1) Israeli domestic football is back as the Israel Super Cup was played on Saturday night. Hapoel Haifa beat Hapoel Beer Sheva 2-1 via penalties 5-4 and advanced to the semifinals of the Toto Cup with the victory. Hen Dilmoni scored an own goal to give Beer Sheva the lead while Gabriel Tamas drew Haifa even in the first half.

Toto Cup matches also took place over the weekend. On Saturday Bnei Sakhnin and Hapoel Eran Hadera played to a 0:0 draw while Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Netanya played to a 1:1 draw as Netanya scored in stoppage time making for a dramatic finish. Nikita Rukavtytsya scoured for Maccabi Haifa in 78’ and Eran Levy in 90+2’ helped salvage a point for the visiting Netanya.

On Sunday, Ashdod and Hapoel Ra’anana played to a 0:0 draw while Hapoel Tel Aviv beat Bnei Yehuda 4:00 as Roei Zikri found the back of the goal twice scoring in the 25′ and 33′. Marvin Peersman added the 3rd tally in the 36′ and Amir Agayev scored the 4th in the final minute of injury time.

The Yellow & Blue moved on to the Toto Cup semifinals after defeating Beitar Jerusalem 1:0 in the “European Club” Match at the Netanya Stadium on Sunday July 29, 2018. Aaron Schoenfeld scored in the second half thanks to a Dan Glazer assist to give Maccabi Tel Aviv the win.

Toto Cup action will continue throughout the week:
Tuesday
Kiryat Shemona – Maccabi Netanya 19:00
Bnei Sakhnin – Maccabi Haifa 21:00

Wednesday
Maccabi Petah Tikva – Ashdod 19:00
Hapoel Raanana – Hapoel Tel Aviv 21:00

Saturday
Maccabi Netanya – Hapoel Hadera 19:00
Bnei Yehuda – Hapoel Raanana 19:00
Maccabi Haifa – Hapoel Kiryat Shemona 21:00

Sunday
Hapoel Tel Aviv – Maccabi Petah Tikva 21:00
-Doug Cahn

2) The Israel Under-18 National Basketball Team finished the weekend off with a 2-1 record so far in group play. The Blue & White opened the competition with a win over the Netherlands 80-75 as Yam Hadar scored 20 points and Deni Avdija chipped in with 18. Israel defeated Luxembourg in ether second contest 104-70 thanks 17 points from Ofer Malka and a double double Eidan Alber with 15 points and 11 assists. The Blue & White then fell to a formidable foe in the Czech Republic in their third game of the weekend losing 84-75. Tomer Levinson recorded a double double with 19 points (4/13 from the field, 11/17 FT) and 14 rebounds, Alber recorded 16 points and Avdija dropped 14 points in the defeat.

Upcoming Games:
Tuesday
Israel – Macedonia
Wednesday
Israel – Iceland

3) Hapoel Beer Sheva will welcome Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night at 20:00 Israel time for the second leg of second round Champions League qualifying. After falling 5:0 last week in Croatia, Head Coach Barak Bachar looked for positives in tomorrow’s return leg, “We have a lot of work to do. We haven’t played well the last two matches both on terms of result and quality. We now what the issues are and we are working on solving them. We are working around the clock to deal with them. There is a great staff here and terrific players. We have to return being a team with energy. I am positive we will get out of the rut we are currently in.”

Quick Hits Basketball – Shawn Dawson signs with Joventut Badalona after playing last season with Bnei Herzliya…Israel League MVP Sek Henry who played with Maccabi Ashdod last campaign signed in Turkey with Pinar Karsiyaka…Forward JP Tokoto signs with Hapoel Eilat BC…Hapoel Holon signs forward Darion Atkins for his second term with the club after playing last year for Strasbourg…Or Solomon signed with Nahariya after playing with Hapoel Beer Sheva BC last season…Forward Deshawn Stephens signs with Maccabi Rishon Le’Zion…Shaquille Morris sign with Bnei Herzliya BC…Guard Oded Brandwein signs with Ironi Nes Ziona…Guard Hanan Colman heads to Hapoel Beer Sheva BC…Rom Geffen signs with Nahariya…Deshaun Thomas who was with Maccabi Tel Aviv last season signs with Panathinaikos…

Quick Hits Soccer – Eran Zahavi scores a goal and assists on another for Guangzhou in a 2:2 draw with Hebei…Alon Turgeman scores the winner for Austria Wien against Wacker Innsbruck…Maor Kandil moves from Bnei Yehuda to Maccabi Tel Aviv FC while Mavis Tchibota, Dor Jan and Suhil Armeli go in the opposite direction…