Matchday 19 of the Israel Youth Premier League Ligat Ha’Al saw Maccabi “Shachar” visit Hapoel Raanana as the young Yellow & Blue came into the contest in 2nd place with 9 wins out of their last 10 league games while Raanana entered the tilt in 4th place. Guy Tzarfati’s attack included Eylon Almog, Eyal Hen and Rave Assayag.

The complete Starting XI featured Daniel Peretz in goal, Amit Glazer, Alon Shtrozberg, Fadi Najar, Yoav Hofmayster, Tamir Glazer, Tomer Altman, Prince Thomas, Eylon Almog, Eyal Hen and Rave Assayag.

First Half
The match in Raanana began with the players having a tough time on the water logged pitch due to the heavy rains. The host’s had the first chance off a corner, but the Raanana striker headed the ball over the goal as the following quarter hour saw very few chances from either side as they struggled on the field of play. In the 24’ the Yellow & Blue defense had problems in the box and the keeper Peretz pulled down one of the Raanana players.

Yoav Tomer stepped up to take the spot kick penalty and shot the ball towards the right corner, but Peretz was in the right place to to block the ball as Tomer jumped on the rebound but hit the post as the match remained goalless. Two minutes later, Raanana again had a good chance to take the lead but Tomer put the ball over the goal while in the 40’ Tomer Altman’s free kick for Maccabi also went over the bar as the half ended goalless.

Second Half
The match continued with both sides sending long balls to either side of the pitch as each team looked to break the ice. In the 62’ Raanana’s free kick created confusion in the box, but the ball went out for a corner which Prince Thomas then took on a fast break. Thomas passed the ball to Almog but his shot on target was parried away by the keeper for a corner which Almog took but hit the bar and went out. 10 minutes later, Almog went by a couple of defenders but his chance went out for a corner.


Almog continued threatening the Raanana goal as Maccabi kept looking for an elusive goal. In the 77’ the Yellow & Blue again had an opportunity via Almog who sent the ball to Jabrin who in turn dropped it down from the air to Thomas, but his shot went just by the post. However, in the 85’ it would be Raanana who would take the lead when their striker came down the right wing and went by the Maccabi defenders, finding the back of the goal for a 1:0 win.

Hapoel “Roei” Raanana – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv, 12:00 Raanana (U19)
The Under-19 side heads to Raanana for a Matchday 19 contest in Israel Youth Premier League Ligat Ha’Al action. The Yellow & Blue are in 2nd place with 9 league wins in their last 10 matches while Hapoel Raanana is in 4th, four points away from Guy Tzarfati’s squad.

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv – Beitar Jerusalem “Oren”, 10:00 Kiryat Shalom 1 (U17)
The still undefeated Under-17 team will host the capital city side on Matchday 17 as Eliezer Ben Aharoni’s squad sit in 1st place with a 9 point lead. Jerusalem comes into the contest in 10th place with only one win in their last 8 matches.

Beitar Jerusalem “Shmuel” – Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv, 09:00 Bayit Vegan 2 Upper Synthetic (U16)
After last week’s dramatic Derby victory, the Under-16 club heads to a tricky away match in the capital on Matchday 18. The young Yellow & Blue are in 5th place, 5 points away from the top of the table Jerusalem side.

SC Ironi Ashdod “Alona” – Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv, 09:00 Ashdod 2 (U15 South)
Ori David’s team plays a “Match of the Season” at Ashdod on Matchday 17 as they sit in 1st place after scoring 23 goals without giving up one in their last 3 matches. Ashdod is in 2nd place just a point away from Maccabi and have won 5 games in a row.

Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv – Hapoel Hadera, 10:30 Kiryat Shalom Synthetic (U15 North)
The Under -15 North squad will host Hadera on Matchday 17 as Asaf Heber’s side sit in 4th place, 6 points off the top of the table. Hadera finds themselves in 11th place with two wins in their past 9 contests.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 3:0 Bnei Yehuda
The Under-19 side hosted Bnei Yehuda on Matchday 18 of the Israel Youth Premier League Ligat Ha’Al and won 3:0 thanks to goals by Netanel Peretz, Mufleh Shalata and Eylon Almog. The victory was the team’s 9th in 10 games as they sit in 2nd place, just a point off the top of the table. For the Match Report Click Here

