Maccabi T.A. ties Beitar J'lem, wards off relegation for now
By Haaretz Sports Staff
Maccabi Tel Aviv held on to a 1-1 tie with Beitar Jerusalem, earning it precious points in its campaign to stay in the league while denying Beitar a chance to tighten its hold on the championship title.
The match's pace was fast, with Beitar generally playing better but blundering repeatedly in front of the goal.
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After a slow start, Maccabi's Yossi Shivhon scored from a header in the 29th minute after Roey Hadad lobbed the ball into the penalty area. Beitar coach Itzhak Shum responded by shifting Yossi Ben Shoshan from midfield to offense, which was manned solely by Romulo from the start of the match. Results were forthcoming.
In the second half, Aviram Baruchyan received a ball when he was offside, but the referees ignored it. From 10 meters, Baruchyan sent a thunderous shot into the net, making it 1-1 in the 56th minute. In the 87th minute, Beitar Toto Tamuz squandered a great chance when he headed a ball wide of the post even though he was free of defenders.
A minute into stoppage time, Arik Benado cleared a pass that would have given Maccabi's Mesika a one-on-one with Beitar's goalie. Shivhon, who scored the goal for Maccabi, was voted the game's most valuable player.
At the end of the match, Maccabi coach Nir Levin was pleased. "You might say we were lucky today. On the other hand, you might say we paid dearly. Beitar was better and dominated the match, and the result is fine. But we lost our lead, conceded a goal scored from an offside and deserved a penalty."
Maccabi General Manager Avi Nimi also praised his players. "I'm very pleased with the result," he said. "It wasn't our best match, and we could have played better, but against a team like Beitar in Teddy Stadium, we can certainly say the result was excellent."
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