DREAM RUN
( ILTV)
Israel is used to be seen as small. As a country in general, and certainly in sports, especially in soccer. That was the case with Israel’s under-20 national soccer team a year ago, but no more.
More stories:
The national youth team’s current position among the world's top four best teams adds an additional challenge to the many the team faces already.
One of the things coach Ofir Haim has to deal with before Thursday's semi-final match against Uruguay is the change in how the team is perceived worldwide, primarily in terms of the public and media in Israel. Now, even those who don't follow soccer on a daily basis, have national expectations.
Israel isn’t favored to win against Uruguay, even the sports betting sites think so. But not long ago, this national team was like a contestant who won a reality TV show for a chance to participate in the Eurovision, and now has to stand on a giant stage for the first time. Now, much like Noa Kirel, it goes on the big stage like a star.
Winning third place will be great, Israeli fans will thank the national team for it, but deep inside, people think and believe that Israel should win the trophy.
After the amazing upset victory over Brazil, it’s clear that Israel can become the world champion. It can, not necessarily needs to or is the top candidate to do so. The truth is, the way the national team plays is up to par with a professional soccer club.
All the talk about this team focuses on its character, and rightly so. The team is working hard to score goals, regroup quickly, and play smart. It’s all true, but we shouldn't forget that the team also has other praise-worthy aspects other than the way they play.
Israel holds the ball for an average of 54.2% of the time in its matches in Argentina. Only three national teams - hosts Argentina, the U.S., and Ecuador - held the ball more time on average per game, and all three are no longer part of the tournament.
The national team's goals aren’t created by chance, but by a team that knows how to play soccer well and how to deal with the teams they face against.
If we look at the team’s expected goals (xG) metric, which calculates not only the number of scoring chances but also their quality, we can see that Israel was supposed to score the most goals in the U-20 World Cup.
The metric stands at 11, while the actual number of goals is eight. Israel has taken no less than 64 shots on the goal so far, which is quite a lot.
Israel will be facing Uruguay in the semi-finals, the way the South American side played to get there was completely different. Like most of Uruguay's senior national teams over the years, this team also prefers to play without the ball, to defend with many players and to counterattack when possible.
It's safe to assume that this will be the main tactic we can expect to see in the coming match. Interestingly, Israel, considered the underdog, will have more possession and be the dominant side.
Of course, this does not guarantee the team a place in the final, but it speaks volumes about the Israeli coach and his players. Not everyone is capable of producing a game plan that’s both aggressive and successful, especially not for a national team from Israel, a country that isn’t well known for its soccer.