Category: Youth Teams

Saturday youth academy league action

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Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” v. Maccabi Netanya “Shlomi” 16:00 in Ness Ziona.
Following two draws in the opening rounds of the season, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth side will be looking for a first victory but Netanya will not want to sustain another loss to add to the one they have already suffered in the opening round and the draw they earned the following week.

Ashdod “Gilbert” v. Maccabi Tel Aviv “Oded” (Boys A), 09:00 at Ashdod College
Coach Uri David’s charges will be making a comeback after a long break and will travel to Ashdod for the opening league fixture of the season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eli Fuchs” v. Beitar Tubruk, 08.30 at Kiryat Shalom
The boys’ B team will host Beitar Tubruk from Netanya in the fourth round of their league. The boys have notched a win and a loss and have another fixture outstanding. Tubruk will be full of confidence with a perfect record from their three matches.

Hapoel Nahalat Yehuda v. Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eldad” 11.00 at Nahalat Yehuda, Rishon Lezion
The boys’ C team will begin official action for the first time prior to launching in the league next week and prepare for that occasion with a cup tie against Nahalat Yehuda on Saturday.

Under-15s take third place in Austria tourney

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Maccabi Tel Aviv’s under-15 Youth team recorded an excellent result at the international tournament for their age groups in Vienna on Sunday by beating home team Admira Wacker 2-1 in the third place playoff. Maccabi led 2-0 through goals by Ido Dalal and Osher Bruchim and although Admira managed a consolation strike towards the end, the Maccabi boys held on for victory.

The tournament was won by hosts Rapid Vienna, who beat Schalke 04 of Germany 2-1 in the final.

Maccabi finished second in their group after beating Randers of Denmark 2-0 on Friday but lost 4-1 to hosts Rapid Vienna and drew  1-1 with Sturm Graz on Saturday.

Admira were second-place finishers in their group which was made up by Schalke 04 (Germany), Ferencvaros (Hungary) and Slavia Prague (Czech Republic).

“The team achieved great results and the third place finish was the result of good preparation, excellent concentration and execution of our plans,” coach Boaz Bracha said after the tournament.

“We are very proud of the players, who displayed maturity and application and we are certain that it has been a good preparation for the rest of the season,” Bracha added. 

U-15s to play for third in Austria tourney

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Maccabi Tel Aviv’s under-15 Youth “C” team have finished in second place in their group at the international tournament in Vienna after notching a win, a draw and a loss over the past two days, and will meet Austrian opponents Admira Wacker on Sunday seeking to finish third in the event.

Maccabi began the tournament with a win on Friday when they beat Randers of Denmark 2-0, the goals coming from Ron Rabinovitch and an own goal by the Danes. On Saturday, hosts Rapid Vienna made full use of their home advantage and beat their Israeli visitors 4-1, and in a second fixture, Maccabi managed to hold Sturm Graz in a 1-1 draw. Maccabi’s goals in both matches were scored by Agam Hanoun.

Maccabi were drawn in a group with Rapid Vienna and Sturm Graz from the host nation and Runders of Denmark.

The tournament’s second group consists of Admira Wacker (Austria), Schalke 04 (Germany), Ferencvaros (Hungary) and Slavia Prague (Czech Republic). 

U15 team to Vienna tournament

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Maccabi Tel Aviv’s under-15  squad has travelled to a prestigious tournament in the Austrian capital, Vienna, where they will face quality opposition and where they will be able to test their abilities against players in their age group from some of Europe’s junior top sides. 

The tournament will be a good preparation for the coming season and the boys hope to register good results.

The eight team Viennese tournament is one of the club’s most important youth events on the continent and last three days (Sept. 6-8). Teams will be divided into two groups of four with the winners of each advancing to the final on Sunday, Sept. 8.

Maccabi have been drawn into a group with Rapid Vienna and Sturm Graz from the host nation and Runders of Denmark.

The second group consists of Admira Wacker (Austria), Schalke 04 (Germany), Ferencvaros (Hungary) and Slavia Prague (Czech Republic).

Maccabi’s schedule: Friday at 19.10 v. Runders, Saturday at 11:00 v. Rapid Vienna, 18:30 v. Sturm Graz. Sunday: Matches to determine final positions.

Maccabi “Shachar” share points with Hapoel Ramat Gan

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Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth team registered their second draw in succession in the youth Premier League on Saturday after a 1-1 result away to Hapoel Ramat Gan. That followed the 2-2 home draw on the opening day of the season a week earlier, at home to Hapoel Beersheba.

Coach Eliezer Ben Aharon made one change to the previous Saturday’s opening lineup by introducing Nadav Nidam in attack in place of Rotem Yatzker, a change that was to prove vital.

Maccabi were all dominant from the start and had at least three good chances to take the lead before Nidam put the visitors into the lead in the 27th minute when he latched onto a pass from Omri Ram and shot diagonally into the back of the net from close range.

Ramat Gan almost managed to equalise four minutes later when a shot by Chauncy Freeman rebounded off the crossbar, and in the 38th, Maccabi were left ruing another missed opportunity when Shaked Navon narrowly missed the target.

The second half was still very much dominated by the visitors, who had at least three more good chances to find the net, but their misses cost them the three points when Freeman equalised in the 89th minute against the run of play with a well taken header.

