Watch the recap: The youth team beat Japan 1-2 to advance to the World Cup
goalkeeper
Tomer Sarfati (19.5), Maccabi Netanya, was born in Pardes Hanna-Karkur,
was born on 16.10.2003, and grew up in the youth department of M.S. Pardes Hanna-Karkur
. He also played in the youth departments of Hapoel Hadera, Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Be'er Sheva, until arriving in the 2021 season in the youth team of Maccabi Netanya. He was a very important cog in the youth team, which reached the final of the Euros in 2022, despite not starting the first game of that championship, entering the goal in the second game of the group stage and becoming the first goalkeeper until the end of the championship. This season Sarfati played mainly for Netanya's youth team, but in February 2023, he signed an adult contract for three more seasons at Maccabi Netanya and there is tremendous appreciation for his ability at the club. Netanya believes that with hard work and continuity from the national teams, Sarfati could also become the first goalkeeper of the senior team in the coming years.
Starring in the Mondialito. Tomer Sarfati (Photo: Reuters)
Defense
Eli Feingold (18.5), Maccabi Haifa (youth), born in Netanya
The right-back of the Israeli national team burst into prominence at the youth Euros last summer, but Maccabi Haifa decided that it would be right for him to continue in the club's youth team and not to play in the senior team yet. Feingold grew up in Maccabi Netanya and at the age of 15 moved to Hapoel Ra'anana's youth department. A year later, Maccabi Haifa got their hands on the talented defender and signed him at the club. This year, Feingold played in the youth team, but next season he is expected to play in the National League for Hapoel Afula, which has a cooperation with the Green Club. Feingold will replace another Maccabi Haifa youngster, Roy Elimelech, who will return to the Israeli champions' senior squad. Haifa believes that the two will man the right-back position in the coming years in the champions' uniform.
Roy Revivo (20), Hapoel Jerusalem, was born in Tel Aviv, grew up in Ashdod
Revivo, the son of legendary former player, Haim Revivo, played this season on loan at Hapoel Jerusalem and is expected to return next season to his club Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he grew up. From the age of eight, he began playing in Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth team and went through all the club's youth teams, including two years in the youth team of the Yellows. On 22.8.21, he made his debut for Maccabi Tel Aviv's senior team, in a Toto Cup match against Hapoel Jerusalem. Last January, he was loaned to Hapoel Jerusalem and became one of the key players in Ziv Arie's team, making 16 appearances for the red team from the capital.
Since 2012, he has been part of the youth team and was also a key part of the team that finished as runners-up at the European Under-19 Championship last year. In the current World Cup as well, he plays regularly in the national team and the professional team believes that if he continues with the ability he demonstrates, his path to the first team in Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Israeli senior team is paved with safety.
Or Israelov and Stav Lemkin (Photo by Getty Images, LUIS ROBAYO/AFP)
Stav Lemkin (20), Hapoel Tel Aviv, was born in Tel Aviv
last season, even before the European Youth Championship, Kobi Refuah threw Lemkin into the cold water and he fit in well. After his debut, Medicine said: "He will start in the lineup until the end of the season." The European Championships in the summer added points but also raised the bar of expectations.
Lemkin started the season knowing that he was supposed to serve as a backup to foreign defender Eddie Gottlieb at Hapoel Tel Aviv, but the Reds' season went through so many changes that he ended it alongside Or Israelov as the team's senior duo, including in the remaining game against Kiryat Shmona.
Lemkin endured a difficult season, as befits the Hapoel Tel Aviv defense, which frequently switched from four to five defenders, he was a central defender, a right defender, a right defender and found it difficult to maintain stability. It is not certain that in the Reds' work plan for next season he will be a player of the line-up, but he is certainly part of the pillars of their future. As for the national team, you could see the character that led to a 0-1 deficit in ten players, the push forward, the joining, and the involvement in Omar Senior's goal. A player that Ofir Haim can trust.
Or Israelov, 18.5, was born in Shoham At the age of 11, Or Israelov moved from Maccabi Shoham
to Hapoel Tel Aviv. At first he played as a striker, but today he is a defender for the national under-20 team and one of the best defenders for his age in Israel. He is tall, has a natural left foot and is endowed with high technique, thanks to the first few years of playing in the attacking front on the field. Israelov was a full partner in the youth team that reached the final of the European Championship held in Slovakia a year ago and is now one of coach Ofir Haim's bunkers in the under-20 team. Israelov has already played in quite a few senior games for Hapoel Tel Aviv and recently signed a five-year contract with the Red Club. He is also scheduled to be in the under-21 squad that will play in about a month at the European Junior Team Championship.
