The Israeli team arrived in Albania, after the home draw against Iceland, in a game that had a lot of good things and two impressive debuts, to try to change the dismal foreign balance against teams at our level and above.
In fact, the team's last significant away win was against the same Albania, five and a half years ago in the era of Elisha Lou, when we took advantage of 2 red cards from the locals until the 55th minute (Djimsti and Brisha, who also played yesterday), to defeat them 0: 3.
Alon Hazan, continued to play in an offensive lineup of 4: 3: 3, with two fast defenders who excel offensively, making two changes in the lineup in relation to the game in Sami Ofer.
Mahmoud Jaber, the breakthrough of the season from Maccabi Haifa, replaced his teammate, Muhammad Abu Fani, and Sean Weissman in the link, entering the position of 9th striker instead of Moanes Dabour.
The Albanians started with a set of 3 brakes and two strikers, the most prominent of whom is Armando Broya (born in 2001, like Liel Abada), a striker who belongs to Chelsea and had a great season at Southampton.
Manor Solomon celebrates against Albania, last night, Photo: Reuters
So get three things you can take from the team's last game:
1. Hazan's youth revolution gives a lot of hope and shows how important it is for a football coach to go through young teams, because this process he goes through (beyond the possibility of learning from mistakes in a less stressful position), gives him the faith and understanding that credit can be given to the player. For his age or experience.
Half of the fielders who started yesterday are aged 23 and under.
Solomon (99), Jaber (99) (great debut in the lineup, despite the penalty), Kartsev (00), Abada (01), Leidner (02).
Add to them Peretz, Goldberg Weissman, all three at the peak of their careers, a youth team that advanced to the European Championships and a young team that advanced to the playoffs, and you will have many reasons for optimism about the future.
cantor.
The head is already in Iceland,
Manor Solomon - The team came to this tournament without its biggest star, Eran Zehavi and when the most talented player in the new generation, Manor Solomon, did not play in an official frame for six months and it is currently unclear where he will be next season.
There were concerns that Solomon would not get in shape, that he might have a hard time completing 90 minutes and that he would be a little rusty in actions with the ball.
So fears aside and reality aside.
The fact that Solomon will finally be in charge of the team in his natural role, left wing, and behind him a defensive game with tremendous offensive capabilities, made the left wing of the team such that any team that plays in the future against Israel will mark his closure as a key to victory.
The left wing of the Israeli team provided all four goals of Hazan's team (Leidner two assists, Manor two goals and a brace).
Yesterday, Solomon's first goal is exactly what this wing can give in the aisles against high-ranking teams.
If Manor continues to show this ability, the team has a lot of reasons for optimism, because in terms of talent, Manor is a talent that grows here once in a generation.
Israel's national team.
Everyone works for everyone, Photo: EP
3. Open-minded coach - One of the problems we had in the previous tournament under Willie Rothsteiner was the management of the game and the coach's reactions to the changes (or more precisely, the lack of reactions).
Rothsteiner prepared the team great for most of the games, but when the team got into trouble, or alternatively the opposing team would change lineup or tactics, he had no plan B and there was also a feeling that the exchanges were pre-planned regardless of what was happening on the field.
In Hazan, a second game in a row, we see the complete opposite.
Against Iceland, Hazan twice changed the lineup and made offensive exchanges that brought equality and almost victory.
Against Albania he responded great to the game in the half when he took out the yellowed Kartzev, put in Spori, put down Peretz and changed structure in the link (moved to a single back link).
Beyond the offensive message, Hazan also knew that we would go further and he could not have the connection he plays before the brakes with yellow.
And this time, too, the exchanges proved themselves and were a big part of the turnaround in the second half.
Solomon.
Great duo and game, Photo: EP
Now the face of the game against Iceland, when Alon Hazan and Yossi Benyon know very well that a good result in Reykjavik, can bring us very close to the home presidency.
The game in Iceland will not be easy, certainly if we take into account that the Icelanders have rested and we are coming after a significant physical and mental effort.
But the good attitude of the team and the players, the balanced staff and the good signs we saw even after the draw at home against the Icelanders, give a lot of reasons for optimism.
Our team deserves to end this game session with a smile, because there is a feeling that something new and good is starting now and they do not deserve to end the games with a sour feeling.
Were we wrong?
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