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22-year-old Israel defender RAMI GERSHON (5), who is out on loan for the season to Belgian club KV Kortrijk from fellow Jupiler League side Standard Liege, races after Iceland striker KOLBEINN SIGTHORSSON (11) of Dutch Eredisivie team AZ 67 Alkmaar at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv. (Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images)
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International Friendly
November 17, 2010
3 – ISRAEL ——————— Damari 6′, 14′, Rafelov 27′
2 – ICELAND —————— Finnbogason 78′, Sigthorsson 84′
“The score was 2-0 for Israel after only 13 minutes and then they scored a third goal in the 27th minute, so it looked pretty bad,” said Iceland national team manager OLAFUR JOHANNESSON to the country’s newspaper with the largest circulation, FRETTABLADID, after the match. “But we managed to strike back in the second half and save face.”
21-year-old striker OMER DAMARI of Maccabi Petah Tikva justified the faith shown by Israel’s French manager LUIS FERNANDEZ and scored two goals against Iceland within the first fifteen minutes of his first senior international.
Fernandez, as all savvy national team managers do, used the occasion of Israel’s friendly international with the visiting islanders from the North Atlantic Ocean to give valuable match time to several younger players.
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23-year-old Israel defender YUVAL SHPUNGIN of Cypriot side AC Omonia Nicosia looks back as Israel goalkeeper and national team captain DUDU AOUATE of Spanish club Real Mallorca reaches for the ball in front of Iceland’s aging veteran defender HERMANN HREIDARSSON (7) of English Football League Championship (second division) outfit FC Portsmouth at the Bloomfield Stadium. (Tara Todras-Whitehill/AP)
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24-year-old midfielder LIOR RAFAELOV of FC Maccabi Tel Aviv added his second career goal for Israel on his eighth international apperance with a smooth finish to a sharp pass and put the hosts ahead 3-0 before the first half hour had even been played against Iceland.
21-year-old Iceland striker ALFRED FINNBOGASON, who just recently signed on with KSC Lokeren in Belgium, broke the shutout bid of Israel national team captain DUDU AOUATE of Spanish La Liga side Real Mallorca with a long range drive in the 78th minute; perhaps a bit of a soft goal late then from the normally-reliable 33-year-old veteran Aouate, on his 56th appearance for his country.
20-year-old striker KOLBEINN SIGTHORSSON, who has scored three goals in 13 Eredivise games for Dutch club AZ 67 Alkmaar this season, finished off a fast break for Iceland late to leave behind a deceiving scoreline in the Middle East.
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After stealing the ball from Iceland’s 36-year-old national team captain HERMANN HREIDARSSON (7) of English side FC Portsmouth, 21-year-old Israel debutant striker OMER DAMARI (22) of Maccabi Petah Tikva shoots past the outstretched hand of diving Iceland goalkeeper GUNNLEIFUR GUNNLEIFSSON from FH Hafnarfjorour to score his second goal at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv. (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Classic UCLA Bruins Rediscovered 