Maccabi Tel Aviv’s under-19 side on Wednesday lost their replayed fixture against Kiryat Shmona in the north to a single goal scored in the fifth minute of injury time.

The game had to be replayed because the original fixture on Saturday was abandoned at halftime with Maccabi leading 2-1 when the pitch was deemed unplayable because of heavy rain.

Maccabi dominated throughout but had nothing to show for their efforts and were unable to convert several good chances. They finally conceded a late goal against the run of play just before the referee blew the final whistle in the fifth minute of injury time.

The wet weather this weekend forced the abandonment of the game between Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth team at Kiryat Shmona in the 19th round of action with Maccabi leading 2-1 when the referee called off the second half because the pitch was unplayable.

Ronen Hanchis scored for Maccabi in the 26th minute after his shot rebounded off the goalkeeper into the net and Rave Asayag added a second two minutes later when he stabbed the ball home after his first shot fell still in a puddle on the goal line.

Kiryat Shmona pulled one back on the stroke of halftime after the ball was deflected off Maccabi full back Omer Itzhaki.

The match will be replayed on Wednesday.

Beitar Tubruk 2, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Oded” 3: U17 backed up their midweek 2-0 over Ashdod SC with a win in the 17th round on Saturday over their hosts in Netanya. Dor Turgeman got Maccabi on the scoreboard in the seventh minute and Shon Edri added a second in the 54th minute but Tubruk equalised with two goals of their own in the 60th and 70th minutes before Edri scored the winner on the 85th minute. The result has kept Maccabi at the top of the standings.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eli Fuchs” 5, Ironi Nesher 0: U16 returned from their international break in style and goals were scored by Ido Mizrahi, Bar Lin and Oscar Gloch, with a hat trick. The result keeps them in second place in their division.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eldad” 4, Ironi Modiin 0: U15 racked another home win, this time with goals by Nikita Alexienko and an Osher Bruchim hat trick.

Hapoel Kiryat Shmona will host Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar,” the under-19 side, in a youth league fixture in the north on Saturday, kickoff is at 11:00. Maccabi’s boys are in second place in the standings, seven points behind leaders Maccabi Haifa, and will hope to do better than the 1-1 result between the sides in the first phase of the league this season.

U17, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Oded,” also play away on Saturday. They will be in Netanya to face Beitar Tubruk at 13:00 but U16, Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” host Ironi Nesher, and U15, Maccabi “Eldad,” host Ironi Modiin at Kiryat Shalom. Kickoffs are at 11.30 and 08.30 respectively.

 

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Academy held an open day for young, aspiring soccer players from all over the country this week and Ran Elias, the club’s head of scouting, watched as the kids were put through their paces by the Academy’s coaching staff.

The open day was divided into three according to age, with the oldest kids, born between 2007-09, going first and participating in a session suitable for their age group.

Elias said the special session, that was held at Tel Aviv University, was one of a number of efforts by the club to discover young, hopeful players of the future.

“This project is one of many as we aim to attract talented players from across the country and give them a chance to play and train at the Academy’s grounds under the supervision of our professional staff,” Elias said.

Maccabi Netanya 2, Maccabi Te Aviv “Shahar” 1
Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” were brought down to earth on Saturday after winning last weekend’s Winter Youth Tournament when they were beaten 2-1 by Maccabi Netanya in an under-19 league fixture.

Maccabi went into the match in second place in the standings while hosts Netanya were in seventh place. Netanya took the lead in the 28th minute through Amit Yaacov’s long-range shot and while Ronen Hanchis equalised in the 82nd minute,  Netanya secured victory in the 85th minute through a close range effort by Amit Taktuk.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Oded” 2, Hapoel Rishon Letzion 0
U17 returned from their international break and completed the first phase of the league with an emphatic victory that has taken them to the top of the standings of their division. Aner Oshmandi and Ido Mizrahi scored for Maccabi.

Ashdod 2, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eldad” 1
U15 were 2-0 down to Ashdod before Osher Bruchim scored a consolation effort. They remain fourth in their division, seven points off the pace.

U16 are on an international break as the national under-16s compete in a winter tournament.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” were brought down to earth after winning last weekend’s Winter Youth Tournament when they were beaten 2-1 by Maccabi Netanya in an under-19 league fixture on Saturday.

Maccabi, second in the standings against seventh-placed Netanya, who were the hosts, were left to rue their chances and had a handful of attempts in the first half, although none was good enough to find the net.

Netanya took full advantage when in the 28th minute, Amit Yaacov’s long-range shot from outside the area found the back of Ben Musayoff’s net.

Maccabi had at least two more good chances in the second half as Netanya defended their lead and they did so successfully until eight minutes from the end when substitute Shaked Navon sent Ronen Hanchis into the area and he shot into the left hand corner of the Netanya net.

Parity was short-lived, however, and three minutes later Netanya scored the winner when Amit Taktuk pounced on a ball that rebounded off Omer Itzhaki after a Netanya free kick and slotted home from close range.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” secured victory in the six-team International U19 Winter Tournament for the third time last Saturday after remaining unbeaten against all their opponents, winning four times and drawing once.

The event was a great success all round with Crystal Palace, Excelsior Rotterdam and Grasshoppers Zurich joining in with Hapoel Beersheba and Beitar Jerusalem in on the third day of competition at the PenguinPickUp training ground at Kiryat Shalom. Watch our video summary of the event.

Maccabi Netanya v. Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar”, Beit Maccabi, Netanya, 10.30.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s under-19s will be buoyed for this clash after winning the winter youth tourney. With their second place in the standings against Netanya, who are seventh, Eliezer Ben Aharon’s will look to complete the double over their opponents after beating them 3-1 at home earlier this season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Oded” v. Hapoel Rishon Lezion, Kiryat Shalom 09:00
U17 are returning from an international break and host Rishon in the 15th round of action in their division. They too are in second place in the standings, just two points behind leaders Maccabi Haifa. Rishon are 11th in the standings with only three wins.

Ashdod v. Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eldad”, Small Ashdod synthetic ground, 09:00
U15 open the second phase of the league with the 16th round in fourth place in the standings four points off the pace, while their opponents are in 11th place. In the last meeting between the two at Kiryat Shalom, Maccabi won 5-0.

U16 are on an international break as the national under-16 team compete in a tournament.

Israel’s under-16 team has six Maccabi Tel Aviv representatives in the squad currently competing in a winter tournament at the Israel training facility at Shefayyim that includes Belarus, Georgia and Poland.

Maccabi’s players are:
Roey Amedi
Adir Cordoba
Ilay Tomer
Bar Lin
Orel Baya
Oscar Gloch