Germany vs Israel – No Losers From Leipzig

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Israel goalkeeper ARIEL HARUSH (1) of FC Beitar Jerusalem comes off his line to smother the ball at the feet of on-rushing Germany midfielder MESUT OEZIL (8) of 2012 Spanish La Liga champion Real Madrid as visiting defender EITAN TIBI (21) of surprise Ligat ha ‘Al 2012 titlist FC Ironi Kiryat Shmona surveys the situation during the internationl friendly match at the sold-out Red Bull Arena in the city of Leipzig.
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Positive results all around from the international fixture that history insures will never be quite like any other, then. As if to spite the steady rain coming down at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, the bucket loads of goodwill and pride on prominent display all throughout the stadium saw it, together, that there could no losers from this GERMANY v ISRAEL friendly exhibition match. And so, even though the Germans did score two goals whereas the Israelis actually managed none, there can be no mistake that, at the end of the ninety minutes, there were only winners after this particular meeting on the football pitch.

The Israelis were prepared to concede enormous amounts of both possession and territory to the their hosts but the Germans would still need forty minutes to find any meaningful form. This, in large part, as a result of the visitors’ ability to maintain their defensive shape as well as discipline. Germany defender JEROME BOATENG of beaten UEFA Champions League Finalist Bayern Munich had almost given the home team’s supporters something to cheer about less than twenty minutes in but had no luck with a delightful, left-footed shot that smacked flush off the upright.

Germany finally got on the scoreboard when legionnaire midfielder SAMI KHEDIRA of Spanish La Liga champion Real Madrid, moments after heading wide at point blank range, did well to shield his marker and play a return ball forward to winger THOMAS MUELLER of Bayern Munich in the box. A deft first touch from the Golden Boot winner at the last FIFA World Cup in South Africa allowed his Bundesliga teammate, “Super” MARIO GOMEZ, to hammer a shot – with the benefit of a slight deflection by Israel defender TAL BEN HAIM of English Football League Championship (second division) club FC Portsmouth – into the upper right corner of the net.

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The Israelis got their two best attempts of the match on target to start the second half but Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER was equal to the task. Neuer swallowed up a curling drive from Russian-based midfielder BIBRAS NATCHO of FC Rubin Kazan and also needed to be sharp to steer a stinging drive from Israel substitute midfielder GIL VERMOUTH, most recently of Dutch club De Graafschap Doetinchem, over the crossbar. From there on out, though, it was all pretty much one-way traffic as both sides began to bring numerous players off the benches in earnest.

Two-time Germany World Cup winger LUKAS PODOLSKI, whom recently relegated Bundesliga club 1.FC Koeln have already offloaded to English Premier League club FC Arsenal of London, had a pair of excellent chances but skied one shot over the crossbar and blasted another straight at Israel goalkeeper ARIEL HARUSH of FC Beitar Jerusalem. And the playmaking midfield magician MESUT OEZIL, another La Liga winner this season with Real Madrid in Spain, also could not find the target from a good position. Mueller, meanwhile, had a wonderful opportunity to double Germany’s lead after settling a pinpoint pass from Oezil in the box but rolled his shot agonizingly just wide with only a little under a quarter of an hour to go.

Substitute ANDRE SCHUERRLE of Bayer Leverkusen, the 21-year-old winger who registered seven goals in 31 Bundesliga games this term after scoring 15 goals in 33 matches for FSV 05 Mainz the season before, continued his fine form at the international level and eventually added a second goal for Germany with a brilliant strike from beyond the half moon at the top of the penalty box in the 82nd minute; Schuerrle has now shot an impressive seven goals on his first 14 appearances for the national side since making his debut for Deutschland opposite Sweden in November of 2010.

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The triumph for Germany in Leipzig was an important result for trainer JOACHIM LOEW’s side, who counted the national team’s first victory in four tries since beating Belgium last fall to finish with a perfect 10 wins from 10 qualification matches. Morale must certainly benefit even if the Germans were made to labor a bit by the stubborn Israelis. Important matches, of course, loom on the immediate horizon in Poland and the Ukraine.

Israel has a few different reasons to feel good about the recent results against the Germans and the Czech Republic, both of whom will be featuring in the final tournament of the 2012 UEFA European Championships fast approaching. Several young players gained valuable international experience that should serve trainer ELI GUTTMAN’s Israeli side well in the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. The new goalkeeper Harush, for example, is one who certainly did not disgrace himself while on tour in Europe.

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Germany striker MIROSLAV KLOSE (11) of Italian Serie A side SS Lazio Rome, the three-time FIFA World Cup veteran who is five goals shy of tying the vaunted national record held by the legendary GERD “der Bomber” MUELLER of 68 goals, arrives at the back post and beats Israel defender EITAN TIBI (21) of FC Ironyi Kiryat Shmona in the air but…
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Israel goalkeeper ARIEL HARUSH of FC Beitar Jerusalem reacts well and is able to turn the ball over the crossbar in the waning stages of the international friendly with the Germans in front of a sellout crowd of 43,241 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.

