Category: Match day program EN
Stats Talk: Hapoel Haifa
The best defense in the league
One of the most central factors in Hapoel Haifa’s prominence this season has been their defense. Nir Klinger’s side has only given up 17 goals in 23 league matches this campaign and together with Hapoel Beer Sheva are the two sides that have conceded the fewest goals this season. The first name that comes to mind is central defender Gabriel Tamaș who is considered to be a true leader on the back line for the Reds and he will have his contract extended with the club according to many media sources in the country.
Tamaș rank 6th in the league in successful tackles (182) and 5th in steals. The difference between the two categories is that a tackle is taking away the ball from the opponent’s feet while a steal means taking the ball away when being passed between players before it reaches the player’s feet. Veteran Niso Kapiloto is helping Tamaș out and he’s also having a terrific season anchoring the Haifa defense as he ranks 13th in tackles and 19th in steals.
Pay attention to the counter attacks
Hapoel Haifa knows how to defend and that means they also know how to counter attack pretty well. They have scored 12 goals, ranking them second to Maccabi Netanya who have 15 via a counter. The Carmel Reds have also proven to be lethal on set pieces and have scored 3 goals, second to Beitar with five thanks to Claudemir.
Former Yellow & Blue players on the attack
After beginning with the Haifa defense and moving to their offense, let’s look at their attack a bit closer as their are some familiar faces that have helped fuel the Reds. Eden Ben Basat teams up with Alon Turgeman for Klinger’s squad as they have scored 8 (7th place) and 9 goals (3rd place) respectively.
During the January transfer window Hanan Maman moved to Hapoel Beer Sheva, but Haifa picked up a number of players including Gili Vermouth who will need to fill Maman’s large shoes. In fact, the former Maccabi midfielder scored his first goal for his new team last match in a 2:0 win over Maccabi Netanya.
Iron Clad Defense: Saying Thank You to Ori Sliman
Just ahead of the opening whistle for Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Matchday 24 Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al contest against Hapoel Haifa on Saturday night at 20:30 at the Netanya Stadium, Ori Sliman will be honored for his contribution to the Yellow & Blue defense during the 1970’s.
מועדון שחקני העבר: אורי סלימאן
Ori Sliman was promoted to the First Team by Head Coach Israel Halivner and made his debut against Hapoel Jerusalem two weeks before the end of the 1970/71 season. Sliman was not yet a member of the Maccabi squad that won the Asian Club Championship Cup two months earlier, but the following season he won his first title with the club as he celebrated the league championship after a season in which he made 21 league appearances. In fact he scored his first goal in the final match of the season, a 3-0 victory over Hapoel Petah Tikva.
As a youth player, Sliman played a more offensive role but in the First Team he earned the reputation of being a tough and effective defender. Over the course of his career with the club, Sliman won the double in the 1976/77 season and the championship in 1978/79. In 1982, Sliman left the team for the first time but returned for a second term shortly after the start of the 1984/85 season. He made one appearance for the Israel national team in a 2-1 victory over Holland’s Olympic squad.
Happy Holidays to all: Open your hearts this Passover
The Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation and Achim L’Semel invite you to help raise funds for food packages for the needy ahead of the Passover Holiday and you’ll also have the chance to receive some great Yellow & Blue gifts.
Do you want to take part in the project? CLICK HERE
The more packages that are donated, the larger the project will be. Our goal is to help make the holiday as happy as possible for as many families as we can. Every Shekel donated will help make yet another family content for Passover.
How does it work?
Everyone wins: Choose a terrific gift from the following list, make the purchase and the money will go directly to buy a food package for a needy family or Holocaust survivor for the upcoming Passover Holiday.
On Friday March 23rd, just a day after the project concludes there will be a massive Happening together with “Pitchon Lev” similar to the food lacking event that as held for Rosh Hashana.
There will be players and representatives from the club and fans on hand to help pack up the boxes and deliver them to the recipients. You’re all invited!
Please note: All of the funds collected for the project will go directly to purchase food packages for the needy and cover base expenses. Contributions will not go to support other Foundation of Achim L’Semel programs.
* The contribution is tax-deductible. If you are interested in receiving a receipt for tax purposes under Section 46, please state this at the time of purchase.
Fabulous 5: Gidi Kanuk
Keeper: Iker Casillas
“In his prime he was an unbelievable keeper. I’ll never forget a save he made away at Sevilla if I’m not mistaken. It was one of the greatest saves I’ve ever seen. He was also a model leader and began playing at Real Madrid from the age of 17 where he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He’s truly a role model.”
Defender: Sergio Ramos
“I don’t love defenders but central defender Sergio Ramos is tremendous. He’s a winner, scores goals late in the match and his leadership adds so much to the team. There are many great central defenders but ones that can put all of those qualities together makes him a player that I’d want on my team.”
Defensive midfielder: Andrea Pirlo
“Quiet, great player, accurate, doesn’t lose balls but most importantly he kept his level of play at the top for so many years. His chip shots were incredible to see as were his free kicks which were at the highest of levels. His free kicks were like penalties.”
Attacking midfielder: Andrés Iniesta
“Very technical. He’s an example of a player without huge numbers that was a giant on the pitch. Despite not scoring much he was always there in money time. He scored important goals in the World Cup Final and against Chelsea in the Champions League. He was also part of Barcelona when they were at their peak and in my eyes that was the greatest team in history.”
Striker: Leo Messi
“He’s perhaps not really a striker but Messi is number 1 in my opinion. What else can you add about Messi? He’s the greatest player in history.”
