Today was the 2nd matchday and already I got a new expirience from this season.
For the 1st time since I support Maccabi Haifa (1987, when I was 6) we are under the "red line" with 0 points of 2 matches. both loses were 1-0, last week to the new team in the league Sakhnin and today to mid-table Ashdod.
This comes after Haifa let her best striker go (to Borusia Munchengladbach) 3 days before the start of the season and braught 3 new players in the same day.
We had all summer to make sure we have a better team but decided to make all the changes in the world 3 days before the 1st match - this is what you get when you act like an amateur

Last year champions (Beitar Jerusalem) started their season with a 3-0 home win and tommorow they will meet last year's cup-holders (Hapoel Tel-Aviv) for the last match of matchday 2.

This is the table for now:

1.Kiryat Shmona_____4__+3
2.Ashdod___________4__+1
3.Maccabi Natanya___4__+1
4.Kfar Saba_________4__+1
5.Sakhnin__________4__+1
6.Beitar Jerusalem___3__+3 (played only once)
7.M.Petach Tikva_____3___0
8.H.Tel-Aviv_________1___0 (played only once)
9.M.Tel-Aviv_________1__-1
10.Bney Yehuda______1__-3
--------------------------------------------------
11.Maccabi Haifa______0__-2
12.Herzeliya_________0__-4

Not a great start by the sounds of things but everyone knows the opening 2 or three games aren't greatly important or relevant to how you will finish - unless the confidence is stripped from the players. Losing on the opening day to a promoted team though is not good - do you go to he games mate?

There was only two matchs played, i think it's too soon to take decisions about the coach, and i don't know the names of the first teams, it's like in France the most important teams will progress during the season, it's too soon now.

Been to the 1st, it was a home game.
We now have 3 weeks with no league matches cause of the national team's game so maybe it'll give the team some time to get their act together.

Ah someone who is interested in israeli football. What can you say about Beitars midfielder Derek Boateng? He was superb in AIK and I've heard he is playing well in Israel as well, I think he can be up to better leagues like Premier League.

Unfortenetly for me he is one of the best defensive midfielders who ever played in Israel. Defentely the best right now.
He played a bad game last night when his team won 2-1 after being the lesser team for 75 minutes.
Since he's playing for Beitar it's my duty to hate him but I would love it if Haifa could afford him.
I'm not sure he's Premier League material mainly because of his "ups and downs". With his performance last night Beitar should have had their asses kicked but that's Hapoel Tel-Aviv for you, you can hand them a game and they'll refuse it.

After the 3rd day of games Haifa is still pointless and goalless. Our coach had to be escorted off the field by the police. Sad day for Haifa, it seems we are no longer the frightening team we were here in Israel

This is the table for now:

1.Beitar Jerusalem___9__+6
2.Kiryat Shmona_____7__+4
3.Sakhnin___________7__+2
4.M.Petach Tikva_____6___1
5.Kfar Saba_________4__+1 (missing game)
6.Ashdod___________4___0
7.Maccabi Natanya___4___0
8.H.Tel-Aviv________2__-1
9.Bney Yehuda______2__-3
10.M.Tel-Aviv_________1__-1 (missing game)
--------------------------------------------------
11.Maccabi Haifa______0__-3
12.Herzeliya_________0__-6

Ok, thanks for that! He was quite up and down in AIK as well, but since we played so well the last year he played for the club he played good almost all the time.

It's an interesting game on thursday in the UEFA Cup, AIK is playing Hapoel away. I think it's going to be a really hard game I will be happy with a draw with lots of goals of course.

I see that the clubs of Tel-Aviv are not very well too.

Yes, the season started very starnge. With the exception of Beitar everything is unexpected. The teams that are ranked 2nd and 3rd are the newly promoted ones.

I accidently earsed this post instead of just copying the table for the next post.
Oops

Match day 4 has arrived and Haifa actually came for a change. A big 3-0 away win against Maccabi Tel-Aviv and we went 2 places up to 9th. Finally some football from Haifa. Hopfully this wasnt a 1 time thing.

In other games
Petah-Tikva 3-1 Kiryat shmona
Kfar Saba 1-1 H.Tel-Aviv
Ashdod 1-6 Natanya
Herzelia 0-2 Bney Yehuda

The table is now like this:

1.Beitar Jerusalem___9__+6 (missing game)
2.M.Petach Tikva_____9___3
3.Kfar Saba_________8__+2
4.Maccabi Natanya___7___+5
5.Kiryat Shmona_____7__+2
6.Sakhnin___________7__+2 (missing game)
7.Bney Yehuda______5___-1
8.Ashdod___________4___-5
9.Maccabi Haifa___3___0
10.H.Tel-Aviv________3__-1
--------------------------------------------------
11.M.Tel-Aviv_______1__-5
12.Herzeliya_________0__-8

Today Sakhnin are playing Beitar at home. Supposed to be a very brutal game both on the field and among the crowd. Sakhnin is the only team in the 1st division to come from an arab city while Beitar's fans are very right wing and racist. Didnt end good 2 years ago, I hope it'll end better this time.

Congratulations, it's a big win.

It looks like Haifa has finally arrived to the 2007/08 season. 2nd win in a row this time a 2-1 home win against Kfar-Saba.

In other games
Kiryat Shmona 1-0 Maccabi Tel-Aviv
H. Tel-Aviv 0-2 Herzelia
Natanya 1-0 M.Petah-Tikva
Beitar Jerusalem 5-0 Ashdod
Bney Yehuda 3-0 Sakhnin

The table is now like this:

1.Beitar Jerusalem___13__+11
2.Maccabi Natanya___10___+6
3.Kiryat Shmona____10___+3
4.M.Petach Tikva_____9___+2
5.Bney Yehuda______8___+2
6.Kfar Saba_________8__+1
7.Sakhnin___________8__-1
8.Maccabi Haifa___6___+1
9.Ashdod___________4___-10
10.H.Tel-Aviv________3__-3
--------------------------------------------------
11.Herzeliya________3__-6
12.M.Tel-Aviv_______1__-6

You've won again, it's better. What happen to Maccabi Tel Aviv ?

Maccabi Tel-Aviv is showing the worst team they ever had. With a little luck they'd be relegated for the 1st time in their history.
They lost 1-0 away to Kiryat Shmona who just got promoted this season.
Haifa is Playing Kiryat Shmona in 2 weeks. If we can manage a 3rd win that would be great.

Hello eurxe.

I just joined the forum today. I follow the Maccabi Haifa FC also. I just started following them last week. My aunt was from Haifa.

It was really good to find all your posts about Maccabi Haifa and about the Israel National team. I will be rooting for Israel tomorrow, although I know our chances are very slim. Are you able to watch it on TV? I will be following the match on the ESPN soccernet Gameday program.

P.S. I have been looking for a good web page on The Greens in English, but have not found any. Do you know of any?

Thanks,
Hillel

eurxe, where can I find the start times for the ליגאט העל matches?

I have started building a Google calendar for the Israeli League 2007/08.
If you are interested, or have questions, please let me know.

Hillel, you are giving the Israeli football association to much credit.
I cant give you the start times for the matches since even the days of the matches are set only a week or 2 in advanced.
I can send you the start times for each week every week if you want. Send me a private msg if you are interested.