For the first time at the FIFA U-20 World Championship, a press conference was held before an Israeli national team game. It happened at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in La Plata, where the semi-final against Uruguay will be held, and there was no place to insert a pin. Israeli and Uruguayan journalists crowded into the media room, questions were directed at Ofir Haim and Stav Lemkin, and the tension was evident. Up until this point, the encounter with the national team was very personal and limited, but it is quite clear that what happened will no longer be. Now it's manic time.
Special report ahead of the World Cup semi-finals
Media interest surrounding the semi-final reached new heights after the victory over Brazil. Convoys of media personnel arrived from Israel, family members joined and tickets to the game were almost impossible to obtain. The team's practice took place behind closed doors, and outside there were dozens of people waiting who just wanted to hear the voices of the guys in blue and white.
According to the national team, the number of interviews conducted by the players and staff in recent days is unprecedented, even in terms of the senior team. A good word should be said about the accessibility and openness of everyone - from Ofir Haim to the last of the players - but now the entire focus is on the semi-final against Uruguay. "It's one of the most important moments of my career so far," admitted defender Stav Lemkin, "but we don't look at the win over Brazil anymore. We're in the semi-finals, it's our most important game so far and we're looking forward to this game."
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Uruguay is a serious obstacle in several respects. This is a very strong team, which finished second in the South American Championship behind Brazil, and which suffered only from England in this tournament. Professionally, the team prepares for a tough and aggressive game, but makes sure to make it clear that this will not be an excuse. "Uruguay is a football powerhouse," Haim declared, "but we are not going to give up. We're coming to the final. I won't lose a few things: willpower, determination and sacrifice."
"We will make everyone happy"
Another issue is audience support. The Israeli Mochilleros and members of the Jewish community are making great efforts to bring as many people as possible, but to Uruguay it will be much easier. They can arrive in an hour and a half and, according to Uruguayan journalists, are expected to be accompanied by about 8,000 fans. "We are very happy to receive this support and love," said Fabricio Diaz, one of the stars of the South American team. "It gives us a lot of strength to look into the stands and see people pushing us. We will do everything to give them back."
Shibli. Gives a lot of credit to Ofir Haim, Photo: AP
However, Uruguayans also have some problems. A plague of injuries and the suspension of one of the stars left their squad with only four substitute midfielders, so much so that they tried to register a substitute goalkeeper as a midfielder and were refused by FIFA. Another issue to consider - and this concerns both teams - is the state of the pitch in La Plata. This stadium is not used by any team in normal times, and the number of games played there in recent days has severely affected the grass surface, which looks very bad.
White Blue celebrations, Photo: Reuters
Ofir Haim managed to make an impression round before the press conference, and his impressions were very clear: "The grass is not good, but we will have to manage with what we have." In general, the element of faith was once again evident yesterday. Coach and Lemkin showed great confidence in front of the Uruguayan media. "I want to thank all the people, families and travelers who come to push us, it makes us very happy," he said. "I think if they keep coming and pushing us, we'll make sure to make everyone happy."
Ofir Haim at the press conference, yesterday, photo: Dor Hoffman
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The day before the game was unlike any other day so far in this tournament. The coverage was different, the level of interest was extreme, the tension was felt and the excitement was shared by everyone – Israelis and Uruguayans alike. These two teams have never won the title, and unlike Uruguay, which has already been to the finals twice, the Israeli national team has the opportunity to add more history to the history it has already made. "We believe in ourselves," Haim concluded, "we come to win the game."
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