Israel – Startelf In Leipzig

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The Startelf for the national team of ISRAEL pause for the traditional team photograph just prior to the start of the international friendly match with host Germany at the modern Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.

back row — Harush, Gershon, Zahavi, Ben Haim, Yadin, Tibi
front row — Natcho, Shechter, Melikson, Benayoun, Spungin
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Trainer ELI GUTTMAN’s Israel national team would cross the border to arrive at the Red Bull Arena and face Germany in Leipzig after having just lost a recent friendly 2-1 to the Czech Republic in heartbreaking fashion. Striker ITAY SHECHTER of recently relegated German Bundesliga club 1.FC Kaiserslautern had leveled for the Israelis after sharply heading home a cross from Polish legionnaire MAOR MELIKSON of SA Wislaw Krakow just before halftime but the Euro 2012-bound Czechs, after the appearance of numerous second half substitutes from both sides, snatched the result in Graz, Austria, with a goal in the fourth minute of time added on. Most unfortunate of all, perhaps, was FC Beitar Jerusalem goalkeeper ARIEL HARUSH, the 24-year-old who had brought off a string of saves in the contest to hold off the Czech Republic at bay on his full international debut for Israel.

ISRAEL
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goal — Ariel HARUSH (FC Beitar Jerusalem / 2 caps)

defense — Avihai YADIN (FC Hapoel Tel Aviv / 8 caps, 0 go), Yuval SPUNGIN (FC Omonia Nicosia – Cyp / 16 caps, 0 go), Tal BEN HAIM (FC Portsmouth – Eng / 67 caps, 1 go), Eitan TIBI (FC Ironyi Kiryat Shmona / 2 caps, 0 go), Rami GERSHON (Standard Liege – Bel / 12 caps, 1 go)

midfield — Bibras NATCHO (FC Rubin Kazan – Rus / 16 caps, 0 go), Eran ZAHAVI (US Palermo – Ita / 11 caps, 0 go), Maor MELIKSON (SA Wislaw Krakow – Pol / 5 caps, 2 go), Yossi BENAYOUN (FC Arsenal – Eng / 88 caps, 24 go)

attack — Itay SHECHTER (1.FC Kaiserslautern – Ger / 13 caps, 4 go)

substitutes
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MF – Lior RAFELOV (Club Brugge – Bel / 17 caps, 3 go)
for Melikson – 46th min
MF – Gil VERMOUTH (De Graafschap Doetinchem – Hol / 17 caps, 0 go)
for Benayoun – 46th min
FW – Omer DAMARI (FC Hapoel Tel Aviv / 6 caps, 2 go)
for Shechter – 46th min
FW – Ben SAHAR (AJ Auxerre – Fra / 27 caps, 6 go)
for Zahavi – 67th min
MF – Nir BITON (FC MS Ashdod / 3 caps, 0 go)
for Natcho – 73rd min
DF – Shir TZEDEK (FC Ironyi Kiryat Shmona / 2 caps, 0 go)
for Yadin – 86th min

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Israel midfielder GIL VERMOUTH (14), the 26-year-old who finished the second half of the this 2011/12 campaign out on loan from recently relegated Bundesliga side 1.FC Kaiserslautern to Dutch Eredivisie club De Graafschap Doetinchem after transferring from FC Hapoel Tel Aviv for a fee of 750,000 Euros last summer, fends off trailing Germany winger LUKAS PODOLSKI (10) of 1.FC Koeln as Bayern Munich midfielder TONI KROOS (18) tracks back during the international friendly at the sold-out Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.

Friendly For The Very First Time

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Although the amateur national teams of the two countries actually combined to forge a 1-1 draw at Frechen almost two decades earlier in September of 1969, the very first meeting between the senior sides of the Deutscher Fussball Bund and the Israeli Football Association occurred when the legendary FRANZ “der Kaiser” BECKENBAUER and WEST GERMANY traveled to the Middle East to face ISRAEL in an international friendly on March 25, 1987.

The Israelis were led by highly-experienced captain AVI COHEN of FC Maccabi Tel Aviv, the 30-year-old veteran who had made headlines all across Europe when signed by English powerhouse FC Liverpool in 1979 and would be returning to Great Britain to sign with Scottish giant Glasgow Rangers in just a few months time. 24-year-old defender DAVID PISANTI had only recently left Bundesliga club 1.FC Koeln after a year and a half in West German football to return home and sign with Ligat ha’Al club FC Hapoel Tel Aviv. But Pisanti, who was off again to Europe in the summer of 1987 for two seasons with English First Division club Queens Park Rangers, was not selected to play in the historic international friendly with West Germany by the Israel national team trainer at that time, the Yugoslav import MILJENKO MIHIC.

Meanwhile, it had been less than a year since West Germany had lost to Argentina 3-2 in the Final of the 1986 FIFA World Cup at the enormous Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Beckenbauer’s squad was re-tooling for the 1988 UEFA European Championships, which the West Germans were scheduled to host. One conspicuous absentee from the visiting squad was veteran goalkeeper HARALD “Toni” SCHUMACHER of 1.FC Koeln, the 33-year-old, two-time World Cup Finalist with 76 caps for West Germany who had retired from the national team after appearing in friendlies with Denmark and Spain in the fall of 1986.

The visiting West Germans, as a result of an early goal from youthful midfielder OLAF THON and a penalty by LOTHAR MATTHAEUS with a mere eleven minutes remaining, shutout the host Israelis 2-0 at Tel Aviv’s little Ramat Gan Stadium in front of a reported 15,000 specatators.

