28.9.2002,
This game won't be remembered as the best yet Maccabi Haifa played good football. Maccabi Tel Aviv played like my grandmother. Someone once said to me that if you have self-confident no one, even the best team or competitor, can beat you, this is how Maccabi Haifa played and win these days.

Brumer(left) and Ben Haim(right) just can't stop Yakobo(middle)...

Can some one beat Maccabi Haifa? I am not so sure, but everyone has his hopes. Leverkusen beat Bayren Munich 2-1 and maybe will hit unbeaten Haifa in Tuesday's match in the CL. But until now we can't find any weakness at the green team. Her defense look very good, her midfield looks like a gold medal and Yakobo? Well what we can say about the best strikers in Europe? Every word is just unnecessary to describe his great abilities.
In the other end Maccabi Tel Aviv gave too much respect for Maccabi Haifa and deserve to loss more then 1-0. 10-0 was more realistic score for the yellow. Every player in yellow ran like Chicken from Maccabi Haifa's players. It looked like a "Chicken Run" movie. Even Nimni, the star that didn’t play in the first 2 matches due to injury and contract problems, couldn’t help Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Haifa controlled the game right from the start when Itzhak Shom surprise all the commentators with almost the same team witch beat Olympiakos. Only injured Alon Harazi didn’t play and Zano replaced him. In the 12^th minute Yakobo headed the ball from 8 meters straight to the crossbar. Later Dego shot went to Awate's hands. Dego was the only man we can mark at Tel Aviv's offence.
Later Bromer stopped Yakobo's ball from getting into the net after the Nigerian shot from 15 meters. Yakobo again was on the mark when he headed the ball from 5 meters but Shtraober saved it. Liran Shtraober saved a lot of Haifa's strikes and saved Maccabi Tel Aviv from a major loss to the Champions.
2 minutes to the end of the first half Katan kicked a nice ball from 7 meters to the outside net in the left side.
In the 45^th minute Haifa scored. Katan passed to Kessi in the left side, the left winger crossed the ball to Rosu that was free 5 meters from Tel Aviv's goal and just touched it in. Even Shtraober couldn’t do anything.
In the 78^th minute Yakobo's half volley from 5 meters took Shtraober's reflexes to not make it 2-0. What a save by the brave Tel Aviv's goalkeeper. Later Israelvic found Yakobo in the top of the box but Shtraober stopped his kick from getting in again. Zandberg had a chance but missed thanks to Shtraober and minute after that chance Kessi found the bar. Near the end Shtraober again stopped Rosu's strike when he was one on one against him.

It takes 10 seconds to fall in love, but it took Maccabi Haifa 45 minutes to score. Now no one can stop Maccabi Haifa, not even Hapoel Tel Aviv that lost her 2 first points in Natanya. Where is Kriat-Gat when we need them?

Maccabi Tel Aviv: Shtraober 9; Strol 5, Ben Haim 5, Bromer 6, Aros 4; Heyes 4, Banin 3, Nimni 2(Filan 80'), Dego 6(Oved 66'), Goldberg 4(Biton 50'- 4); Prohanenkovas 3.
Maccabi Haifa: Awate 5; Zano 6, Ajipor 6, Benado 6, Kessi 6; Pralija 6(Almishlino 88'), Zautaotas 7, Badir 7(Zandberg 50'- 5), Rosu 6, Katan 6(Israelvic 75'); Yakobo 7.
15 thousand fans in Blomfield, Jaffa, refereed Dani Koren.

DiD U Know: Tel Aviv and Haifa met last year in the final of the Israeli cup. Tel Aviv won after penalty kicks, 5-4.

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