Hapoel Tel Aviv's coach Eli Guttman
The first and only time Hapoel Tel Aviv faced a Russian opponent they inflicted a sound beating upon Lokomotiv Moskva. The Reds achieved a 3-1 victory on aggregate in their third-round tie with Loko in the 2001-02 UEFA Cup—capped by a gutsy 1-0 win in Moskva that ended with hysteric revelry from 600 travelling supporters and their coach Dror Kashtan giddily pounding his players with snowballs. Although the merriment seems like ancient history, the Israeli club will look to repeat the frustration, albeit on a different Russian club, when they head to Kazan to face Rubin on Thursday in the first leg of their Europa League clash.
Hapoel TA’s current success owes much to the tactical responsibility of coach Eli Guttman. The former Maccabi Netanya coach joined the club in the middle of the 2007-08 season when they were stuck in the dead last position in Ligat ha-Al. The club’s dismal performance, marked in particular by some horrid defending, was eventually turned around. While Hapoel only managed to finish in 7th position in the league, Guttman remarkably helped the club advance to the State Cup final (losing on penalties to bitter rivals Beitar Jerusalem).
The abrupt turnaround at Hapoel was amplified in 2008-09. After retooling the club’s poor backline, Guttman eased his club into an attacking style that takes advantage of the inordinate amount of space that is typically available in the Israeli top flight, where clubs seem resistant to putting significant pressure on the ball. Guttman’s method is certainly not revolutionary but his stern installation of discipline and his frank critique of players has paid off. Although the club sputtered at the start of this season and experienced a dip in form earlier in 2010, the coach has calibrated the squad to take advantage of both experience and youthful energy in order to create a balanced squad that has been defined in particular by a greater fluidity in the middle of a 4-4-2. The setup has generated even more goals in 2009-10 (averaging 2.5 goals per match, up from 1.5 in the previous year) while conceding fewer (.73 per match, down from .85). With such development it is no surprise there have been many calling for Guttman to get the nod as the new Israel national coach.
Certainly the spike in production is partially attributable to the increase in the number of clubs in the Ligat ha-Al this year, but in the group stage of the Europa League the Reds proved they are just as comfortable on the ball outside of Israel and more than willing to move forward when the situation demands it. Their newfound confidence in European competition can be pinpointed to a shift in their play during the first group stage match against Celtic at home at Bloomfield in Jaffa last September. Even after nervously packing the midfield with five players in the first half and still conceding a goal, Tel Aviv realized the inferiority of their Scottish opponents. The second half brought them out of their shell and with resolve they switched into a fully attacking mode that pushed two past Artur Borac to secure a deserved victory.
Although Hapoel TA can at times lose confidence in their own skill and lapse into sheepish play, when things click they . . . well . . . click. Two robust showings against Rapid Wien allowed them to erase the memory of the chaotic loss to Hamburg at the Nordbank Arena and put the Reds in command of Group C. They finished with 13 goals overall, good enough for the fourth-highest goal total in the competition’s group stage (tied with Benfica, behind Werder Bremen, Lille, and Shakhtar Donetsk). This in light of their miniscule budget Hapoel TA—and, tangentially speaking, a horribly mismanaged front office–the feat is quite remarkable.
In short, Hapoel is a talented squad. Perhaps such a terse statement is inflated given the relative anemia of their league opponents. However, their success in Europa to date has not been a fluke but rather an instance of Guttman’s players heeding their coach’s call for commitment and personal accountability.
