Four days after the victory over Hapoel Be’ersheva in the league, Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the State Cup Round of 16 tie against second division side Maccabi Jaffa.
Maccabi’s Head Coach, Robbie Keane, made several changes as he allowed some of his players gain valuable minutes in the Cup while others were handed much needed rest.
Daniel Tenenbaum, whose last appearance in goal was in May last season, was named in the starting line-up for the first time in this campaign. Idan Nachmias and Matan Baltaxa were both named as the two central defenders with Avishai Cohen and Ofir Davidzada completing Maccabi’s back-four in front of the Brazilian born custodian. Eden Karzev was assigned to the anchorman role with Dor Peretz and Kiko Bondoso completing Maccabi’s midfield engine room. Yonatan Cohen and Osher Davida supplied the width on the right and left while Dor Turgeman spearheaded Keane’s attack.
On the bench, Keane, named Orlando Mosquera, Roy Revivo, Eran Zahavi, Dan Biton, Joris van Overeem, Gabi Kanichowsky, Felicio Milson, Eyal Golasa and Ido Shahar.
First Half
Maccabi began the match with purpose and intention as Osher Davida looked lively down the left wing causing Jaffa’s defence all sorts of problems. Three minutes from the start Davida whipped in a cross from the left which was directed at Dor Turgeman. But as the young forward couldn’t connect the ball reached Yonatan Cohen whose attempt bounced wide of the target.
In the 14th minute Dor Turgeman tried curling a right foot shot from the edge of the area which was equalled by Jaffa’s keeper Adi Nasa who was at full stretch to push the ball out. While the visitors sat back soaking the pressure and protecting their goal, Yonatan Cohen tried to find an opening with a left foot drive that sailed high and wide.
Maccabi were back on level terms in the 43rd minute as Davida tore Jaffa’s defence from the left and sent the ball across the face of goal where Turgeman tucked it home from close range.
Second Half
When no change to either side at the restart, Maccabi began the second half just like they did with the first – a siege on Jaffa’s goal right from the off. Six minutes after the restart Kiko Bondoso broke into the area and floated a cross which was volleyed by Cohen forcing Nasa to a fingertip save.
Robbie Keane made his first two changes as Gabi Kanichowsky and Felicio Milson came on for Bondoso and Cohen shortly before the hour mark. Kanichowsky almost made an instant impact as he sent a free kick into the area on 66 which was headed by Turgeman onto the roof of the net.
Ido Shahar and Eran Zahavi were introduced for Peretz and Turgeman in the 78th as Keane made his third and fourth change. Less than a minute later Milson crossed from the touchline to Davida whose volley saw Nasa pull a reflex save on his goalline. But while Jaffa struggled to clear the danger Zahavi rifled a low drive from the corner of the area which eluded the visitors’ defence and their keeper to complete the comeback in the 80th minute to end his goalscoring drought.
A combination of the post freak misses denied Maccabi a third as the ball seemed reluctant to go in. Eyal Golasa replaced Karzev for the final substitution on the night but Zahavi still had his point to prove. An accurate strike in the 85th made it 3-1 with his second on the night. In the 89th minute Maccabi rounded the keeper and blasted the ball into the roof of the net but the linesman raised his flag for offside denying him a hattrick.
