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.
