The next generation of Israeli football was looking for good results this week.
Israel’s U21 national team arrived at the international break with a chance to get one step closer to the U21 European Championships next year. But it would be a tough task, as they host the two contenders for the top two berths, Poland and Germany.
Israel U21 national team, crucial days on the road to the European Championship (Nicole Liberman)
Israel v Poland: a close race
Thursday night was a rainy night. The Israeli’s were searching for the first goal, but Adrian Benedyczak found the net first in the 10th minute, giving Poland the lead.
Israel’s key player is Liel Abada. The Celtic youngster has enjoyed his best season so far this year, with nine goals and seven assists in 30 league matches. And he was clearly the right person to lead the fight back, equalising in the 50th minute.
For both teams, a draw wasn't good enough, and Israel took the lead with a long-range strike from Omri Gandelman in the 73rd minute. Five minutes later, Poland scored again, and it was Jakub Kamiński with the equalizer.
A 2-2 draw, in the end, made the match against Germany crucial.
Omri Gandelman, a long-range strike wasn’t enough for Israel (Nicole Liberman)
Israel v Germany: missed chances
From the start, things were different on Tuesday night. The weather had Middle Eastern vibes to it, kids crowded the stadium, cheering on their national team. One thing was missing though - the attacking attitude.
Israel lacked accuracy on the front line, barely managing to aim the target. There is a strong feeling that Israel are better than the Germans, but they just couldn't manage to show it on the pitch.
In the 60th minute, Noah Katterbach scored for the Germans. It proved to be the decisive moment. Israel kept at its objectively poor performance, and didn't really look like scoring.
The final score was 1-0 to Germany, but Israel got some good news at the end of the match. Poland drew against Hungary, 1-1, and, with Israel playing their last two games against weaker Latvia and San Marino sides, they’re in a good position.
Liel Abada, Celtic’s key player and the Israeli hope for the future (Eitan Dotan/IFA)
The squad is also completely different from what we’re used to seeing. Except for Abada, only two more players ply their trade abroad - Spezia’s Suf Podgoreanu, and Ilay Elmkies with Admira Wacker. All the others play regular football in Israel’s top tier, making them more experienced than the previous generation.
There’s hope for a brighter footballing future for Israel, and this squad are on a clear mission to reach the U21 Euros in 2023.
Edited by Alex Smith
Israel U21 national team, is it a beginning of a new era? (Nicole Liberman)
