Over the years, Israeli football has known mainly disappointments.
Disappointment is indeed a relative concept that depends on expectations, and many times these are unrelated to reality.
But when we look around and see that every few years a team arrives without an extensive football tradition, with a population of our size or even smaller, without economic or genetic resources, that still manages to do it - the question arises: when will we succeed in the only industry where an underdog is complete? Can win a definite favorite?
Since the beginning of the Austrian era in the Israeli team, the UEFA and FIFA lottery balls have tied us to the Scottish team.
Whether it's in the League of Nations, whether it's in the playoffs for promotion to Euro 2020, and whether it's now, in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Unfortunately, although the Scots did not show superiority, at all times the end result was disappointing for us.
The most painful moment was of course in Hampden Park, in the playoff semi-finals, when the Euro dream shattered on penalties, in a game where we were good.
The absolute superiority of the Danes and the disintegration of the Austrian team in the current tournament paved the way for Israel and Scotland directly to a ticket leading to the playoffs for promotion to the World Cup.
The game in Bloomfield in the first round was divided into two - a great first half of Israel, which took advantage of a comfortable set-up for the Scots (2: 1: 2: 5) and went down to half with a lead, and a second half under Scottish control, with Steve Clark moving to line 4 and not far from winning.
Saturday’s game will be doubly challenging.
Tactically, the Scottish line-up is comfortable for Israel, and its weaknesses in the center of defense and in the striker position also correspond well with our advantages.
But the fact that the crowd is back in full force - and in Scotland it has great significance (the atmosphere on the streets is great) - will give the Scots a big boost.
Our players will have to play smart to deal with the crowd push and know how to contain the pressure in our less good minutes, because this game will be tight and will be decided on the small actions.
After the 2: 5 over Austria.
There is hope, Photo: Alan Shiver,
Last Sunday, in Sami Ofer, we saw a crazy game, and I'm not talking about the level or the problematic display of the refereeing.
We saw a game that if it was played again 100 times from the moment BS left with ten players, in 99 of them it would not win.
All of us, fans of the Israeli team, have been waiting for years for an away game against a strong team that will end in a victory, contrary to what is happening on the field (maybe since France in 1993, but then it was a game for the record).
A game that after it ends we will not talk about the goalkeeper's mistake, the brake's miss or the striker's miss, but we will talk about the beams that were stable, the distances from the line of the brakes, the spell that Marciano cast on the goal - Our frame.
Maybe on Saturday night it will happen to us too.
And if not, there is always the next time, because the hope is here to stay.