Most of the first round games will be held on Saturday morning. Which teams are expected to set the tone in the league? Which are the teams that staying in the league will provide them? About this and more, in this article.
Most of the first round games will be held on Saturday morning. Which teams are expected to set the tone in the league? Which are the teams that staying in the league will provide them? About this and more, in this article.
By: Uri Shamir – the site editor
The 22/23 season in the senior leagues of the 2nd boys yearbook will start on Saturday morning. 16 teams, 30 rounds, at the end of which the identity of the champion, the two relegated and the team that will fight for its place in the league through the test matches will be determined.
Six of the eight games of the first round will be played in the morning hours, with the main match being held at the synthetic “Foam” field in Haifa, where Maccabi Haifa “Foam” will host Hapoel Haifa – who did not enjoy representation in the first four seasons of the Premier League – for the first derby game in the league’s history.
Those who may set the tone in the league this season are the teams that last season were the most prominent in the senior leagues of the Boys Yearbook III – Center and Center 2: Maccabi Netanya – Central champion, Maccabi Haifa “Katsef” – Central runner-up, Maccabi Tel Aviv – champion Center 2, Maccabi Petah Tikva – runner-up of Center 2 and holder of the state cup. It will be interesting to see, will Hapoel Tel Aviv – which underwent a merger between the South and North teams, and MS Ashdod – which was at the top of the Central League 2, but not part of the championship fight, will they also be among the tone setters or will they just blow in the background?
Those who are seen as teams that may occupy the center of the table are the leading teams of the Sharon League last season: the champion – Hapoel Ra’anana, the runner-up – Beitar Tobruk, Hapoel Hadera – which finished in third place in the table. Other teams that are expected to be in the center of the table are Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv – which finished in fourth place in the Central League, Hapoel Beer Sheva – which finished in the middle of the table in the Central League 2, Hapoel Pat – which finished the season in the lower part of the Central 2 table. It is not impossible that among these teams there will be teams that will find themselves part of the struggles at the bottom.
Those who expect a particularly challenging season – which may also manifest itself in struggles at the bottom, are teams that did not stand out in the top leagues or were not part of them last season: MK Neve Yosef Haifa – which lingered in the lower part of the Sharon table, Ironi Kiryat Shmona (pictured) – district champion Beach, Hapoel Jerusalem – which finished in the lower part of the middle of the table in the Central League and Hapoel Haifa – which finished in the center of the Sharon table. It is not impossible, because from this tier there will also be teams that will surprise and have a quiet season in the center of the table.