Joe Bizera, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Uruguayan defender, was caught off guard at halftime during his team's State Cup loss to Beitar Shimshon Tel Aviv the other week. Aviv Raiz, a representative from the club's association who was standing nearby, told Bizera in Hebrew that he had to take charge of his teammates. Bizera was unable to understand his words, but luckily Dudu Biton came to the rescue with his limited Spanish. With the help of an Italian-speaking doctor, they translated the message. The defender nodded and replied in broken English, "I do my best."
Though the conversation didn't save the game, Raiz knew exactly why he was turning to Bizera of all people. The tall, seasoned Uruguayan stabilized the team's defense from his first appearance and is admired particularly by the defensive line. His main problem is that he still struggles with the language.
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"Though he was relatively young, he was no doubt the leader on defense," said Pablo Torres, who works in the front office for his former club Penarol Montevideo. "He was a shouter. He also spoke with the veterans during practices and after games. The moment he'll understand the language a little better you'll hear him shout." A member of management at Italian club Cagliari, which lent Bizera to Maccabi, recalled how he had a tough time last season until he knew Italian but then became very involved once he picked up the language.
Meanwhile Yossi Shivhon's groin injury almost a month ago not only kept the midfielder out of practices and games but also deprived Bizera of a simultaneous translator. The fact that Shivhon, who learned Spanish in his free time, currently is spending most of his time in the pool and the gym, forced Bizera to start using his hands. Two weeks ago during a scrimmage he yelled in Spanish at Lior Jan to look at him before moving ahead. Jan was clueless at first about what Bizera meant, but by the time a translator arrived he had figured it out thanks to Bizera's hand signals. In a near repeat incident during Friday's practice, he waved his hands at Ori Sheetrit and yelled at him to "open more." Sheetrit waited by the goalpost, where Bizera caught up to him and said, "Good you go up so I can pass you." Several seconds and hand gestures later, Sheetrit understood that Bizera wanted him to spread out to create a better passing angle.
"He's the best upgrade that arrived this summer," one of his teammates said. "He doesn't make a lot of noise but what he managed to do for our defense this week is unbelievable."
Management values him no less. The fact that he comes early to every practice and leaves after everybody else only confirms their impression of him as a professional. "No doubt he's the most significant acquisition we've landed," a team official said. His performance to date may have convinced Maccabi officials to extend him a contract for another year, but that all depends on Cagliari, which is fighting off relegation.
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