12.10.2002,
It wasn’t a beautiful game but at the end we saw Israel grab a 2-0 win. Pini Balili and Haim Revivo couldn’t leave the mark on 0-0 so scored both goals for the main team of Israel.

Revivo with second for the blue's.

No one can be pleased after the game but yet Israel won and that is all that matters. Israel played bad in the first half but in the second did some good work and took the win. Israel defensive midfield was weaker then ever, Tal Banin and Idan Tal wasn’t at their best and Badir who is in good form lately looked like them. The trio in the offence played good, although they could play better. Berkovic with his typical passes found the striker Balili that is in the best shape. Revivo did what he had to do with a nice goal. Later Yossi Benayoun the man from Racing Santander came in the 71^st minute and changed the game for the Israeli's.
The first opportunity in the game came in the 16^th minute, when Berkovic passed a good ball to Balili that without stopping kicked the ball hard from 18 meters but it want to the bar, still 0-0.
In the 29^th minute, Zanu crossed a wonderful ball into the box, Berkovic of all people headed the ball nicely to the corner of the goal but Moskat saved it.
This is all that happened in a very miserable first half.
11 minutes in the second half came the first goal after a lot of scary stuff. Revivo ran in the right wing the keeper want to him stupidly and Revivo crossed a good ball to Balili that against open goal scored the relief goal for the Israeli's, 1-0 and thank you Moskat.
The second one came in the 72^nd minute. Yossi Benayoun that just came on to the game, break through the box from the left, made himself like he is striking but instead of shot he passed to Revivo and Haim was alone against the keeper and smashed it in. 2-0 to Israel, now no one will take the win from Avraham Grant's team.
9 minutes to the final whistle the best chance for the Maltese came, a free kick by Ajos from 22 meters went on goal but Awate turned it off the bar very well.
In the stoppage time Nimni had a good chance after Revivo's pass but he couldn’t snake it in.
in the end the score line stood on 2-0. But no one can be too happy.

"Test me at the end of the campaign and not after one match," said Grant. "Malta closed the game right from the start and the pitch conditions didn't allow us to play our regular game in the first half. But overall I'm satisfied with the result and with the in which way we opened the campaign."
Eyal Berkovic was unhappy at the press after the game and said: "The press think it was an easy game, but the didn’t know that some Maltase player took me, and one took Revivo all game long. It was very difficult to get of the defenders. I don’t think Cyprus and Slovenia will take all points here that easily". The Israeli magician added: "All Israel should be after us and not against us, if we all be together we can make it to the Euro 2004".

DiD u Know: it is the 5^th time in a row that Israel starts a campaign with not losing. The last time Israel lost in her first game was in 1992 2-5 in Austria.

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