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Israel striker ELI OHANA of FC Beitar Jerusalem was one of three players from the historic side engaging visiting West Germany at the Ramat Gan Stadium in March of 1987 who were headed off to sign with professional clubs in Europe later that summer. Ohana, who remains just inside the top ten among the all-time goal-scorers for the national team, signed with KVV Mechelen in Belgium and paid immediate returns on the club’s investment in his very first season. Ohana scored an important goal for KVV Mechelen in the semifinal round opposite Italian Serie A outfit Atalanta Bergamo and then assisted on the only goal in the Final against storied Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam as the upstart Belgian team lifted the 1988 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in the spring of 1988.
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ISRAEL
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GK – 23 – Avi RAN ………………………. FC Maccabi Tel Haifa (9 caps)
DF – 27 – Avinoam OVADIA ………… FC Shimshon Tel Aviv (12 caps, 1 go)
DF – 30 – Avi COHEN ………………….. FC Maccabi Tel Aviv (59 caps, 3 go)
DF – 23 – Menashe SHIMONOV …… FC Maccabi Tel Aviv (19 caps, 0 go)
DF – 30 – Zion MARILI ……………….. FC Maccabi Haifa (6 caps, 1 go)
MF – 30 – Nir KLINGER ……………… FC Maccabi Haifa (83 caps, 2 go)
MF – 29 – Uri MALMILIAN …………. FC Beitar Jerusalem (62 caps, 16 go)
MF – 28 – Daniel BRAILOVSKY …… FC Maccabi Haifa (18 caps, 3 go)
MF – 18 – Shalom TIKVA …………….. FC Maccabi Netanya (23 caps, 6 go)
FW – 22 – Eli DRIKS ……………………. FC Maccabi Tel Aviv (26 caps, 4 go)
FW – 23 – Eli OHANA ………………….. FC Beitar Jerusalem (50 caps, 17 go)

substitutes
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MF – 26 – Moshe SINAI ……………….. FC Hapoel Tel Aviv (47 caps, 7 go)
for Tikva – 46th min

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West Germany midfielder OLAF THON of Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen
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WEST GERMANY
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GK – 26 – Eike IMMEL ……………….. Vfb Stuttgart (19 caps)
DF – 30 – Thomas HOERSTER ……. Bayer Leverkusen (4 caps, 0 go)
DF – 21 – Juergen KOHLER …………. SV Waldorf Mannheim (105 caps, 2 go)
DF – 26 – Guido BUCHWALD ………. Vfb Stuttgart (76 caps, 4 go)
DF – 26 – Hans PFLUEGLER ……….. Bayern Munich (11 caps, 0 go)
MF – 26 – Andreas BREHME ……….. Bayern Munich (86 caps, 8 go)
MF – 26 – Lothar MATTHAEUS …… Bayern Munich (150 caps, 23 go)
MF – 20 – Olaf THON ………………….. Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen (52 caps, 3 go)
MF – 24 – Uwe RAHN ………………….. Bor. Moenchengladbach (14 caps, 5 go)
FW – 23 – Herbert WAAS …………….. Bayer Leverkusen (11 caps, 1 go)
FW – 26 – Rudi VOELLER …………….. Werder Bremen (90 caps, 47 go)

substitutes
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MF – 25 – Wolfram WUTTKE ………… 1.FC Kaiserslautern (4 caps, 1 go)
for Voeller – 51st min

Striker RUDI VOELLER, who had scored the second goal for West Germany against France in the semifinal of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, was only months away from being transferred to Italian Serie A side AS Roma for the hefty fee of 7.5 million Deutsche Mark … ANDREAS BREHME, LOTHAR MATTHAEUS and HANS PFLUEGLER were all destined to appear for Bayern Munich in the Final of the 1987 UEFA European Cup even sooner, when the Bavarians would fall to Portuguese side FC Porto at the Praterstadion in Vienna.

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A contemporary Israeli postage stamp commemorates former national team goalkeeper AVI RAN, a rising star for FC Maccabi Haifa by all accounts who was tragically killed in a boating accident while swimming in the Sea of Galilee in the summer of 1987.

Important Game Of Genuine Goodwill – Germany vs Israel

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A sliding Germany defender PER MERTESACKER (17) confronts his teammate this past season with London-based English Premier League outfit FC Arsenal, Israel captain YOSSI BENAYOUN (15), as Bayern Munich defender HOLGER BADSTUBER (14) moves in to clean up during the international friendly contested at the rain-soaked Red Bull Arena (the old Zentralstadion) in the historical city of Leipzig.
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Around here, the quality of the product and the final result are normally the two most important aspect of any given international football match. The German flag flies proudly here and it is prefered if the traditional, historical standard of excellence is maintained by the national team out there on the football pitch at all times, to be perfectly honest. And there is no shame in that as the principle objective of any athletic contest or “game” is to win, not to de-value such things as ‘sportsmanship’ / ‘fairplay’, of course.

There can be no absolutely question, however, that the international fixture of GERMANY v ISRAEL will always do more than just raise a few eyebrows around the world. The darkest hours of history demand such and rightfully so. There is a certain duty that is shared by all Mankind to remember the Holocaust and, at the minimum, learn from it and see to it that it never happens again.

As there should be — football, to speak nothing of the result, certainly must always take a distant seat far in the back rows as compared to something as important that concept, by all means.

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The national football teams of GERMANY and ISRAEL meet for the fourth time in history at the modern Red Bull Arena, the renovated Saxon facility first constructed in 1956 by the now-defunct Deutsche Demokratische Republik as the massive Zentralstadion with a capacity reputed to be in excess of 100,000 spectators, in the history filled eastern German city of Leipzig.
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It is a undeniable, if most unfortunate, that history cannot be changed and that both Germany and Israel must press on in the wake of the horrific tragedy that is the Holocaust. Here in the United States, this blog does not pretend to have the answers with respect to exactly how that is to be done best. A fellow American blogger once basically remarked to the editorial staff here that, in his simply-put opinion, all Jewish people wanted / want is to live in peace be treated the same as everybody else.

