Hapoel Tel Aviv is in a kind of crossroads: the protest of the fans has calmed down, but the club is looking for quite a few ways to redefine itself. Omar Boxenbaum has set out as the professional manager, and his job will be to try and rebuild the team – to try and combine the promising youngsters (some of whom star in the youth team), and slightly more experienced players. One such that Hapoel Tel Aviv has attached is the Spanish midfielder Pablo Gonzalez.
He was born in Almunychar, Granada, and went through quite a few stages in life – as a youth player he was at Atletico Madrid, and moved to Villarreal’s department – where he also rose to the seniors in the reserve teams. From then on the wanderings began – from Huesca and Toledo, through Granada and Salamanca, to the two teams of the Czech Republic – Dukla Prague, and the last one, Sigma Olomouc – whom he left after three years.
And at least according to the Czech media, it is hard to say that he left too big a mark. An article published last May, when it was reported that Gonzalez was leaving the team, read: “His impact on attack was not as good as expected, but each time he did his best. He always gave his heart, his emotions, and his ‘drive’ to the game was noticeable.” . Despite the relative disappointment, he said when he said goodbye: “I tried to give my best. You gave everything I had, and I am satisfied, even though we could have been more successful.”
Sea type
However, they certainly complimented Gonzalez’s mental abilities. “He’s not afraid of challenges,” IDNES, a local website, said, and his coach Martin Zilek added: “He has a great motivation to succeed and move forward. That’s his main engine.”
And what about the character? In another interview Gonzalez gave to the media in the Czech Republic, he also told about his hobbies: “I used to not like dogs,” he said, “but now for me (he came to the Czech Republic without the family) the dog is like my son … I am also very I like to play tennis, or at least watch TV. ”
In one sense, Israel will definitely be ideal for him, and certainly Tel Aviv – the sea. “The sea is also a big hobby for me, I love it very much, especially when I am at home in the summer. We even had a small boat a few years ago, and I went fishing. It is very easy, you drive slowly and in the end – you always catch something.”
In the same interview he told quite a bit about his difficulty coping with the winter weather in the Czech Republic: “In my homeland it was 16-17 degrees in December. My previous group was Salamanca, and the weather there was relatively cold, but the sun was shining late. Here, “In the Czech Republic, sometimes you don’t see the sun at all. It’s hard for me, but it’s part of life here. I’m not complaining, but a little sun will definitely not hurt,” he said with a smile.
And now – to football
So what does Hapoel Tel Aviv get? Gonzalez is a very diverse player who knows how to play in several positions: last season he was included in all link positions, in the left wing and even as a supporting striker. The Spaniard scored five league goals, one of them in a penalty, Sigma’s goals this season.
During the season Sigma played in several formations and in each of them he played a different role: striker and also central midfielder in 3-5-2, 10 under two midfielders in 4-2-3-1, left wing player in 3-4-3 And a key tie at 4-3-3. Gonzalez is gifted with a good first touch, foot agility and often makes a ball-free movement between the lines and into an extension, which can make him a serious weapon in passing attacks alongside a dribbler like Osher Davida.
As a central midfielder he cleverly joins from a second line, or tries to send hard depth balls into the box, and when he is in the wing he often goes through the dribble to the left of the center and threatens the goal with his strong right foot.
In the 10th position, the one most likely for him at Hapoel Tel Aviv, the Spaniard often makes a move to the right wing and from there to raise or move dangerous wide balls: 42 levels sent throughout the season when only Sigma’s two defenders sent more.
So we said Gonzalez has scored five goals this season, but he also sent out 46 kicks throughout the season – second place in the sigma. Many times the Spanish midfielder preferred to kick from uncomfortable situations, facing two defensive lines, which led to many of his kicks being blocked by the opposing defensive players or not being sent to the frame at all.
And what about the defensive side? Not particularly impressive to note. Although he is placed third in the ball extractions in the offensive part of Sigma, Gonzalez’s timing in the tackle is not very good and due to his small dimensions (1.73 meters) he has difficulty using his body properly in aerial fights and ground fights which leads to multiple fouls. 47 offenses committed by the intended purchase of Hapoel Tel Aviv – second in the sigma – yellowed six times and absorbed one red.
Hapoel Tel Aviv has long longed for someone to ignite the imagination. The club is going through a few gray years, very far from the high tops and places where Hapoel has become accustomed to being in the previous two decades. It is too early to know how successful this match will be, but it is quite clear what is behind it: the desire that the Spanish magic that Gonzalez will bring with him, will help the Reds shine again in Israeli football.
