Soccer / Bnei Yehuda banks on Biton-Bardon duo to stay in league
By Yaniv Kubovic
Bnei Yehuda coach Eli Cohen summoned his players for an urgent talk ahead of their match against Hapoel Tel Aviv in the 24th round, though he did not have much to say - they were last, and that pretty much summed it up. Cohen stood helplessly and waited to hear what the players had to say for themselves. After a minute striker Moshe Biton stepped up and broke the silence. "If we don't pull ourselves up by the bootstraps, it will be too late," Biton told his friends.
That Biton should make such a statement is indicative of the team's newly found commitment. "He's usually very quiet," said teammate Milan Martinovic, who also played with Biton at Maccabi Tel Aviv. "But he's a real pro, and that's why he's the best striker in Israel today."
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Cohen says Biton's playing style necessitates that he be set up with another forward who will draw the defense's attention. "If it's just him, he is kept covered all the time. So he opens up free areas, but in the absence of someone to pass him the ball, he gets tired by the 70th minute."
French connection
Recognizing the problem, Cohen brought in French striker Cedric Bardon, who was about to sign for Ironi Kiryat Shmona. "[Bardon's] smart soccer has come to play this season," Cohen said.
In his second match at Bnei Yehuda Bardon already scored two goals and then he added two more assists. The league's coaches identified him as a threat and had defenders stick closer to him, freeing up Biton. "We work hard on understanding each other," Bardon said of Biton. "I believe he did not score many goals at the start of the season because there weren't many players to feed him the ball."
The seven goals Biton has scored in the past few months have raised his stock. Though he is signed on for another year at Bnei Yehuda, several other clubs have taken an interest in the player. Biton wouldn't mind staying at Bnei Yehuda but would prefer to play for a European club, perhaps in Belgium, where many other Israelis have found clubs. To complete his mission at Bnei Yehuda before perhaps moving no to different challenges, Biton will have to beat his former team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, on Saturday.
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