From the anchors of the national team. Eli Madmon (Photo by Getty Images, Eurasia Sport Images)
Link
Ran Binyamin (19), Hapoel Tel Aviv, was born in Be'er Sheva and now lives in Omer
Ran Binyamin started playing football at Hapoel Be'er Sheva, but left at a very young age for M.S. Ashdod. He was ambitious and felt he deserved more credit, so 3 years ago he moved to Hapoel Tel Aviv, in the media he was fully appreciated. He is not lazy and has been making the journey from Omer in the south to south Tel Aviv for quite some time. In this team he did not take a stake in the lineup and in the last game against Japan he was even sent off with a second yellow card, but Ofir Haim sees him as one of the most versatile players in the squad. Benjamin covers about 12 kilometers per game and is considered a very mobile player. One who knows how to be both aggressive and elegant.
Roy Nawi (19), Maccabi Tel Aviv, was born in Or Yehuda
as the back midfielder of Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth team. Although he has not started any games so far, he sealed one of the team's most important goals when he equalized against Japan on the way to the big win. Nawi manages from the back position in midfield to score quite a bit and last season even finished as Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth top scorer with ten goals. He grew up in Or Yehuda and played for the local children's team, but for 9 years he has been with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He did not gain recognition in Israel's youth teams, but in the youth team he has already become a regular player. Nawi's family is by his side in Argentina. Mom, Dad and three older brothers spent their best money and went to accompany him to the big tournament. They received their reward in the last game with the goal scored by the midfielder, who will try to make his way into the senior squad at Maccabi Tel Aviv next season.
Eli Madmon (20), Hapoel Be'er Sheva, was born in Ein HaBesor
When he was only 17 years old, Eli Madmon was promoted to Hapoel Be'er Sheva's senior squad during the COVID-21 season and was immediately marked as one of the team's rising talents from the Negev. He played 2021 games in his first two years with the club, also participating in the group stage of the Irfoy League, but did not really find his place. In the summer of 21, he was loaned to Bnei Yehuda of the National League, scored two goals and returned to Hapoel Be'er Sheva at the end of the season. Last summer he was one of the most significant players in the youth team that won second place in the European Championship, having previously played for both the boys B team and the boys team. At the beginning of the current season he was loaned to Beitar Jerusalem, played <> games for the cup winners and scored one goal.
Ahmed Salman (Photo by Getty Images, LUIS ROBAYO/AFP)
El Yam Kanzpolsky (19.5), Hapoel Tel Aviv, was born in Hawaii, USA
After the performance with the youth team at the European Championship last summer, expectations for El Yam Kanzpolsky at the beginning of the current season were sky-high, the fans of Hapoel Tel Aviv, who waited many weeks for him to sign a new contract, were sure that there was a new owner in the middle, a leader and a symbol who would lead in the coming years.
In practice, Kanzpolsky found it difficult to occupy a permanent place in the lineup, suffered from ups and downs, lost credit mainly due to quite a few ball losses in the center of the field. At the same time, his talent was well recorded in the ledger of Gal Alberman and Maccabi Haifa, which offered NIS 4 million for his move in January, the Nisanovs saw it as an option to close a deficit, the Americans refused and the midfielder remained red.
The direction at Hapoel Tel Aviv is to add a quality foreign midfielder in the number 6 position, which will again make Kanzepolski a replacement at best, but the pressure that has come off him this season and the more realistic level of expectations, are also his chance to start a healthy process of entering the seniors. In the national team he has always been an important cog, far beyond the professional, his personality is very mature and strong for his age and therefore Ofir Haim also uses him to convey the right messages to the players.
Ahmed Salman (19) Maccabi Netanya, East Jerusalem played in the youth department of Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem and after merging with Hapoel Jerusalem
, joined the senior team. He was marked as a great talent at a young age and in January of the season, Maccabi Netanya, which had been following him since the beginning of the season, acquired him and signed him to a long-term contract for five seasons. Salman was purchased for NIS 20 million, with Jerusalem holding 2022 percent of his ticket and receiving the prorated sum in case the player is sold later. Salman was part of the youth team that won the runners-up at the Euro <> and was a key cog in the Israeli team, scoring against Serbia.
Just keep celebrating. Abed, Turgeman and Nawi (Photo: official website, from the official website of the Mondialito)
Thai Abed (18.5), PSV Eindhoven, born in Tel Aviv, went through a process similar to that of Omer Senior, grew up in Maccabi Tel Aviv, saw no future at the club, moved at the age of 15 to Hapoel Tel Aviv
, with a promise in advance from Omer Boxenbaum that if he received an offer from Europe until the age of 18, he would be released and be able to fulfill his European dream.
After two years in the red, at the age of 17, he took advantage of Boksa's promise and signed for PSV Eindhoven, where he hopes to make the successful transition from the youth team to the first team. Upon his move to Holland, Omer Boxenbaum described him as "one of the most talented players I've ever seen in youth departments, he is on the same line as Liel Abda".
Over the years, Abed has played in midfield and attacking roles, and he manages to adapt to the wishes of the coaches, worked in the European Youth Championship in the summer and there were even offers from the top teams to bring him back to Israel, but he chose to stay in Holland.Abed is the son of restaurateur Kobi Abed and brother of Match Abed, who participated in several reality shows with his wife Adele Bespalov.