Well, this blog can categorically state that the Germans want the world to know that the Nazis are not and have not been in power for quite some time and will not be returning in the future, either. In addition to their sincere shame and sorrow, they fully understand they must deal with the historical burden and really do not wish to complain about that in any way. If they are anything like this blog in a moment of sheer honesty, they have no idea what to do necessarily but there it is all the same.

Nowhere to hide. No point in running. Unless, on the other hand, one is thinking of a game of football and, in that case, the Germans are very happy to host the national team of Israel for a friendly match anytime.

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Israel striker ITAY SHECHTER (11) of recently relegated German Bundesliga club 1.FC Kaiserslautern slips the ball through the legs of Germany midfielder TONI KROOS from beaten UEFA Champions League Finalist Bayern Munich while fending off Deutschland legionnaire defender PER MERTESACKER (17) of English Premier League club FC Arsenal during the international friendly match at the old Zentralstadion in Leipzig.

“Der Erste Israeli Der Bundesliga” – English Translation

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Bayern Munich star midfielder ULI HOENESS (left), who won both the 1972 UEFA European Championships and the 1974 FIFA World Cup titles with the senior national team of West Germany and also represented the Bundesrepublik Deutschland at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games hosted by the city of Munich in between, competes for the ball with versatile Borussia Moenchengladbach sweeper/midfielder SHMUEL ROSENTHAL, who represented Israel at the final tournaments for the 1968 Summer Olympic Games and 1970 FIFA World Cup both hosted by Mexico, during the Bundesliga contest at the Olympiastadion in Bavaria on October 21, 1972.
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“DER ERSTE ISRAELI DER BUNDESLIGA”
Karsten Kellermann — 04/21/2012
http://www.rp-online.de

“THE FIRST ISRAELI OF THE FEDERAL LEAGUE”

SHMUEL ROSENTHAL is informed well (about) football. “I saw Bourssia (Moenchengladbach)’s 3-0 (win) against 1.FC Cologne in parts. Class! I am pleased that Gladbach are playing such a great season” he reports via telephone from Tel Aviv.

He was himself in former times a part of the Foals Eleven, although only for one season. In 1972 he came to Gladbach. 13 Bundesliga games (one goal) and four deployments in the UEFA Cup later he went again in 1973. Still, Rosenthal, who will be 65 years old tomorrow, wrote football history.

He was the first professional from Israel who played in Europe.

“I opened the doors for all Israeli footballers. The Israeli (football) federation did not allow it at that time, to change (transfer) abroad. One was considered like a traitor and would be suspended one year,” says Rosenthal.

He played with Israel at the 1968 Olympic Games and at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. “We played 0-0 against Italy, all the greats were there : (AC Milan playmaking midfielder Gianni) RIVERA, (Inter Milan attacking midfielder Sandro) MAZZOLA, (Cagliari forward Luigi) RIVA,” tells Rosenthal. Israel was eliminated, still the man with the Seehund-Schnauzer said to himself, “I can keep up there. I will be a professional.”

He was laughed at, nevertheless he wanted to show it all. “It was the most difficult time of my life,” he said of when he arrived in Gladbach in the summer of 1972. Rosenthal’s change was also a product of the good relationship of Borussia with Israel, whose origin was (Moenchengladbach trainer) HENNES WEISWELLER’s friendship with the Israel national team trainer EDI SCHAFFER. There were training camps, test matches, comparisons with the national team. More than 15 times was Borussia in Israel, first in 1970, last in 2008.

Rosenthal lost four kilograms in the first day of training of the 1972 season, learned German industriously and was ready to help Borussia as Libero (sweeper) or in defensive midfield. Rosenthal believed in his chance. A second Israeli, MORDECHAI SPIEGLER, almost came (to Monechengladbach), however, because there were already two foreigners in the squad, nothing became of it. When the season began, Rosenthal was actually in the (first) team; he celebrated his (Bundesliga) debut on September 16, 1972, with the 4-3 (win) against Duisburg. In his third game he created a goal with the 3-1 (win) against Hannover. The technically-experienced Israeli took part in nine games in one piece (on the trot, consecutively).

“Then the weather became worse and I had problems,” confesses Rosenthal.

Only four more league deployments followed. His playing style was too careless for trainer Hennes Weisweller. He became an edge figure (fringe player). On November 25, 1972, he was substituted for the last time with the 0:3 (loss) in Frankfurt.

“That (playing for Borussia Moenchengladbach) was better than the Olympic Games or the World Cup. “(West Germany international midfielder Guenter) NETZER, (Denmark international forward Henning) JENSEN, (West Germany international midfielder Rainer) BONHOFF, (Denmark international forward Allan) SIMONSEN were unbelievable players,” says Rosenthal.

He knows that his compatriots ROBERTO COLAUTTI and GAL ALBERMAN (now both back home with Ligat ha’Al club FC Maccabi Tel Aviv) tried likewise unsuccessfully with Borussia. In the long term, the Israeli players do not have the (same) character which the Germans or Scandanavians have,” says the Pioneer. Only twelve years after him came the second Israeli (to the West German Bundesliga) : DAVID PISANTI, who played in Cologne.

Shmuel Rosenthal was not since his departure from Gladbach any more at the Boekelberg (stadium) and already not at all in the (new) Borussia-Park — “But I know what happens with Borussia,” assures Rosenthal (who, today, works at the national electric company in Tel Aviv).

