“Let the young people play.” This is one of the most worn slogans in Israeli football, and it is also justified. After all, every fan dreams of a youth department that produces stars wholesale, whose graduates become the skeleton of the team and its leading players, just like Neta Lavi at Maccabi Haifa, Dan Glazer at Maccabi Tel Aviv or Osher Davida at Hapoel. “In Israeli football, a 22-year-old player is still considered a child,” says another battered cliché and there are many criticisms of the fear of coaches and teams to give the chance to twenties or even teenagers, God forbid.
But recently a study has emerged that challenges the above-mentioned criticisms. According to CIES, in the last year the Premier League is in eighth place in Europe in the number of minutes received by young players (under 21) with 10.2 percent of the teams’ total minutes, which could indicate that in the end who is good – plays. In the Israeli national team up to the age of 21 in the game against Poland, for example, there were nine players who stand out in the various league teams (two more play overseas) and one of them, which symbolizes the young wind blowing is Ido Shachar.
He starred in the youth department of Maccabi Tel Aviv, was promoted to a senior, was loaned to Betar Tel Aviv Bat Yam and the Premier League teams – Shahar went through the route that many good yellows went through. In his youth and as soon as he saw that it was not happening, a little over two months ago to be exact, he moved to Maccabi Petah Tikva on loan and is now one of the most prominent players in its ranks and one who can save it from relegation.
The dry numbers are very impressive. Since arriving at Maccabi Petah Tikva at the end of January, Shahar has managed to score four league goals, the most during this period among his new teammates alongside Ion Nicolasco, to which he added two assists. The Malabes In these two months his name is listed as conqueror or cook and the most impressive statistic: Shahar conquers one goal for three kicks (4 out of 12) Let it sink.
Shahar can play in a variety of link positions, and has become a player at Maccabi Petah Tikva through which everything goes. Is the player who put the most balls into the box (42). Number 36 in blue (and 17 in light blue) usually plays in the Malabus ranks in the center of the link, with a back contact below him (Amit Meir or Yoav Hoffmeister) and performs his actions in high positions on the field.
Among the salient features of Shahar can be found in-depth movement with and without the ball and attacking a defensive line. In many Maccabi Petah Tikva attacks, the young midfielder transfers the ball from the center of the field to the wings and enters a free space to become a good delivery option. As in the first example where Shahar launches an explosive attack against Ashdod and passes a ball to Lamek Benda. While the striker with the ball, Shahar recognizes the gap created thanks to Nikolsko’s pull of Nenad Cvetkovic and gets the ball in the right place to score the first of two goals.
Shahar knows how to place his body for a ball in a comfortable position that will allow him to advance the game and in one quick move performs dangerous actions that eliminate defensive players. In this section of the game against Poland, he recognizes the free space between the defender and the brake, positions himself at a distance that does not allow the brake to attack the ball with his back to the goal and as soon as he receives the ball turns in the blink of an eye to threaten the goal (not so good, it should be noted).
In the previous paragraphs the word “ID” has been reused and it is a recurring motif in the game of Dawn. When watching a game of Maccabi Petah Tikva or the young team and putting the focus on the connection, you can notice that it looks in all directions on the field, at any given moment of the game, the so-called “field scan”. Exactly the free space he has, the distance from the opponent’s players, the distance from the ball and allows him to plan his options as soon as he gets the ball.
So here’s a nice example. Notice Shahar’s head in the game against Hapoel Hadera – Petah Tikva player closest to the ball (no markings. Dance). The movement to estimate the distance from the red brake.Gets a ball, delivery by touching the area and from there, turn Benda.
And now for all this business we will also connect the use of both legs. Shahar (who also led the ball and passed it to Oshera Davida on the right wing) makes a move to the area between the defensive lines and places his body at an open angle to receive the ball. This allows him to stop the ball with his left foot, move quickly to the strong right and from there width to the goal of Arad Bar.
And now, the obvious question: Will Ido Shachar fit Maccabi Tel Aviv model 2022/23. The answer is of course more complicated than “yes” or “no”, because it is still difficult to say what its link will look like. The connection to leave on loan to Maccabi Petah Tikva turned out to be correct because the load in the yellow center is such that it would have been difficult to drive a stake, but there are quite a few question marks regarding the summer.
Eyal Golsa ends contract in the summer, Eden Shamir ends the loan period from Standard Liege and Maccabi Tel Aviv holds a purchase option. The situation Shahar also faced in January.
Add to this the fact that Maccabi Tel Aviv is an initiative group which will make it difficult for Shahar to find the territories he receives in Maccabi Petah Tikva’s passing attacks. Oh, and also that the defensive side is not something he is exceptionally strong at so not sure there will be a perfect alternative to Glazer at this point. In a number of games, including the last of the young team against Poland he played in the wing and even cooked with a beauty of the level after a corner, but this is far from being the perfect position for him.
Be that as it may, especially after the excellent period at Maccabi Petah Tikva, it is likely that Shahar will be very intriguing there this summer as well. In the meantime he will try to add another chapter in his ascent and possibly lead the young team to Euro 2023.