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv 0:0 Hapoel Raanana
The Under-17 squad welcomed Hapoel Raanana to Kiryat Shalom on Matchday 17 and split the points after a goalless draw which kept Maccabi “Oded” in first place with a gap of 9 points over the 2nd place club. Head Coach Eliezer Ben Aharon summed up his side’s performance: “We ended the second match of the second round in a goalless draw and we missed some excellent chances throughout the contest. Raanana played as expected with 10 players behind the ball, didn’t push forward and only had one attempt on our goal. When we prepared for the match, we told the team that in order to break down a bunker you have to think outside of the box and perform actions that they won’t expect very quickly. The chances we had were a result of what we preached and practiced but we couldn’t score. We are familiar with games like these when the ball just refuses to go in and the opposition surprises us with a goal on a counter attack. That fortunately didn’t happen due to our defensive efficiency and how we prepared for the match which was to watch out for Raanana’s long balls. This is the type of game where whatever you’ll do, the ball won’t go in. The second round is always more difficult than the first for the top clubs and we can see that after the top 3 teams didn’t win this Matchday. Next week, hopefully we will play better and score.”

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv 3:2 Hapoel Tel Aviv Yashin
After last Matchday’s win along with a midweek State Cup victory, the Under-16 side continued its fine play with a Derby win over Hapoel on Matchday 18. The win keeps the young Yellow & Blue in 5th place, 5 points off of the top of the table. Or Roizman, Tal Torjman and Yali Lazar all scored. Head Coach Raymond Atteveld commented following the match: “It’s always great to defeat Hapoel. Unlike our previous matches we didn’t get into a deficit situation and we scored first. We were the better side but we weren’t patient enough to find the open man and if we would have been a bit more patient we would have had more chances. In any case we had enough opportunities to win 3:2 and we missed a chance in the last minute to score a 4th goal when the ball hit the bar. I want to congratulate the players who had a long week with a league match, winning on penalties on Wednesday in the Cup after overtime at Pardes Hana and on today’s important Derby victory. All in all it was a good week and the players worked hard while learning some new things that we had the chance to see in action on the pitch. It wasn’t a simple game as it was between two good teams, but we were a bit better and won the contest. I’m happy for the Club and for Maccabi.”

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv 5:0 Hapoel Kiryat Ono
The Under-15 South team continued to score in bunches as Ori David’s squad defeated Kiryat Ono 5:0 and have scored 23 goals while giving up none over their last 3 matches. The win keeps Maccabi “Eldad” in first place as Elad Kaplan x2, Ohad Mizrahi x2 and Amit Kodman all scored. David summed up the win: “We played good football against a team that didn’t push forward and we were able to find a way to score some quality goals.”

Maccabi Emek Hefer Avraham 0:2 Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv
The Under-15 North squad headed north for a tough away battle on Matchday 16 and fell to Emek Hefer which left them in 4th place. Head Coach Asaf Heber explained: “Unfortunately we didn’t play well and we came to half chances that we couldn’t take advantage of. We gave up a goal at the start of the second half and we weren’t able to come back. The opponent was much more aggressive despite the fact that we controlled the match and we were punished for a defensive mistake and when you don’t score when you do have an opportunity you will pay for it later.”

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv hosted Bnei Yehuda on Matchday 18 of the Israel Youth Premier League Ligat Ha’Al. The young Yellow & Blue came into the contest in 2nd place with 8 wins in 9 matches while Bnei Yehuda found themselves in 11th place with 2 wins in their last 8 contests. Guy Tzarfati’s attack featured Netanel Peretz, Mufleh Shalata and Eylon Almog.

Starting XI: Daniel Peretz, Amit Glazer, Alon Shtrozberg, Fadi Najar, Tomer Machluf, Tamir Glazer, Yoav Hofmayster, Prince Thomas, Mufleh Shalata, Netanel Peretz and Eylon Almog.

First Half
Over the first quarter hour of action neither side threatened the opponent’s goal as Maccabi had the contest’s first chance in the 20’ when Hofmayster put a ball through to Peretz who attempted a bicycle kick but his effort went out.

In the 30’ Tamir Glazer sent a through ball from the right to Peretz who in turn tried to send it to Almog but the Bnei Yehuda defense cleared the threat. Just prior to the break, the young Yellow & Blue took the lead as Thomas fought for the ball, sent it intelligently over the defense to Peretz who went one on one against the visiting keeper. His attempt then went off a defender and into the goal for a 1:0 advantage after 45 minutes of action.

Second Half
The second half began just as the first ended with another Maccabi goal. In the 50’ Amit Glazer took the ball on the right, made his way into the box going by two defenders, sent it into the middle to Shalata who headed it home for a 2:0 lead. The young Yellow & Blue continued to pressure Bnei Yehuda and in the 55’ Shalata sent a pass to Shalata but his shot went out. One minute later, Bnei Yehuda had a chance to cut the lead but Dani Amar’s header just cleared the bar.