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“ISRAELI FRONTIERSMAN PAVES WAVE IN WEST GERMANY”
August 11, 2011

http://lvironpigs.wordpress.com

Ukraine Outlast Israel, Remain Unbeaten

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Ukraine defender VITALY MANDZIUK (16) of FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk shields the ball from Israel striker BEN SAHAR (17) of French outfit AJ Auxerre as visiting substitute goalkeeper ANDRIY DYKAN (31) of Russian side FC Spartak Moscow advances in a bid to snuff out the danger during the international friendly at the HaMoshava Stadium in Petah Tikvah.
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The home side put up the proverbial good fight but the visitors confirmed its status as a team to be taken seriously at the final tournament of the 2012 UEFA European Championships upcoming this summer as UKRAINE outscored ISRAEL 3-2 in the first international match for both sides since the start of the New Year.

The Ukrainians were able to stroke the ball about with a great deal of confidence and dominate possession in the first half, particularly after Israel defender RAMI GERSHON of Belgium club Royal Standard Liege clipped Ukraine attacker ANDRIY YARMOLENKO of FC Dynamo Kiev in the box a only a little over a quarter of an hour into the match and winger OLEG GUSEV, yet another FC Dynamo Kiev player, had no trouble with ensuing spot kick. The home side were able to generate a few good chances but were led astray by wayward finishing. Sloppy defending then gifted Ukraine a second goal just before the halftime whistle as Yarmolenko was able to feed an overlapping YEVHEN KONOPLYANKA of FC Dnipr Dnipropetrovsk on the left, who was easily able to slot past Israel goalkeeper DUDU AOUATE of Spanish La Liga side Real Mallorca with and double the visitors’ margin.

New trainer ELI GUTTMAN made three influential changes to the Israeli team at the break, including the removal of team captain YOSSI BENAYOUN of English Premier League club FC Arsenal in favor of French legionnaire BEN SAHAR of AJ Auxerre. The new blood certainly helped boost the attack and, ten minutes into the second session, the hosts had a call go their way when Ukraine defender VITALY MANDZIUK of FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk was caught handling in the area. Substitute striker TOMER HEMED, the 24-year-old who joined Aouate at Real Mallorca in the Balearic Islands this past summer after signing from FC Maccabi Haifa on a free transfer, then halved the deficit with a well-taken penalty.

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Israel midfielder BIBRAS NATCHO (6) of Russian club FC Rubin Kazan tackles the ball away from Ukraine captain ANATOLY TYMOSHCHUK (4) of German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, appearing in a domestic record 114th international match for the national side, during the international friendly at the HaMoshava Stadium in Petah Tikvah.
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Ukraine struck again less than six minutes later with the most well-worked goal of the game, though, to seriously thwart Israeli momentum. Yarmolenko, directly involved in all three Ukrainian tallies for the match, began a counterattacking movement that ended with the 22-year-old, himself, sweeping home the centering pass of substitute midfielder OLEXANDER ALIYEV of FC Dynamo Kiev just after the hour. The would-be pivotal strike improved the promising youngster’s total to seven goals in just 18 international matches for the national side.

Once more, however, Israel refused to throw in the towel and would respond, themselves, quite quickly. A seam-splitting, thru-ball from midfielder MAOR MELIKSON of Polish club Wislaw Cracow released Sahar in the box on the left and the one-time FC Chelsea striker now out on loan from Spanish club RCD Espanyol Barcelona to Auxerre in France finished with aplomb. In doing so, the 22-year-old also recorded a sixth goal on his 25th international appearance with his first tally for Israel in almost two and a half years.

Ukraine trainer OLEG BLOKHIN was not impressed with the defensive lapses of his team in the second half but the visitors would, nevertheless, hold out for a deserved result on the night and to remain unbeaten in their lasts five matches; the Ukrainians will face Sweden in Kiev and then both England and France, respectively, in Donetsk at the 2012 UEFA European Championships this summer.

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Israel defensive midfielder ALMOG COHEN (8) of German club 1.FC Nuremberg, who has netted two goals in 44 Bundesliga matches since arriving from FC Maccabi Netanya in the summer of 2010, leaves Ukraine striker MARKO DEVIC (22) of FC Metalist Kharkiv flat-footed and dribbles off during the international friendly at the HaMoshava Stadium in Petah Tikvah.
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ISRAEL : Aouate – Spungin (Gabai 66′), Ben Haim, Gershon, Ben Dayan (Tzedek 87′) – Natcho, Cohen (Damari 74′) – Rafaelov (Zahavi 46′), Benayoun (Sahar 46′), Melikson – Barda (Hemad 46′)

goals — Hemed pen 55′, Sahar 63′

UKRAINE : Shovkovskiy (Dykan 46′) – Mikhalik, Khacheridi (Mandziuk 46′), Selin – Tymoshchuk, Rotan (Garmash 77′) – Gusev (Butko 90′), Yarmolenko, Konoplyanka – Voronin (Aliyev 46′), Devic (Milevskiy 46′)

goals — Gusev pen 17′, Konoplyanka 45′, Yarmolenko 61′

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Israel midfielder YOSSI BENAYOUN of English Premier League side FC Arsenal, the 31-year-old veteran who has amassed 86 caps and 24 goals for the national team in his career, looks to bypass the Ukraine defensive pair of FC Dynamo Kiev winger OLEG GUSEV (9) and midfielder RUSLAN ROTAN of FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk during the international friendly at the HaMoshava Stadium in Petah Tikva.
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Israel v Ukraine

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European-based talent dominates the squad that incoming trainer ELI GUTTMAN has selected to begin his tenure in charge of the national team as ISRAEL welcome 2012 UEFA European Championships co-host UKRAINE to the new HaMoshava Stadium in Petah Tikvah for an international friendly match on the final day of February.