We’ll post a preview of the Europa League match on Wednesday. For now, however, we’d like to acquaint the reader with the squad that Hapoel will be working with:
Defense:
Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama
Vincent Enyeama (27) is certainly the best goalkeeper in Israel (no offense to Nor Davidovitch). That may not be the most glowing endorsement in a league rife with head-scratching blunders, but Enyeama has also been the keeper of choice for Nigeria for the better part of a decade—helping the Super Eagles to three third-place finishes in the Africa Cup of Nations and will be attending the World Cup this summer. He can at times lose his composure—as evidenced by some questionable decisions at the most recent ACN—but on the whole he is an exceedingly athletic, sometimes acrobatic, keeper who also boasts a strong right-foot—taking Hapoel TA’s penalty kicks (note to Sergey Ryzhikov, he usually goes left). Enyeama is also eager to ignite the squad’s counterattacks—capable of finding the open man and launching Akinfeev-like 50-yard passes. Rubin Kazan have reportedly been impressed enough to be considering a move for the keeper, presumably as either cover for Ryzhikov or as the keeper-in-waiting if Kazan look to reap the cash benefits from a transfer of the Russian down the line. For the moment Hapoel are patiently waiting until after the World Cup to sell off Enyeama as they expect his value will only increase in relation to his international exposure.
Walid Badir and Douglas Da Silva have solidified themselves as a strong duo in central defense. The captain Badir (35) is the proverbial rock in defense, never straying too far from in front of Enyeama—he uses his keen positional stance to keep his men in front of him to overcome his aging physique. Under the tutelage of Avram Grant while at Maccabi Haifa (2000-05), Badir helped the club win four championships. Since joining Hapoel TA in 2005 he has been the core member of their backline, but only now—with the introduction of Douglas—has he found a partner to rely on for cover during his moments of flat-footedness. Douglas (25) has an imposing, physical presence that often dominates in league play. His height also makes him a threat on set pieces, having scored 3 goals this season. Formerly of Atlético Paranaense (Brazil), he has been linked with a move to Germany and even more recently with a return to his home country to play for Grêmio.
Right-back Dani Bondarv is the weakest link of the defense. His questionable coverage has seen him crumble against faster opponents and twisted out of play through unsure positioning, leading quite regularly to Badir being stretched out of his own position in an attempt to cover. Bondarv is, however, capable of going forward to offer accurate crosses into the box. Recently he has become more tentative on the attack, knowing all too well the truth of his detractors’ claims, and as a result his offensive support has suffered. (Incidentally, Bondarv was born Dimitry Bondarev—born in the former Soviet Union, his family moved to Israel when he was several years old.) Depending on Guttman’s intuition, the coach could opt for Omri Kende (23) at right-back instead—though he has similar, though less-exploited, inconsistencies in his own defending. Guttman’s flip-flopping at right-back—as well has his staff’s hopeless search this winter on the market for cover—has had a negative effect on both of the players. A bad game from either usually results a benching—certainly not the best way for either player to make amends.
Left-back Dedi Ben Dayan (31) has been in remarkable form since joining Hapoel this season but is likely to be sidelined in Kazan due to a niggling leg injury picked up last week that will most likely result in playing time for young prospect Gal Shaish (20). Ben Dayan—a one-time Colorado Rapids player, in case MLS fans are reading this—is a feisty defender capable of aggressive tackles (rare for the Israeli Premier League) but is most noteworthy for his attacking panache. Ever-willing to go forward, he has scored 9 goals in 21 league appearances, with several coming from set pieces, one of his real strengths. His offensive approach has not subsided with age, which has had the adverse effect of posing problems for the rest of defense when he fails to cover back. But even still, his positive contributions far outweigh the negatives. His absence will certainly hamper Hapoel’s offense and could confine the attack to a much more narrow approach as Shaish is typically more hesitant to move up into play.
Midfield:
Aviahi Yadin (23) has typically been the sole holding midfielder for Hapoel TA this season. Operating as the pivot, his work generates many of the counterattacking runs that the club has created this season. In 2009 he received 3 caps for Israel as a result of his good form with Hapoel and many expect him to be an integral component of the national team in the future. Although he still needs to fully mature into the role, Guttman has loads of confidence in him—handing him the defensive midfield role that was once occupied more regularly by Zurab Menteshashvili (30). More prominent during the Europa League group stage, Menteshashvili can be brought in—or could even start on Thursday—depending on how conservative Guttman is inclined to be. Playing in center, the Georgian can line up next to Yadin for further protection and contributes with his reserved experience but offers neither the same passing ability nor speed through midfield that Natcho brings to the squad. Menteshashvili may be familiar to some Russian football fans, having had brief stints with Alania Vladikavkaz in 2003 (then known as Spartak) and Shinnik Yaroslavl in 2006.
