‘59 ⚽️ 1-0 Vlad Kart goal, Ilan Flax assist
Top row (from left to right): Daniel Cabral, Gaston Hilman, Mono Bechini, Evgeny Kart, Vlad Kart, Oded Puzis, Tomi Kehana, Ori Hatuka, Thomy Alfie, Alon Zurita, Ron Sharifi, Leo Gewertz, Pablo Zayat and Gianni Conti.
Bottom row (from left to right): Jeremy Tenenbaum, Ilan Flax, Gaston Fratesi, Samuel Hazins, Sam Sank, Fernando Zatz, Max Mzhen and Andy Gabay.
In what was the biggest game in this club's history to date, we hosted league leaders Hapoel Tzafririm Holon at Tel Aviv's Sportek Darom, for the Liga Gimmel showdown.
Around 300 supporters (most of them Inter Aliyah fans) turned up to see the game which will most likely determine the title of the 22/23 Liga Gimmel season, with Tzafririm starting the game three points above us.
We knew that a win would see us overtake our rivals to the top of the table, with our superior head-to-head record enough to keep us 1st despite having the same points if we won.
We drew 0-0 in Holon in the first fixture between us, but needed to go one better if we were to achieve the ultimate dream. Gaston Fratesi returned to the starting lineup in an otherwise unchanged XI.
Holon controlled the first half and were on the front foot throughout. Aside from a Vlad Kart chance, which may have been blown for a penalty, it was our opponents threatening the goal and a crucial save from Gianni Conti on the half hour mark ensured it would stay level until half time.
As the game entered the second 45 minutes, we put our foot on the gas, knowing that the opportunity was there to win the game. On the hour mark we got the all -important goal and eventual winner.
Jeremy Tenenbaum and Yuri Nucenovich were involved in the build-up as Ilan Flax pulled back a cross for Vlad to score with one-touch, his 39th of the season, sparking an almighty roar from the deafening crowd.
We should have doubled our lead through the likes of Yuri and Gaston but a single goal was enough to get the win, as we defended like warriors in the final stages of the game.
We end Tzafririm's 15-game winning streak, while extending ours to 16 and moving to 21 games unbeaten. Now, just three games stand in the way our that elusive Liga Gimmel championship.