English Premier League veteran YOSSI BENAYOUN of FC Arsenal is expected to wear the captain’s armband as well as orchestrate the Israeli attack from midfield while Spanish legionnaire DUDU AOUATE of Real Mallorca will be an important man between the sticks for the hosts; Israel are without two prominent but injured national team members, midfielder BIRAM KAYAL of Scottish side Glasgow Celtic as well as striker ITAY SHECHTER of German club 1.FC Kaiserslautern, for the match with the visiting Ukrainians.

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1.FC Kaiserslautern striker ITAY SHECHTER, the 25-year-old former FC Hapoel Tel Aviv attacker with 11 caps and three goals for Israel who is in his first season abroad, still leads his new German Bundesliga employers in goal-scoring this term but is not fit at the moment and will miss the international friendly with 2012 UEFA European Championships co-host Ukraine.
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ISRAEL
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Goalkeepers … Dudu AOUATE (Real Mallorca / Spain), Dani AMOS (FC Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona)

Defenders … Dedi BEN DAYAN (AC Omonia Nicosia / Cyprus), Tal BEN HAIM (FC Portsmouth / England), Elad GABAI (FC Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona), Rami GERSHON (Royal Standard Liege / Belgium), Dekel KEINAN (FC Cardiff City / Wales), Yuval SPUNGIN (AC Omonia Nicosia / Cyprus), Eitan TIBI (FC Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona)

Midfielders … Yossi BENAYOUN (FC Arsenal / England), Almog COHEN (1.FC Nuremberg / Germany), Maor MELIKSON (Wislaw Cracow / Poland), Bibras NATCHO (FC Rubin Kazan / Russia), Lior RAFEAELOV (KV Club Brugge / Belgium), Adrian ROCHET (FC Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona), Eran ZAHAVI (Palermo / Italy)

Strikers … Elyaniv BARDA (Racing Genk / Belgium), Tal BEN HAIM II (FC Hapoel Petah Tikvah), Omer DAMARI (FC Hapoel Tel Aviv), Tomer HEMED (Real Mallorca / Spain), Ben SAHAR (AJ Auxerre / France)

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Ukraine national team trainer OLEG BLOKHIN (second from right), the celebrated, two-time Olympic medalist and 1975 European Player of the Year who remains forever the all-time leading marksman of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics having totaled 42 goals in 112 ‘full’ internationals, included eight of his own FC Dynamo Kiev players in the squad traveling to the Middle East to meet Israel.
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UKRAINE
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Goalkeepers … Andriy DYKAN (FC Spartak Moscow / Russia), Olexandr SHOVKOVSKIY (FC Dynamo Kiev)

Defenders … Bohdan BUTKO (FC Illychivets Mariupil), Yevhen KHACHERIDI (FC Dynamo Kiev), Olexander KUCHER (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Vitaly MANDZIUK (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Taras MIKHALIK (FC Dynamo Kiev), Yaroslav RAKITSKY (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Yevhen SELIN (FC Vorskla Poltava)

Midfielders … Olexandr ALIYEV (FC Dynamo Kiev), Denys GARMASH (FC Dynamo Kiev), Oleh GUSEV (FC Dynamo Kiev), Yevhen KONOPLYANKA (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Serhiy NAZARENKO (SC Tavriya Simferopol), Ruslan ROTAN (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Antoli TYMOSHCHUK (Bayern Munich / Germany), Andriy YARMOLENKO (FC Dynamo Kiev)

Strikers … Marko DEVIC (FC Metalist Kharkiv), Artem MILEVSKIY (FC Dynamo Kiev), Andriy VORONIN (FC Dynamo Moscow / Russia)

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Ukraine national team captain ANATOLI TYMOSHCHUK of Bayern Munich
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MATCH LINK:

http://www.lshunter.tv/football/live-streaming-video.html

ISRAEL v UKRAINE

Montreal ’76 : Brazil v Israel

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21-year-old defender EDINHO of FC Fluminese, who later went on to appear in the final tournaments of three FIFA World Cups, anchored the backline for the Brazilian Olympic XI in the quarterfinal match with Israel at the 1976 Summer Games in Canada.
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Despite being bolstered by two World Cup veterans at the 1976 Montreal Games, the Israelis were always the clear underdogs for the Olympic quarterfinal match with the youthful Brazilians at Varsity Stadium in Toronto. ISRAEL had neither won nor lost any of its three matches and still managed to finish second in Group B. BRAZIL, for whom the average age was just under twenty-one years old per player, had battled defending bronze medalist East Germany to a goalless draw before clipping a fairly-talented Spain in Group A.

The Olympic team of Brazil were trained by noted conditioning guru CLAUDIO COUTINHO, who had been the physical fitness coach for the 1970 FIFA World Cup champions including the legendary Pele, now with the New York Cosmos in the NASL, before guiding the national team of Peru as well as French club Olympique Marseille. Coutinho had been a captain in the Brazilian army specializing in physical training and, while in the United States in 1968, had met and was strongly influenced by Air Force Colonel Kenneth H. Cooper — a doctor of medicine who introduced the concept of Aerobics as well as the now-famous Cooper Test to the world. Coutinho was revolutionary in Brazil for his emphasis on physical fitness in a historically-powerful football nation that had traditionally always placed a premium on raw individual talent and was later a surprise selection when chosen to lead the 1978 World Cup team for Brazil.

