there is, but most importantly we have to give it our all and that we didn’t come here just to waste our time.”
About playing a new role at Maccabi in the center of the midfield:
“I feel good about the role, though I have to say that most matches that I played in the center of the midfield, I also went over to play on the wing as well. The coach is using me in two positions and he’s letting me play in both. I think that it’s been good for me and the Club as it gives us a number of different options and also let’s me help out in another area on the pitch.”
Other than Micha, Elisha Levy called up four other Maccabi Tel Aviv players including, Eitan Tibi, Eli Dasa, Sheran Yeini and winger Tal Ben Chaim. Other Yellow & Blue players called up to their National Teams include, Vidar Kjartansson (Iceland), Egor Filipenka (Belarus) and Predrag Rajikovic (Serbia). Iceland takes on Kosovo and Ireland, Belarus will face Sweden and Macedonia while Serbia will visit Georgia.