360 Trivia: How much do you know about Eitan Tibi?
Blast from the Past: Penalty Drama against Raanana
תקציר הניצחון על הפועל רעננה בגביע המדינה
Stats Talk: Hapoel Raanana
They may not score much, but they’re dangerous on set pieces
Along with Ashdod, Raanana is the club that has scored the least goals this season having put the ball behind the opposing keeper only 18 times in 22 matches. Interestingly enough Raanana is the only side who haven’t scored from outside of the box.
On the other hand, although they haven’t scored too often, Raanana ranks seventh in the league in set piece goals with 8. Three came on penalties, 3 off of free kicks indirectly and 2 were on corners. This fact may lead us to understood why it takes only 4 seconds on average for Raanana to score on an attack while Maccabi’s offense controls the ball for 29 seconds on average before scoring.
Don’t lose the ball
For the majority of their matches, Raanana defends and that’s why Menachem Koretzky’s squad is second in the league when it comes to steals per contest – 59. They lead the league in steals per match on the opponent’s side of the pitch with 10 on average per contest and that makes them a threat for any team they are facing because they will go towards the goal quickly as they look to score. Maccabi will have to pay attention when they are in their half of the field and not give up the ball this Saturday or else they may pay for it.
Keys players on offense and defense
Although Raanana is not considered to be one of the most dangerous sides on the attack, Shimon Abuhatzira is always a threat to score. The striker has scored 4 goals this season and is 8th in the league in attempts on goal with 50 so far this campaign. Of those opportunities, 18 (36%) were on target for an average of one a match. He is also one of the leaders when it comes to hitting the post with 3, the same amount as Avi Rikan, Sheran Yeini, Ramzi Sfori and Rudy Haddad.
On the other side of the pitch, Ben Binyamin is one of the most aggressive Raanana players and he can be found at the top of many of the defensive categories. What do his stats tell us? He’s third in tackles (130), first in average steals in the opponent’s half (1.9 per match), second in picking up loose balls (192), first in steals (196) and he’s also 6th in the league when it comes to being issued yellow cards with 8.
Ticket Sales Hapoel Raanana Home Match
Maccabi Tel Aviv will welcome Hapoel Raanana on Matchday 23 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al at 16:00 at the Netanya Stadium. Tickets are now on sale, so come out and cheer on the Yellow & Blue!
Maccabi fans may purchase tickets for the following sections: West Stand Reserved Upper (203-209) & Lower Levels (101-109) , Silver and E+. This match is included in the 2017/18 season ticket package.
You may purchase tickets at the Leaan Ticket Office located at 101 Dizengoff Street, Tel Aviv, by telephone *8780 and via the Leaan Website.
Please note:
* Print at home is available
Ticket Prices
Leaan Ticket Office
West Stand
Adult – 100 NIS
E+ – 200 NIS
Silver – 350 NIS
Telephone/Website
West Stand
Adult – 105 NIS
Youth/Soldier/Woman – 55 NIS (Phone Sales only, not including section 103-107, 204-206 and are issued at the Leaan Box Office by providing appropriate documentation)
E+ – 205 NIS
Silver – 355 NIS
Ticket Collection
Tickets may be collected at the Leaan Ticket Office located at 101 Dizengoff Street between Sunday-Thursday 09:00-19:00, Friday 09:00-13:30.
Tickets may be collected on Matchday at the Stadium ticket windows beginning 3 hours prior to the match until 45 minutes after the start of the match.
Stats Talk: Hapoel Beer Sheva
It’s not just Nwakaeme
Beer Sheva makes on average 34 attacks down the left wing while taking 4.2 attempts on goal as a result of those plays which is the highest in the league. Everyone is well aware of Tony Nwakaeme’s qualities while the left flank also features youngster Oren Bitton who adds plenty to the team’s attack. In fact, Bitton is the left defensive back who leads the Israel Premier League in putting the most balls into the box. Every 90 minutes, he sends an average of 9 balls into the area with 4 being accurate (he leads in the league in both categories). Mihai Korhut was Beer Sheva’s left back at the beginning of the season, but Bitton took over the role and has recorded 4 assists since.
Strong defense despite some missing players
Miguel Vitor has been out of action for Beer Sheva over an extended period of time but Barak Bachar’s defense is still very organized. First off, the Southern Reds have given up the least league goals as they enter Matchday 21 with only 16 and are tied with Hapoel Haifa in the category. At the center of their defense we can find a number of players including Loai Taha and Matan Ohayon who have done an admirable job in Vitor’s stead. The number that reflects their defensive prowess is the fact that Beer Sheva has given up only 2 goals over their last 6 league contests with 4 clean sheets and two matches where they gave up a goal a piece.
Beer Sheva has also given up the least goals from set pieces with only 3. One of the markers came from a direct free kick and two that resulted in set pieces. Hapoel Haifa and Bachar’s squad are the only clubs who haven’t given up a goal from a corner kick. How about on the offensive side? In the last match the two side’s played against each other, Beer Sheva had plenty of quality set pieces but they aren’t at the top of the league. Two goals have come from penalties, a pair from corners and one from a direct free kick for a total of 5 putting them in 10th place in the league.
Beer Sheva’s finishing
If an Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al match ends after 45 minutes, Beer Sheva would find themselves in only 6th place with 26 points compared to Maccabi Netanya who would have collected 38 points and lead the league. However, football is played for 90 minutes and sometimes it takes a bit of time for Beer Sheva to get going. Over the course of minutes 75-90, the Southern Reds are a plus 8 while from the 60th minute until the end of the match they would be a plus 12, the best in the league.