Israel would suffer a bad break when 22-year-old midfielder MOSHE SCHWEITZER of FC Maccabi Tel Aviv, who had started all four contests for Olympic trainer DAVID SCHWEITZER at the 1976 Summer Games in Canada, had to come off in only the 26th minute of the match. Into the breach, then, stepped 21-year-old RIFAAT TURK, the first Arab-Israeli to ever appear at any international tournament. In spite of this, Israel and World Cup veteran goalkeeper YITZHAK VISSOKER of FC Hapoel Petah Tikvah were able to keep the skillful, if inexperienced, Brazilian youngsters off the scoreboard until the halftime whistle arrived.

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Brazil midfielder BATISTA (17) of Internacional Porto Alegre, who appeared in every contest for his country at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Canada, is confronted by Austria defender ERICH OBERMAYER (3) of FK Austria Vienna during the 1978 FIFA World Cup first round, Group 3 match at the Estadio Jose Maria Minella in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
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In fact, the Israelis held out for nearly an hour in front of the 18,601 spectators at Varsity Stadium before 18-year-old striker JARBAS of Rio de Janeiro’s CF America found the back of the net in the 56th minute and initiated a devastating, eighteen-minute blitz for Brazil. 19-year-old winger ERIVELTO of FC Fluminese scored a second goal in the 72nd minute to give Samba drums a good reason to beat even louder. JARBAS, for all intents and purposes, wrapped things up for the Brazilians with his second goal of the match just two minutes later.

Already ahead three to nil, Coutinho withdrew his first choice, the 20-year-old CARLOS of AA Ponte Preta, and installed 21-year-old reserve goalkeeper ZE CARLOS of FR Botafogo in the 77th minute. Almost immediately thereafter, though, Israel striker VICKY PERETZ, the 23-year-old from FC Maccabi Tel Aviv who later played three seasons in France, greeted the new netminder by pulling a goal back for national pride in the 80th minute. The Brazilians added another, though, when would-be two-time World Cup midfielder JUNIOR, the 22-year-old from CR Flamengo who went on to earn 70 caps for Brazil in his career, fired a last goal just two minutes from full time in Toronto.

The convincing 4-1 defeat of Israel by the talented youngsters from Brazil brought about another interesting international re-match for the semifinals of the ’76 Summer Olympic Games, this particular one being from the 1974 FIFA World Cup 3rd Place contest …

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Brazil midfielder JUNIOR (6) of CR Flamengo, who later spent five seasons in Serie A with FC Torino and Pescara, gives chase to prolific Italy striker PAOLO ROSSI of FC Juventus Turin during the pivotal 1982 FIFA World Cup second round, Group C match at the old Estadio de Sarria in Barcelona, Spain.

Montreal ’76 : Games of Group B

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Italy midfielder MARCO TARDELLI of FC Juventus Turin stretches out his leg in an attempt to tackle the ball away from his future colleague in Serie A, the talented but still 22-year-old midfielder MICHEL PLATINI of AS Nancy, during the 1978 FIFA World Cup first round, Group 1 match at the Estadio Jose Maria Minella in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
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The B group was the only one of the four at the football tournament to have remained unaffected by the African boycott of the 1976 Summer Olympics and, as a result, provided, perhaps, the most entertaining race for the quarterfinal spots at the Montreal Games.

In the opening round, ISRAEL and surprising GUATEMALA played to a goalless draw at the Varsity Stadium in Toronto. Perhaps the Israelis, fortified by two players from the 1970 FIFA World Cup team, should have done better. FRANCE, on the other hand, had little trouble in their match with MEXICO at Lansdowne Park in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa.

JEAN-MARC SCHAER, a 23-year-old back-up forward from beaten 1976 European Cup of Champions finalist AS St. Etienne, gave the French a good start almost a quarter of an hour in before FC Nantes forward BRUNO BARONCHELLI, who was later capped six times and scored one goal for France, bagged a second roughly twenty minutes thereafter. 22-year-old midfielder FRANCISCO “Paco” RUBIO of AS Nancy put the result beyond doubt with a third strike for France in the 78th minute before Mexico’s 17-year-old, would-be World Cup star HUGO SANCHEZ salvaged some pride with a little less than ten minutes to go. A last minute goal from FC Nantes winger LOIC AMISSE, who went on to make a dozen ‘full’ appearances and score two goals for the French national team, left the Mexicans to lament a heavy 4-1 loss.

France rolled to another 4-1 victory in their next contest against Guatemala at the little Municipal Stadium in Sherbrooke as 21-year-old midfielder MICHEL PLATINI of AS Nancy announced his arrival on the Olympic stage by scoring the first and last goals of the game. Amisse and Schaer sandwiched a second goal at the ’76 Olympic Games each around the tally of 29-year-old Guatemala striker MARCO FION of FC Aurora just before the hour mark. This, however, would be the only goal the Guatemalans could manage to score by all by themselves for the entire tournament.