Gaining demand. Dor Turgeman (Photo by Getty Images, Eurasia Sport Images)
Attack
Dor Turgeman, (19.5), Maccabi Tel Aviv, was born in Ashdod
Dor Turgeman, the striker of Maccabi Tel Aviv, is one of the most prominent players in the national team. He scored Israel's first World Cup goal in a loss to Colombia and was also involved in goals against Senegal and Japan. It is no coincidence that Benfica Lisbon wants to add him on loan with a purchase option to their reserve team in order for him to develop and play in the next few years in the prestigious team from Portugal. Turgeman grew up in Ashdod and stood out in all the children's and youth groups of M.S. Ashdod. At the age of 15 he moved freely to Maccabi Tel Aviv, which provided him with a taxi driver every day who took him from his home to the training facility in Kiryat Shalom and back to Ashdod. He was loaned last season from Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth team to Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam of the Israeli National League and played in the media when he was only 18 years old. This season he suffered from the dominance of strikers Eran Zahavi and Jorja Jovanovic and rarely received minutes from coaches Vladan Ivić and Aitor Karanka. Although he has many offers, he is expected to sign a new contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Anan Halailly (18.5), Maccabi Haifa, born in Sakhnin
Anan Halailly is one of the discoveries of the current tournament, especially in light of his ability in the game against Colombia. Halailly hopes to register more significant minutes in the knockout stages, but the fact that the player who was not part of the Junior Euros was given a place in the squad can make him and Maccabi Haifa happy. Halailly arrived at the age of 9 in Maccabi Haifa's youth department when he came from a family of sports and his father was even a goalkeeper in lower leagues. He then left and played for Neve Yosef, another team in Haifa for one season. He then returned to the green team as a teenager and signed his first professional contract last January. Halailly has already trained several times with the first team and even made one appearance for the first team, and now the debate is whether to transfer him to Hapoel Afula from HaLeumit, keep him in the squad or loan him to a team in the Premier League. The Greens are convinced that Halailly will be one of the most significant strikers in the coming seasons, and therefore the decision regarding him will be made by everyone in the system.
Promoted Israel to the final eight. Omar Senior (Photo by Getty Images, Football Association)
Ariel Lugasi (18), Maccabi Petah Tikva, born in Petah Tikva, the king of assists in the youth Euros last summer, established himself in Maccabi Petah Tikva's
senior team and is considered one of the most talented players in the current team. Lugasi grew up in Hapoel Petah Tikva but later crossed the street and moved to Maccabi Petah Tikva in the media now playing. Despite having an excellent tournament last summer, Lugasi failed to put up impressive numbers this season but the Luzons mark him as one of the club's biggest promises in the coming years and he is expected to be in the squad in the Premier League as well, of course. By the way, the winger's goal in the group stage of the UEFA Youth Euros was selected by a UEFA committee for third place in the goals of the tournament.
Omer Senior (20), Hapoel Tel Aviv, was born in Tel Aviv
, the striker who scored the goal in extra time that gave Ofir Haim and his pupils an appearance in the final eight. Senior grew up in Maccabi Tel Aviv, towards the age of 15 and at the stage when Otutu signed contracts in Kiryat Shalom, he read the map of difficulty in reaching Maccabi Tel Aviv's graduates and getting playing minutes and accepted an offer from Omer Boxenbaum and moved to the red side of the city.
Senior was part of the youth team last year until the European Championships, but was swept away a bit before it. Last season at Hapoel Tel Aviv Al was brilliant for him, starting only four games and coming on as a substitute in 19, one goal and one assist, but mostly conveyed a lack of confidence, partly through no fault of his own, the result of the professional chaos at Hapoel Tel Aviv with three coaches, a change of owners and the resignation of Omer Boxenbaum, the man who brought him to Khodorov.
Many look at the goal against Japan as a fit that erupts and Otutu gets underway, but for Senior it was a moment of joy after so long that things didn't come together. Hapoel Tel Aviv had the thought of loaning him out to play for the upcoming season, but this goal may make the Americans think otherwise.
Like a father to the actors. Ofir Haim (Photo: Reuters)
National team coach
Ofir Haim (48), born in Rishon LeZion
, a former footballer who grew up and played in Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth department, was entrusted as a striker and was one of the department's top scorers in the late 80s and early 90s.
In his senior career, Haim played for quite a few teams, including Ironi Rishon LeZion, Maccabi Jaffa, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Netanya and more, while also had a brief stint in Turkey, in the 2004 season, where he made several appearances for Istanbulspor of the First Division. Haim won the State Cup with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2005 season and also has two Toto Cup wins and the title of top scorer in the 2003/4 season.
He began his coaching career at the age of 37, on the lines of Hapoel Marmorek, and managed to coach Maccabi Jaffa, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Hapoel Afula and Hapoel Kfar Saba, among others. In the 2021 season, Ofir was appointed coach of the youth team, which he led to the Euro final in 2022, where the team finished as runners-up, after losing to England in the final.
Since Haim was appointed coach of the youth team, he has been marked as one of the most promising coaches in Israel and the national team calls him "the father of the players", due to his special connection with his young players.
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