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Maccabi Haifa was able to tie the game (Yampolsky) but still had to watch, heartbrokenly, Hapoel Tel-Aviv score on the last seconds, after it lost its’ stopper Cocalic. The Greens will not play in Europe next season
By Yitzhak Haberman
A rare combination of dates occurred tonight on the Cup’s final. Two years ago, on May 15th Hapoel Tel-Aviv scored a winning goal on the 92nd minute and robbed Maccabi Haifa of the Championship title, and tonight on the same date and on exactly the same minute it scored the winning goal that gave it the cup for the third successive year, a new Israeli soccer record.
Maccabi Haifa can be disappointed, for long periods of time it was superior, it was hurt by the fact that the Captain, Yaniv Katan, was injured and ill and with all due respect to his efforts, the group suffered because he was unable to produce his true ability.
35 thousand enthusiastic spectators, who painted Ramat-Gan stadium in green and red, watched a terrible first half in which Haifa’s goalie didn’t even touch the ball, on the other side only Katan and Tawatha jeopardized Hapoel’s post. On the 58th minute the Croatian, Mirko Ormosh, scored the advantage for Hapoel. Haifa’s coach, Elisha Levi, substituted Ghdir by Dela Yampolsky, who returned a favor and a minute and a half later headed in a ball lifted by defender Taleb Tawatha.
Haifa sought to exploit the momentum, but unfortunately, two minutes to the end its’ Bosnian stopper, Edin Cocalic, tore the quadriceps, was substituted and immediately his team received a second goal that became the winning goal by Nossa Eigabor,
Following the loss Haifa will not play in any European tournament.
Haifa’s lineup: Davidovitch, Meshumar, Cocalic (Falach), Buljat, Tawatha, Seidu, Boccoli, Katan (Turgeman), Vered, Ghdir (Yampolsky), Amasha.