Eyal Hen who came on as a substitute almost helped to add the third goal but his cross to Almog was stopped by the Bnei Yehuda keeper, while the ensuing header allowed the visitors a chance to counter but Najar cleared the ball from any danger.

In the 74’ Almog stole the ball in the midfield went by a pair of defenders and sent his chance to the far corner. The keeper was able to get a hand on the ball as it dropped to Thomas who passed it to Almog as he tried to go around the keeper but was pulled down, good for a penalty that the aforementioned Thomas slotted home for a 3:0 lead.

Yunis Jabarin, who came on as a substitute for Peretz went down the right, cut towards the middle of the pitch and sent a shot from long distance that the keeper just caught to stem the threat. Two minutes later, Almog also streaked down the right and sent the ball to Sahar Berami who put his attempt into the Bnei Yehuda defense as Maccabi took the 3-points and the win.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv – Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv, 11:00 Ramle Stadium
The Under-19 squad will host Bnei Yehuda in the Little Derby on Matchday 18 of the Youth Israel Premier League. The young Yellow & Blue are in 2nd place with 8 wins in their last 9 league contests while Bnei Yehuda are in 11th with 2 wins in their last 8 matches.

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv – Hapoel Raanana, 10:00 Kiryat Shalom 1 (U17)
The Under-17 team is undefeated as they enter Matchday 17 in league play. Eliezer Ben Aharon’s side are in 1st place with a 9-point gap as Raanana finds themselves in 6th with 3 wins in a row.

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv – Hapoel “Yashin” Tel Aviv, 10:30 Kiryat Shalom Synthetic (U16)
After getting back onto the winning track last week in league play and midweek in the State Cup, the Under-16 side will host the Tel Aviv Derby on Matchday 18. The young Yellow & Blue are in 5th place just 5 points off the top of the table while the Reds are in 7th with just one win in their past 6 matches.

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv – Hapoel Kiryat Ono, 08:30 Kiryat Shalom Synthetic (U15 South)
With 18 goals in their past 2 matches, Maccabi “Eldad” will host Kiryat Ono on Matchday 16 as they find themselves in 1st place with 12 wins, 2 draws and a loss. Kiryat Ono are in last place with one win to their record.

Maccabi Emek Hefer Avraham – Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv, 10:15 Bat Hefer (U15 North)
The Under-15 North side comes into their matchup away at Maccabi Emek Hefer in 4th place just 3 points off the top of the table while the host’s are in 14th place with just 2 league victories.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv visited Tzur Shalem in the Israel State Cup competition as the 2nd place young Yellow & Blue kicked off against the 10th place Liga Leumit Youth side. Head Coach Guy Tzarfati’s attack included Eylon Almog, Mufleh Shalata and William Agada.

Starting XI: Daniel Peretz, Ran Vaturi, Alon Shtrozberg, Tomer Mahluf, Fadi Najar, Amit Glazer, Tomer Altman, Prince Thomas, Mufleh Shalata, Eylon Almog, William Agada.

Almog found the back of the goal in the 18’ to give Maccabi “Shachar” a 1:0 lead after he went by a defender and scored from 7 meters out. Tzur Shalem evened up the contest in the second half, but the Yellow & Blue regained the advantage thanks to substitute Eyal Hen. As the match closed in on the 90’ the referee handed a penalty to Tzur Shalem who duly covered to send the match into extra time.

In the 110’ Agada was issued a red card after fouling a Tzur Shalem player from behind. Just as the match was about to head to penalties the Maccabi defense passed the ball back to Peretz, however, the Tzur Shalem striker jumped on it and put it behind the shot stopper sending the U-19’s to a 3:2 defeat.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 1:0 Hapoel Rishon Le’Zion “Yehuda”
The Under-19 squad hosted Rishon Le’Zion on Matchday 17 of the Israel Youth Premier League Ligat Ha’Al as Guy Tzarfati’s side picked up their 8th win in 9 games and now find themselves in 2nd place, just 1 point our of first place. Tomer Altman scored the lone goal of the contest. For the full match report Click Here

