The clashes between the Premier League teams and the referees’ union following decisions in games have already become a matter of routine in the daily reality of football in Israel. This week, following the unjustified dismissal of Matan Hozaz in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s victory against Hapoel Jerusalem, it seems that things heated up especially between the Yellows and the referees’ union, with both sides coming out against each other in letters and official comments not seen every day.
Following the storm, which seems to continue to accompany us in one way or another at least for the foreseeable future, we set out to test the VAR’s intervention in controversial events as part of the runner-up’s games. How many decisions have been changed in favor of Maccabi Tel Aviv and how much for the worse? The cases from the beginning of the season are in front of you.
29.9.2021, Round 1 – Loss 3: 1 to Bnei Sakhnin: Already in the opening round the innovative system influenced the Yellows. Maccabi Tel Aviv received a penalty in the seventh minute after the approval of the VAR, which later disqualified a goal by Luis Hernandez in extra time, after a difference.
25.09.2021 – Round 4 – 2: 0 loss to Hapoel B’Shlosha: In a situation of 2: 0 Elon Almog was sent off after a physical contact with Aviad Shiloah, the VAR did not intervene. During the game there were two more incidents: in a 0-1 situation, a powerful kick hit the hand of Miguel Vitor inside the extension, but the VAR and the referee chose not to intervene, and later the Southerners scored the second goal. Another incident that occurred was when Asperia relieved Idan Nachmias, who was badly injured in the shoulder, but the referee chose to ignore.
3.10.2021, Round 5 – 0: 1 victory against Hapoel Jerusalem: Once again the Yellows celebrated, but the VAR cooled down. This time it was a goal by Eduardo Guerrero disqualified, this following a dissent.
16.10.2021, Round 6 – 4: 2 loss against Maccabi Netanya: Only one round after the victory over the Reds from the capital, the Yellows experienced a great humiliation, when on the way there a goal by Stifa Fritza was disqualified due to a difference in the situation of 0: 1. By the way, the striker himself recovered and scored the double, which did not help his team in the end. During the game, Luis Hernandez was rightly sent off after a failure when he was the last player, while Raz Shlomo, a Maccabi Netanya stopper, was also sent off in extra time.
25.10.2021, Round 7 – 2: 0 loss against MS Ashdod: A week passed, and again the Yellows suffered a not easy loss, when in the middle of the VAR intervened and led to the dismissal of Sharan Yeni with a red card, after lifting a high leg that hit Zakaria Mogis, in a situation of 0: 0. By the way, this was the first red card he saw since 2013.
30.10.2021, Round 8 – 1: 3 victory against Hapoel Kiryat Shmona: The Yellows recovered from the loss to Ashdod that same week, but on the way to victory they saw a goal of a break-in disqualified due to a difference. At the same time, two events took place:
In the first half, in a situation of 1: 0 per KS, Maccabi Tel Aviv demanded a penalty after a doubtful failure of the KS brake, Stefan Aka, on Dan Bitton. . Idan Leiba in the initial decision decided that there was no Pendel, but after that the event was tested on VAR and at the end it was decided to continue.
The second event came minutes before the end. In a 1: 2 situation for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Roi Kehat raised a ball to Stefan Milosevich, who hit a ball that hit the hand of Shachar Phiben. KS players demanded a penalty, Idan Leiba ordered to continue claiming that it was an involuntary movement.
22.12.2021, Round 14 – 1: 1 draw against Bnei Sakhnin: After experiencing a slight respite from the effects of the system, she returned to Mladen Krastić’s debut game in the league. Ante Polic slammed in, the flag was raised, but the VAR reversed the referees’ decision and approved the goal in Sakhnin’s favor. Osama Khalayla picked up a second yellow in extra time and was sent off.
3.1.2022, Round 16 – 3: 2 loss against Maccabi Haifa: Even in one of the big games we’ve had in recent years the VAR has made its mark. It happened in the 75th minute, in a 1: 2 situation in favor of the Yellows, so Liran Liani ordered a kick from 11 meters in favor of Maccabi Tel Aviv, but the innovative system intervened, checked, and found that the failure was off the field. If the judge had not received a signal.
8.1.2022, Round 17 – 0: 1 victory against Hapoel Beer Sheva: The Yellows managed to recover from the huge disappointment against the Greens, for whom they arranged a round later to qualify for the top of the Premier League. It happened after the VAR checked and confirmed Osama Khalaila’s winning goal.
11.1.2022 – State Cup – Penalty win over Kiryat Shmona: There was no VAR intervention here (because there is no new system in the cup games) but perhaps the most controversial decision in the Maccabi Tel Aviv games this season, and the one that ignited quite a few passions. That it was not unequivocal.
15.1.2022 – Round 18 – 1: 3 victory over Hapoel Jerusalem: Here too there was no VAR intervention because the VAR did not interfere with yellow cards, but Matan Hozaz was sent off after two controversial yellows, one in general after Guy Badash fouled him, in an incident that later led to the decision to send the letter to the referees.
Red cards for Maccabi Tel Aviv: 5
Yellow cards for Maccabi Tel Aviv: 38
Penalties for Maccabi Tel Aviv: 1
Penalties for Maccabi Tel Aviv: 2
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