Israel’s youth soccer team lost tonight (Thursday) for the fourth time in the qualifiers for the 2025 European Championship, 2:1 to the Polish team in Germany. Israel, which lost its first three games in Group 4, started the game great and went up 0:1 already in the fifth minute. Elad Madmon, who scored 11 goals this season and set up another one in 25 rounds in Hapoel Hadera, was also responsible for the team’s winning goal when he put pressure on the Polish defense and stole the ball. The 20-year-old striker broke into the box, and set up Adi Yona from Beitar Jerusalem for his first goal in the youth team.
After about fifteen minutes, the Poles took control of the game, but did not risk Niv Eliasi’s goal. In the second half, the guest increased their attacks, and in the 58th minute equalized to 1:1. The Israeli defense didn’t manage with another lift into the box, and substitute stopper Maximilian Pigot beat Eliassi from close range.
Sof Podograno, most of Israel’s attacks came from the right wing, did not use his speed and technique for real risks on the Polish goal. Even the entry of Idan Toklomati and Amir Ganach in the front part instead of Yuna and Mohamed Abu Rumi, respectively, failed to create significant situations, when it was precisely another Polish substitute who found the net. Keitan Schmitt, who came on at the start of the second half, ended a great personal performance in the box with the winning goal in the 89th minute. Guy Luzon’s team will look for the first points on Tuesday (19:00) against Germany.
“In the first half we were fantastically organized,” Luzon said at the end of the game, “but in the second half the Poles took over the game and we made mistakes of naivety and lack of concentration. There are games in which you lose and you can know that the players gave everything, and that’s what happened today. You have to pick up the head and continue preparing for the next game.”