Fixed, 28.5 (Sport 1)
The Israeli national under-20 team reached the eighth of the World Cup finals tonight (between Saturday and Sunday) in the most dramatic way possible. Ofir Haim's team was already behind Japan, had ten players and knew it needed a turnaround to go up, and after an equalizing goal by Roy Nawi in the 76th minute, Omer Senior made it 1-2 in the 92nd minute.
Following the victory, Israel moved past Japan and finished second at home, which set up a meeting in the eighth final against another Asian opponent - Uzbekistan. The national team's coach, Ofir Haim, was interviewed this evening by 103FM and digested the wonderful achievement of Israeli football in its debut at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
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"The truth is, we started the game badly, we didn't play smart, it happened to us against Senegal as well," admitted Ofir Haim, "In ten players, beyond the great belief, we played smarter, the players were in the right positions and came out under good pressure. Japan didn't lack physical fitness, they just got nervous and went backwards and that was in their way. We took advantage of that and took the jackpot."
Was the team lucky? Asked by the coach, he replied: "I tell the players that luck is when readiness meets opportunity. You have to be prepared for these moments, things don't happen by chance. There are players here who haven't played enough this year, I said they have to play more. You have to believe in the youngsters, there are good players here. The pace is no less high than Premier League season games. There are players here who can fit into the Premier League, just let them and they will take it with both hands."
A huge achievement. Ofir Haim celebrates with the national team (Photo by Getty Images, ANDRES LARROVERE/AFP)
Haim was also asked about the issue of naturalization in the senior team, with Enric Savorit likely to join Miguel Vitor who has already naturalized: "It happens in a lot of places in the world. From Miguel Vitor there is only something to learn, he can only add. Being next to him every second is a net gain for the Israeli player. You don't take every player."
According to the coach, the main problem with the transition between young and adult ages is that "when they go up to the seniors, most of them don't get a chance. These are two – three critical years for the Israeli player. I think we're headed for a change. A lot of players already played last year at the senior level, the belief in the Israeli player has returned. You don't have to wait until you're 21 or 23 to say that an actor is mature, you can also at 17 or 18. Filling in the blanks of this important year takes time. They need to play regularly and not one tournament."
"Not just talent, he's a true leader." Madmon (Photo by Getty Images, Eurasia Sport Images)
The coach was praised by team captain Eli Madmon, who rarely played this year on loan from Hapoel Be'er Sheva to Beitar Jerusalem: "A lot of eyebrows were raised regarding his call-up. There are players who are unique, it's not just talent, he's a leader, a real captain. In the most difficult moments, in ten players when there was no air in his lungs, he was all over the field navigating the game. Omar Senior too - I preferred another player but I'm not ashamed to admit a mistake. In training he was excellent and got an opportunity."
Haim also addressed his professional future personally: "I no longer coach youth, I don't look at them as children. Maybe they call this team the youth team, but as far as I'm concerned, they're senior players. I enjoy it so much here, to promote the Israeli footballer and reach such heights is a great joy. As a coach I want to go as far as I can, it could be in a big team in Israel. I won't leave the national team to shuffle, I want to get to the top."
- sport
- Israeli football
- Israeli national teams
Tags
- Ofir Haim
- Youth team