Beitar Tubruk 0:4 Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv
The Under-17 side returned from their break with a win over Tubruk on Matchday 16 and sit in first place, 9 points ahead of the second place squad. The goal scorers included, Shai Balahassn, Omer Itzhaki, Nadav Nidam and Gil Ben Shalosh. Head Coach Eliezer Ben Aharon commented following the match: “It’s no secret that there were a few things that occurred this week that threw the team a bit off balance, but despite that we proved once again that the club is stronger than any single player. We have good players at Maccabi Tel Aviv and any one of them can be in the Starting XI and that’s the strength of the team and the club. The first 20 minutes were even but then we took control of the pace and scored some beautiful goals. I’m happy with the result and it was very important especially this week. I told the players that if we want to move on to the next chapter of this season, then they have to put aside the first half of the campaign and begin to write the next part. I’m proud of the players that they drew up the first page of the next 15 pages that will be the second chapter, in a very positive and professional way. We will come into the match against Raanana ready to go.”

Ironi Modiin 1:4 Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv
The Under-16 team got back onto the winning track on Matchday 17 at Modiin and now are in 5th place just 5 points off the top of the table. Goal scorers included Itay Ben Hemo, Yehali Lazar, Or Roizman and Yishay Bozogri. Head Coach Raymond Atteveld summed up the performance: “We had a good match. The first half we played a bit slower than usual but in the second half we knew how to turn it up and we had numerous chances. It was a pleasure to watch.”

Gadna Tel Aviv Nissim 0:12 Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv
After a 6:0 win in the State Cup competition, Ori David’s side played away at Gadna and came away with a solid win on Matchday 15 which leaves the squad in first place. Goal scorers included, Anar Ushmadi x4, Elad Kaplan x2, Orel Azarzar x2, Bar Lin, Aviv Shayo, Ohad Mizrahi and an own goal. Head Coach Ori David spoke about the victory: “This was a terrific win for the team and the intensity was very high. The players brought plenty of quality which led to some gorgeous goals.”

Maccabi “Hadar” Herzliya 1:2 Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv
After a dramatic win to advance to the State Cup quarterfinals, the Under-15 North squad continued their winning ways in a comeback win over Herzliya. The young Yellow & Blue are in 4th place just two points off the top of the table. Goal scorers included Omer Senior and Aviv Palas. Head Coach Asaf Heber commented on the win: “It wasn’t our best victory. After the State Cup win, it was hard to bring the guys back down to earth. We had a number of excellent opportunities at the start of the match but we failed to score. We then fell behind but we were able to comeback and win the match. We will continue to work hard on and off of the pitch so we can keep improving.”

Matchday 17 of the Israel Youth Premier League Ligat Ha’Al saw Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv host Hapoel Rishon Le’Zion at the Ramle Stadium. The young Yellow & Blue began the day in 3rd place with 7 wins our of their past 8 matches while the visitors sat in 14th place with just two league wins to their credit. Head coach Guy Tzarfati’s attack included a trio of Eyal Hen, Mufleh Shalata and William Agada.

Tzarfati’s complete Starting Lineup featured: Daniel Peretz, Amit Glazer, Alon Shtrozberg, Fadi Najar, Yoav Hofmayster, Tamir Glazer, Tomer Altman (C), Eylon Almog, Mufleh Shalata, Eyal Hen, William Agada.

First Half
The match began well for the U19’s and had their opening chance in the 3’ when Shalata headed the ball to Agada and sent it to Almog who tried his luck from long distance but his attempt went over the bar. Altman had an opportunity in the 10’ but his chance also went over the goal as the contest remained goalless early on.

In the 16’ the visitors had their first chance after a mixup by the Yellow & Blue defense but Rishon striker Amit Mor’s one on one attempt saw Peretz make the big stop. 6 minutes later Agada came down the left wing, went by two players and found Almog in the middle, but his shot wasn’t strong enough and the visiting keeper made the save.

Shalata sent a ball from the right to the head of Agada but his attempt in the 37’ was saved again and just before the break Shalata’s cross to Najar from the right was headed wide of the goal as the match went into halftime tied at 0:0.

Second Half
The second half began just as the first ended with Maccabi in complete control as Altman’s chance went over the bar in the 47’ while 3 minutes later Agada’s attempt was just saved by the keeper and sent out for a corner. In the 52’ Shalata sent another cross into the box that was taken care of by the Rishon defense and the rebound was put over the goal by Hen. Six minutes later Agada again threatened to score but his chance went over the bar as well.

In the 63’ the visitors almost took the surprise lead when their corner was parried by Peretz to Ariel Landsman who sent the ball out as Maccabi went on a counter attack led by Shalata but Almog’s chance was stopped by the defense and sent out for a corner. Five minutes later Agada left the ball for Almog in the box but he put it over the bar and in the 69’ Agada’s attempt was saved by the keeper.

