A challenging meeting with a touch of a top game was held this evening (Wednesday) in Bloomfield between Maccabi Tel Aviv, who came into tonight’s game with their backs against the wall with a large gap of eight points behind the leader Maccabi Haifa.
The yellows got used to producing mediocre ability at the start of the season, with the exception of a few flashes in individual games, and on the other hand, the reds from Be’er Sheva came to the game tonight with a reasonable deficit of four points from the greens, who had a great start to the season, but in the last month and a half, they fail to restore the exciting ability from the first round and lose too many points. Fortunately for the Greens, their rivals at the top fail to take advantage of these stumbles.
It can be said with certainty that tonight the yellows from Tel Aviv got perhaps their last chance this season to stick to the top and return to the championship fight, by reducing the points gap to a reasonable range that will bring interest back to the top of Israeli football. On the field, Aitor Karanka came up with a different formation of three brakes in order to restore confidence to the back line after the loss in the last round against Netanya.
The coach of the Yellows came up with three midfielders and two strikers against the Reds from the capital of the Negev, who came up with a defensive quartet and a linking trio that included Aden Shamir, Roy Gordana and Shai Elias – all three with a defensive tone and no offensive orientation, things that are repeated for Eliniv Barda in games against the big teams.
Barda chooses to go up in cautious formations with the waiver of key players such as Ramzi Spouri, Rotem Hatuel, Dor Micha, and today it cost Beer Sheva dearly with a lethargic game and a noticeable lack of creativity offensively, without any dimension of aggressiveness in the center of the field and a noticeable lack of calm. It should be noted that Barda is missing Spuri, Shagib Yehezkel and Patrick Kalimela tonight, but despite this Beer Sheva must look much better in an important top game, especially when tonight’s victory would have catapulted the players of the Negev capital very close to the greens.
The yellows opened the first half with a good quarter of an hour and an impressive winning goal, which came after an impressive team effort. Djorja Jovanovic found Parfay Guillaume, who delivered a wonderful pass to Andre Geraldes. The Portuguese defender joined the box wonderfully and kicked in from a difficult angle with a perfect finish, and scored the winning goal for the yellows. However, after the lead goal, Aitor Karanka’s players inexplicably took their foot off the gas instead of striving for a second goal.
The game itself did not rise to a high level. Too many fouls, too many stops, there was no flow of the game and the actions in the front part of the two teams were not of sufficient quality – especially the last actions in the area of the 16 square of both teams. The Yellows did not know how to create enough dangerous situations near Omri Glazer’s goal, but on the other hand, Beer Sheva did not pose a threat to Daniel Peretz’s goal throughout the game.
It was in extra time that Beer Sheva managed to score an equalizing goal from a free kick by Helder Lopes, who took advantage of a big mistake by Daniel Peretz. The yellow goalkeeper was saved thanks to the VARs who disallowed the goal with a different claim. A stormy final event to a charged game that ended with three super significant points for the yellows, ones that bring them back in a big way to the championship fight.
Looking ahead to the playoffs and the continuation of the championship fight, both Beer Sheva and Maccabi Tel Aviv must realize that the number of points and losses of Maccabi Haifa up to this stage of the league is not something that will last for a long time. Therefore, it is quite clear that the greens from Haifa have priority on paper as well as on the grass, a change that is reflected mainly in the first part of the season after the World Cup break.
The greens came back in a bad way and lost the momentum with a continuous deterioration, but with a big advantage on the lines in the form of Barak Becher and decisive players in the front who should decide the fate of the championship in favor of the champion. Beer Sheva currently must play more offensively and with an offensive orientation. Barda has enough quality players in the front that can turn Beer Sheva into a deadly team.
It’s just that Breda, who has been doing a good job so far, must loosen the rope more in the important games and believe in his team. The Reds coach has to believe that his team can with more audacity win the crucial games through the players of the front, and not just through a combative but uncreative center link.
Regarding Maccabi Tel Aviv, Karanka must understand that it is time for him to formulate a clear formation and run with it for a long time. In addition, the Yellows must produce stability and continuity and see how they overcome the transition of Oskar Gloch, which the Yellows conspicuously lack in the front. Maccabi Tel Aviv needs to understand how to take advantage of the opponents’ weaknesses in order to become a real contender for the championship and make the season successful.
If at the end of May the Yellows win the championship plate, it will be a tremendous achievement. After all, at the end there is the test of the result and a third year without a championship will be a great disappointment. On the other hand, a championship would be a phenomenal success. We are left with a stormy and interesting triangle for the last third of the season and we will see who will be the team that will be able to rise in ‘Money Time’ in preparation for a particularly stormy and interesting playoffs. Just please, in future season games we ask all teams to significantly upgrade their ability.