Maccabi’s lineup: Or Yitzhak; Guy Mizrahi, Dan Lugasi, Omer Yitzhaki, Shahar Rosen; Niv Berkovitz, Shai Balahsan (Or Reisman, 57), Nadav Nidam (Afek Sapir Navot, 65); Raveh Assayag (Tal Turgeman, 74) Shaked Navon (Fafara Guyagon, 46), Omri Ram.

Parfait Guiagon named in U19’s squad to face Hapoel Ramat Gan

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Parfait Guiagon joined Maccabi on a one-season-long loan-spell after an agreement was reached with his Club Omnisport Rigo-Dadie. 
The 18-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder who is a member of his country’s U-23 national side, impressed Maccabi’s academy staff during a trial period which could also lead to him making the move permanent.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Performance Director, Patrick van Leeuwen, told the club’s official website: “Parfait was one of several Ivory Coast players who had a trial period at the club at the end of last season and left a good impression. He is a very skillful player who can play in various positions across the midfield and should be a good addition to the attacking qualities we already have in our team”.

Youth team draw 2:2 with Beersheba

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Maccabi Shahar Tel Aviv, the club’s youth team, opened their league campaign on Saturday at their new home ground in Ness Ziona and came back from a goal down to register a 2-2 draw. It was an inaugural appearance for coach Eliezer Ben Aharon who picked Omri Ram, Shai Balahssen and Raveh Assayag as his frontline players.

Maccabi opened strongly and Balahssen got the hosts off to a great start with a shot from the edge of the area in the fifth minute that left Beersheba’s goalkeeper no chance.

A subsequent attack, as Maccabi showed their dominance was thwarted by the Beersheba defence and the visitors managed to equalise in the 12th minute when Ilai Ben-Shitrit equalised from close range. Rom Elyagon almost made it 2-1 to Beersheba when he lobbed Or Yitzhak in Maccabi’s goal, but his shot bounced off the crossbar.

Maccabi dominated the first part of the second half but Beersheba went ahead against the run of play on the hour when Roei Avitan latched on to a cross from the left and shot diagonally to the right to make it 2-1 to the visitors.

Omri Ram restored parity in the 62nd minute when Beersheba goalkeeper failed to clear a shot from left back Shahar Rosen and Omri Ram connected with the rebound and rolled the ball home to seal a draw.

Nir Berkovich almost gave Maccabi the three points but his shot at goal in the 73rd minute rebounded off both uprights before being cleared by the Beersheba defence. Further attempts at goal were fruitless.

Maccabi’s lineup: Or Yitzhak; Guy Mizrahi, Dan Lugasi, Omer Itzhaki, Shahar Rosen; Nir Berkovich, Shai Balahssen (Nadav Nidam, 46), Rotem Yatzker, Raveh Assayag (Tal Turgeman, 81), Shaked Navon (Yahli Lazar, 60); Omri Ram.

Girls’ academy season gets under way

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Maccabi Tel Aviv’s girls’ academy opened training ahead of the new season on Sunday with a training session at the club’s Kiryat Shalom facility. It was an opportunity for the established girls to start getting back to fitness and for some new recruits to get their first taste of what to expect at the club.

The female academy is run according to a programme prepared by Patrick Van Leeuwen, the club’s performance director, and training will be run by Israel national team captain and ASA Tel Aviv player, Shai Sadeh. She will be assisted by coaches and support staff who will prepare a new generation of players with the best possible conditions at their disposal.

The academy will be divided into three age groups according to year of birth: Youth (2001-05), Girls (2006-08) and Youngsters (2009-12).

Training will include three soccer sessions, physical fitness, video analysis, diet, mental coaching and medical assessment.

The youth and girls’ teams will participate in the Israel Football Association league and if it is determined not to register a youngsters’ team in the league, they will participate in special tournaments and training fixtures against various opposition.

Maccabi ‘Shachar’ finish second in Jerusalem Cup

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In preparation for the new league season, which begins on Aug. 24, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth team finished as runners-up in the Aug. 14 Jerusalem Cup tournament featuring some of Israel’s top youth sides.

Maccabi were drawn into a group with Hapoel Beersheba and Bnei Sakhnin. A second group in the six-team tournament included Maccabi Haifa, Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv. Maccabi beat Beersheba 2-1 and Sakhnin 3-1 to finish top of their group and set up a final showdown with Maccabi Haifa, who topped the other group but the latter side beat coach Eliezer Ben-Aharon’s outfit 3-1 in the championship encounter.

Maccabi will open their league campaign on Aug. 24 with a home fixture against Hapoel Beersheba.

Academy youngsters begin pre-season training

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Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Avi Cohen Youth Academy has stepped up preparations for the new season and last week inaugurated training for the 2019-2020 campaign, with players aged eight to 13 the first to begin getting ready to turn out for their respective age-group teams.

Leon Asraf, the head of the Academy’s youngers’ branch spoke after the first session and said: “The young players’ training has begun with great success. We continue to develop their skills according to the Academy’s vision that is tailored to children of different ages. We aim to further the club’s younger generation of players with continual training and our top facilities can improve their technical skills, their tactical thinking and their physical fitness and strength.”