Finally in the 71’ Maccabi broke the ice when Altman put the ball into the back of the goal for a 1:0 lead. Peretz had to be sharp a minute later when he made a terrific stop to keep the Yellow & Blue in the lead. As the match headed towards time, Prince Thomas began a fine attack and sent the ball to Agada who in turn handed it off to Netanel Peretz but the latter slammed the ball off of the post. Rishon had a chance to draw even in the 90’ from a free kick but the ensuing header went out and Maccabi picked up the 1:0 win.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv – Hapoel Rishon Le’Zion “Yehuda”, 12:00 Ramle Stadium (U19)
After a midweek win at Beitar Jerusalem, the young Yellow & Blue are back in action at the Ramle Stadium as they host Rishon Le’Zion on Matchday 17 of the Israel Youth Premier League Ligat Ha’Al. Guy Tzarfati’s side have won 7 of their last 8 contests and are in 3rd place, just one point out of first place while the visitors are in 14th place with only 2 league wins to their credit.

Beitar Tubruk – Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv, 8:30 Tubruk (U17)
The Under-17 squad gets back to action after two weeks off as they currently sit in 1st place with a 9 point lead on the 2nd place side. Eliezer Ben Aharon’s team heads to Tubruk on Matchday 16 and will visit the 12th place club who are in the midst of a 7 match winless streak.

Ironi Modiin – Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv, 12:30 Modiin New Pitch (U16)
The Under-16 side will look to get back on the winning track when they visit Modiin on Matchday 17. The young Yellow & Blue are in 13th place while the host’s sit in 13th on the table.

Gadna Tel Aviv Nissim – Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv, 9:00 Jaffa Charner (U15 South)
Following a 6:0 win in the State Cup competition, Ori David’s players will look to continue their fine play in an away match at Gadna Tel Aviv on Matchday 15. The Under-15 South side currently is in 1st place in league play while the host’s are in 10th.

Maccabi “Hadar” Herzliya – Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv, 8:30 Herzliya Country Pitch Ran A (U15 North)
After their dramatic win in the State Cup Round of 16, the U15 North squad will attempt to continue their winning ways on Matchday 15 in Herzliya. The young Yellow & Blue are in 4th place just 3 points off the top of the table and the host’s are in 9th position on the table.

Matchday 16 of the Israel Youth Premier League Ligat Ha’Al saw Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv head to Jerusalem for a date with Beitar. The young Yellow & Blue sat in 5th place with a match in hand, winning 6 of their last 7 contests while the Yellow & Black found themselves in 13th place with only 3 league victories. Head Coach Guy Tzarfati opened the match with a strike force of Eylon Almog, William Agada and Mufleh Shalata.

Starting XI: Daniel Peretz, Amit Glazer, Alon Shtrozberg, Yoav Hofmayster, Fadi Najar, Tamir Glazer, Tomer Altman, Prince Thomas, Mufleh Shalata, Eylon Almog, William Agada.

First Half
Maccabi controlled the match from the get go and had their first chance of the contest in the 1’ when Agada’s opportunity hit the post and Almog’s follow up on the rebound went into the Beitar defense. Thomas tried his luck from long distance to no avail as the ball hit the outside netting of the goal while Altman’s chance was parried by the Beitar keeper right to Shalata but his shot was also saved by the host’s shot stopper as the match remained goalless.

However, after all of Maccabi’s chances it was Beitar who took the 1:0 lead on a counter attack as Roie Padida put the ball just over the goal line as ruled by the match referee. The Yellow & Blue continued to control the pace of play but couldn’t find the equalizer before the break as Beitar took their slim 1:0 advantage into the half.

Second Half
Tzarfati’s squad began the second half just as they ended the first which was in control of the contest by playing their style of football and it would pay off soon thereafter. Agada helped Maccabi “Shachar” draw even after a short pass off a free kick from the wing which led to a cross into the middle of the box that the attacker put behind the Beitar keeper, 1:1.

The U19’s scored their second goal of the match after a through ball from the midfield found Shalata who went one on one with the keeper and put the ball home for a 2:1 advantage. Eyal Hen came on as a substitute and sent a cross from the wing to Almog who scored from in close for a 3:1 Yellow & Blue lead.

Beitar tried to cut into the advantage and almost did so after mixing up the Maccabi defense, but the visitor’s were able to clear the threat as the young Yellow & Blue picked up the win leaving them just one point from the top of the table.