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AVI COHEN of FC Maccabi Tel Aviv
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The Mexicans, meanwhile, recovered in their second match to score twice unanswered in the first half against Israel at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal through 19-year-old striker VICTOR RANGEL of CD Guadalajara. The Israelis, however, would mount a rally of their own six minutes into the second half starting with a goal from midfielder YARON OZ of FC Maccabi Tel Aviv. A second strike from the penalty spot four minutes later by World Cup veteran ITZHAK SHUM of FC Hapoel Kfar Saba saw to it that the points would be shared.

In a match it desperately needed to win, preferably by a large margin, as well, Mexico made a horrendous start against its tiny Central American neighbor to the south, Guatemala. An own goal conceded just eighteen minutes into the game really left the Mexicans behind the proverbial eight-ball at the Municipal Stadium in Sherbrooke. An equalizer from Rangel, who later went on to score a goal for his country at the 1978 FIFA World Cup final tournament in Argentina, and the 1-1 result left Mexico no other option but to hope for a huge loss by Israel in their final group match with France at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

But Israel were able to stop the potent French attack in its tracks and even took a 75th minute lead courtesy of FC Maccabi Tel Aviv striker VICKY PERETZ, who later spent three productive seasons in French football with Racing Club Strasbourg and Stade Rennes. Platini, who went on to pick up three consecutive European Player of the Year awards while winning the 1984 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and 1985 UEFA European Cup of Champions with crack Italian Serie A side FC Juventus of Turin, pulled France level with ten minutes remaining. But a single point earned in front of the largest audience (33,639) to witness a match in the first round of the ’76 Summer Games was more than enough to provide Israel with passage to the Olympic quarterfinals.

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Mexico striker HUGO SANCHEZ of Pumas de la UNAM, who later spent two summers out on loan in the North American Soccer League and scored 13 goals in 19 NASL games for the San Diego Sockers in that time, seeks top dribble away from El Salvador defenders during the CONCACAF Championships (a qualification tournament for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina) match at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on October 12, 1977.
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1976 Summer Olympic Games
First Round, Group B

7/19 ….. 9,500 .. Varsity Stadium, Toronto …………… Israel 0 – Guatemala 0
7/19 … 14,286 … Lansdowne Park, Ottawa …………….. France 4 – Mexico 1
7/21 ….. 3,163 … Municipal Stadium, Sherbrooke ….. France 4 – Guatemala 1
7/21 … 28,124 … Olympic Stadium, Montreal ………… Mexico 2 – Israel 2
7/23 ….. 4,118 … Municipal Stadium, Sherbrooke ….. Guatemala 1 – Mexico 1
7/23 … 33,639 … Olympic Stadium, Montreal ………… Israel 1 – France 1

Montreal ’76 : Israelis Eager To Engage

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Israel midfielder/defender AVI COHEN, who later spent two trail-blazing seasons in England with FC Liverpool and had another in Scotland with Glasgow Rangers later on in the 1980s, made his international debut at the football tournament of the 1976 Summer Olympic Games hosted by Montreal in Canada.
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After having lost only at the quarterfinal stage on the unfortunate flip of a coin at the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City, the Olympic football squad of ISRAEL was unterstandably most eager to test its mettle at the 1976 edition in Montreal.

Two veterans of the impressive 1970 FIFA World Cup squad were on hand to provide experience, leadership as well as skill. Soviet-born ITZHAK SHUM of FC Hapoel Kfar Saba had been a member of the ’68 Olympic squad and ultimately earned 62 ‘full’ caps and scored seven goals for Israel in his career. Meanwhile, 31-year-old goalkeeper YITZHAK VISSOKER of FC Hapoel Petah Tikvah had distinguished himself at the 1970 World Cup had gave the Israelis an important asset between the sticks in Canada.

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Five players from would-be 1977 Israeli domestic champion FC Maccabi Tel Aviv were regulars at the 1976 Summer Olympics for national team trainer DAVID SCHWEITZER including a pair of promising youngsters who would graduate to the top professional ranks in Europe. 19-year-old defender AVI COHEN, who would be selected 59 times and later skipper Israel, generated considerable attention when signed by contemporary English powerhouse FC Liverpool in the summer of 1979. One year later, 23-year-old striker VICKY PERETZ followed in the footsteps of Israel World Cup midfielder GIORA SPIEGEL and joined Racing Club Strasbourg for a pair of seasons.

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Israel international striker VICKY PERETZ of second division side Stade Rennes (right) scored 17 goals in 33 games during the 1982-83 campaign in what proved to be the 30-year-old’s last term in French football; Peretz had finished among the top dozen scorers in the first division in both of his seasons with Racing Club Strasbourg, for whom he totaled 27 goals on 71 appearances, previously.
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Partnering Peretz in the attack was 24-year-old striker GIDEON DAMTI of FC Shimshon Tel Aviv, already well on his way to scoring 17 goals from his 55 international appearances for Israel. 23-year-old striker EHUD BEN TOVIM of FC Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv, who was capped exactly twice in his career, would be the only one of fifteen field players in the Israeli Olympic squad to not appear in a match at the ’76 Montreal Games. In the summer of 1978, Tovim would again cross the Atlantic Ocean to sign with the Oakland Stompers of the North American Soccer League and join one-time Borussia Moenchengladbach sweeper SHMUEL ROSENTHAL, the veteran of Israel’s 1968 Olympic Games and 1970 World Cup squads.

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21-year-old RIFAAT “Jimmy” TURK of FC Hapoel Tel Aviv did get in two games at the 1976 Summer Olympics and, in doing so, became the first Arab-Israeli to appear in competition for the national football team of Israel; the midfielder later went on to total 30 caps and three goals over the course of his career.