Experience or talent: the decision of the young team will be put to the test tonight in Ireland

The 2023 qualifying campaign was characterized by teamwork and a cohesive group, but it was in Money Time that Guy Luzon made a revolution and - gave up some of the "veterans" in favor of the youth stars - and of course Oscar Gloch was in the spotlight.

The team is optimistic: "If we qualify for the Euros, we can do something there that we haven't done before"

Shlomo Weiss

09/23/2022

Friday, September 23, 2022, 3:30 p.m. Updated: 3:32 p.m.

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The young team is preparing for the game against Ireland (The Football Association)

At the first gathering of the young team ahead of the Euro 2023 qualifying campaign, the coach at the time, Alon Hazan, surprised the players and made it clear to them: "There are big teams here like Germany and Poland, but I believe in you, we are at the level of each of these teams and we will prove it in this campaign."

It is doubtful whether the players themselves, who were unknown in those days, really believed their coach's motivational speech, or whether they thought he was just trying to spur them on.

Either way, on the grass, the young team proved that Hazan was not wrong, not even a little bit.

The coach who realized that the Germans and the Poles have more experienced and better known players made a decision to follow a different line, and that is to build a team that will run together with minor changes.

The coordination and the dressing room were supposed to atone for the talent and experience.

Names like Usher Davida, Gil Cohen, Maor Levy, Tamir Glazer, Stav Nachmani and others may not have been known to the general public, but together they managed to create a team that made it difficult for any opponent.

"The team's secret was the locker room," states one of the players in the young team.

"It was clear to us that together it would be difficult for everyone to beat us."

Until a few months ago, the young team looked different.

David (Photo: Kobi Eliyahu)

Indeed, throughout the entire campaign, Hazan's team threatened first place and recorded a tremendous campaign, leaving the strong Polish team and the promising Hungarian team out of the Euro picture and qualifying for the playoffs against Ireland - thanks to the same dressing room, according to the players.

So, for example, when Liel Abde came to play with the young team ahead of the match against Germany, he immediately entered the dressing room and realized that there were no stars.

A Celtic player asked to receive the number 10 shirt, and Maor Levy responded positively immediately.

"There is no ego in this team," states a member of the team.

"It was really about a group that has all been together for many years, playing against each other since childhood and knowing each other. It was fun to watch it from the sidelines."

If until today it is teamwork that has brought the team to success, then the current coach Guy Luzon who replaced Hazan decided to go for a line change in the playoffs.

This time talent was a decisive consideration in the call-ups for the pair of meetings against Ireland and the young woman went through a kind of revolution, with the stars of the youth team that finished just a few months ago as European runners-up are the ones who have to complete the task and march Israel to Euro 2023. While players like Nadav Nidam, captain Or Belorian, Maor Levy, Tamir Glazer, Ilai Almakais and others found themselves out of the pair of meetings, rather very young players such as Idan Tokolmati, El Yam Kanzpolski, Tai Abed and others were invited and will have to set the tone.

Above all, of course, the rising star of Israeli football - Oskar Gloch.

"There is no doubt that a lot is placed on Oscar's shoulders," states an official in the association.

"There is a strong and amazing generation and it is natural that they will be invited to such important games."

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All eyes on him.

Gloch (Photo: The Football Association)

In the last few days, the team also worked on formation, but it was obvious to players such as Daniel Peretz, Usher David, Gil Cohen and the others that they were missing the other friends who made the journey with them and the inside jokes that so characterized the campaign were hardly heard.

However, even among the "veterans" you can tell that the young players are trying to integrate and it is a very good group, not only on the field but also in the dressing room.

"At the end of the day, the youngsters are excellent players and also good kids. It is true that there is no formation like there was, because it is impossible to create it in a few days, but everyone is motivated towards the goal which is Euro 2023", explained one of the "veteran" players.

"If we do do that, for the Euro itself, all the players, the older and the younger, will be united and we will be a cohesive and cohesive group again. There is a really good generation here, one that can not only qualify for the Euros, but make an achievement there that we have not done before."

• sport

• Israeli soccer

• Israel national teams

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• The young team

• Guy Luzon