Left winger Eran Zahavi
The strongest component and source of much Hapoel TA’s success this year is their attacking midfield. Playmaking central midfielder Bebras Natcho (21, turns 22 on Thursday) has received the most attention—so much so that Rubin’s scouting for their match has led to his likely transfer to Kazan after the tie. Some have criticized his lack of confidence and refusal to shoot more often given the remarkable power he has for his size. His vitality has been evident throughout both the league and European campaigns, but much of his own performance has been the result of the chemistry generated with his fellow midfielders. In particular, Gil Vermouth (24) has been a standout performer for the Reds—who operates on the right-wing but astutely drifts into space to his left as an additional playmaker, creating numerous opportunities and significant space for his teammates. He too can score goals, netting 5 thus far this season.
To Natcho’s left is winger Eran Zahavi (22), who has been in excellent form after being inserted into the starting squad when Guttman reshuffled the line-up in December. His trust-building was initially at the expense of Nemanja Vucicevic, who has received almost no playing time since his strong showing in the Europa group stage due to what could most pleasantly be described as his disinterestedness and is not even on the club’s Europa roster. But now Zahavi has proven that Guttman has made the correct move, as he can score with either foot and is an important contributor to the fluid and creative midfield. He is a respectable short passer who has teamed up the attacking core for one-two’s that have been pleasant on the eye. The winger has the ability to improve, particularly in defense, and his wealth of potential has recently garnered the attention of Anderlecht (Belgium), who is hoping to lure him from Hapoel with the prospect of a large bump in salary with his contract expiring in the summer.
Another option in the middle is newly acquired Daniël de Ridder (25). Since joining Hapoel TA on loan from Wigan Athletic (England) at the end of January, de Ridder has had little impact to date, playing in only two matches. Able to play on the wing or in the center of the pitch as an additional playmaker, he could be a key substitute for Guttman but is unlikely—at least in Kazan—to be in the starting squad.
Forwards:
Striker Itay Shechter
Itay Shechter’s goal-scoring success–16 goals in 21 matches, with an additional 3 tallies in European competition–has pushed him up into the most forward of striking roles for Hapoel. The 22-year-old’s success made the sale of Samuel Yeboah to Genk (Belgium) much more palatable for the club—cashing in on the Ghanaian after he struggled for form in the first half of the season. Shechter’s direct style has been game-changing throughout the season, repeatedly bursting through the defensive seams to receive passes from midfield. He has been criticized in the Israeli media for his bull-headed lack of commitment, which can sometimes be seen in his refusal to close down on plays and he can succumb to a general lack of focus. But Guttman’s second go-around with the striker (having coached him previously at Maccabi Netanya) appears to have made the young striker more responsible, harnessing his aggressive energy for the greater good of the squad.
With Shechter becoming the prime striker, Ma’aran Al Lala (27) has received more playing time alongside him as support up top. Although he does not have much in the way of speed, Lala does have an ability to feed balls into the middle and is willing to pull the trigger when space is conceded to him. Without the luxury of the most accurate of shots, Lala still has four goals to date this season—a respectable enough tally in his supporting role to keep defenders honest.
Young attacker Victor Maree (20) could also be expected up front as a substitute after having scored his first goal of the year last week, an indication of his growth over the course of the season. Guttman’s growing frustration with his options up top have had him try many different partnerships in the attack—with the departure of Yeboah the club relinquished their only out-and-out striker. But as the club will be more than satisfied to play for a draw in Kazan this deficiency will not be a tremendous strain on the tactical approach in the first leg.
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