Olim League review week twelve

Jerusalem’s Akiva Zniemer (left) posing with potential signing Carlos Mazzini

The latest round of Olim League action included a five-star performance from Jerusalem and Modiin scoring seven…

Jerusalem 2 Jaffa 1
Jerusalem won a tough battle between two of the inform sides in the league.

The hosts were depleted with a number of first team regulars sidelined through injury, including top scorer Zack Lewis, with Jaffa, the league’s hottest side, with four wins on the bounce, and unbeaten for over a month, knowing that a win would lift them to 2nd, after being bottom only a few weeks ago.

Historically games between the two have been tight affairs, and with both sides knowing that 1 goal would most likely win the game, chances were at a premium during the first half, with both sides mainly reduced to speculative long shots.

On 26 minutes, Jaffa thought they had taken a precious lead, when a good shot was tipped onto the bar before bouncing into the path of Sam Silverberg to tap in. The whistle came immediately, with Silverberg adjudged to have been in an offside position at the moment the initial shot was struck, thereby now becoming active.

A minute later, both sides could have been reduced to 10 men. With both sides going full throttle into challenges, a clash with Yosi Sandler leading in with two feet and Yoel Finches catching the Jaffa player late, could have ended with both injury and cards. Thankfully neither player were seriously hurt, and the ref decided to keep the cards in his pockets.

The first half petered out with a few more half chances, but the scoreline remained goalless at the interval. The second half continued in a similar vein with both defences on top.

In the 63rd minute, Jaffa felt hard done by a penalty shout that may have hit a Jerusalem defender’s arm in the box, but with many people in the area, and the ref being unsighted, nothing was given. That served a wakeup call and Jerusalem started getting on top of the game with a few decent chances.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 71st minute when Daniel Cohen hit the byline and cut the ball back into the path of Akiva Zneimer who passed the ball into the corner. 1-0 Jerusalem.

Jerusalem continued to have the slight edge, catching Jaffa on the counter, as they pushed up to try and force an equaliser. With 10 minutes to go, Daniel Cohen was rewarded for his constant hard work, as he was released and scored from a tight angle to make it 2-0.

The last 10 minutes saw Jaffa take the game to Jerusalem as they desperately tried to get back into the game. They almost halved the deficit in the 86th minute, only to be denied by an excellent save from Daniel Boerstra in the Jerusalem goal.

In the 88th minute, Jaffa were rewarded for their persistent never die attitude, as a well worked move was expertly finished by Adi Ginsberg, to leave a frantic last few minutes. Jerusalem held on for a hard earnt 3 points, that saw them leapfrog Jaffa in the table.

Jerusalem: Daniel Boerstra; Danny Sigal, Natan Wiesenberg, Dan Kosky, David Preston; Akiva Zneimer, Chaim Lev, Eyal Toledo, Yoel Finches; Daniel Cohen, Moishe Lewis
Subs: Lollu Hibbert, Yigal Grayeff, Calev Ben Dor

Goals: Akiva Zneimer, Daniel Cohen

Jaffa squad: Nir HaCohen, Sam Silverberg, Yosi Sandler, Sam Rudick, Simon Berkley, Benjy Gilbert, Tomer Schwartz, Gilad Becker, Josh Silverberg, Ben Aboudi, Rani Madmon, Adi Ginsberg, Nir Madmon, Aviram Sheetrit

Goal: Adi Ginsberg
Man of the match: Daniel Cohen (Jerusalem)

England 3 Real Jerusalem 2
A late goal from Roy Bihi Zenou, set up by man of the match, Nicky Plotnek, was the difference as England FC edged out Real Jerusalem in a thrilling 3:2 battle.

The game started out evenly enough, with Real looking to continue a fine run of form and England looking to improve on last week’s draw. The first 20 minutes were even enough with several midfield battles developing but not much in the way of attacks.

After struggling to get their passing game going, England, driven by Plotnek & Kalms in centre-midfield, took hold of the match. Pouncing on several loose passes led to a couple of excellent counter with the last one ending with a great solo goal from Gabi Balulu. 1:0 England. Real reacted well – England were made to look far from their best towards the end of the half. After several missed opportunities, a short free-kick, followed by a fine long-range strike from the Real center back, Tomer Amos, levelled the score just before half-time. 1:1

The second half was another even affair – with Real slightly dominating possession but England looking the more dangerous of the two thanks to some more efficient counter attacking football. On 65 minutes, Real took the lead out of nowhere, with Yacki Duwek scoring a 50-yard free kick that sailed over the England keepers’ flailing hands. 1:2

This time, it was England’s turn to fight back. Spurred on by player manager Terry Newman, England turned up the pressure and were rewarded when a long-range strike from striker Omri Hamama slipped out of the keepers’ hands and dribbled over the line. 2:2.

Both sets of players began to tire, but one more energetic run from the former villa man, Plotnek, ended with a perfect cross that Bihi Zenou expertly nodded in. England managed to hold on till the end and return to winning ways. 3:2.

Elsewhere Bambi beat Ashdod 4-2 in the Teamsnap cup.

TEAM-OF-THE-WEEK:

GOALKEEPER:
Daniel Boestra (Jerusalem)

DEFENCE:
Tomer Amos (Real)
Eyal Toledo (Jerusalem)
Ido Sacagio (Bambi)
San Rudnick (Jaffa)

MIDFEILD:
Bar Blumberg (Bambi)
Shlomi Toubel (Ashdod)
Nicky Plotnek (England)

STRIKERS:
Daniel Cohen (Jerusalem)
Omri Hamama (England)
Roy Zenou (England)

MANAGER-OF-THE-WEEK:
Yoni Sarig