Silva Decided the Fate of the Match Against Larnaca | Danny Dvorin's Column

Beitar Jerusalem goalkeeper Miguel Silva was the player yesterday, Thursday, who directly decided the fate of the return match against AEK Larnaca. He will certainly want to forget the three goals he conceded in 90 minutes, but he will remember for a long time the performance he gave during the penalty shootout. In the end, it was he who secured his team's advancement to the next stage of the Conference League.

It is unbelievable how a team as inferior as the Cypriot AEK managed to score three goals against the Jerusalem net. In the first half, they even struggled to complete two or three consecutive passes, and on the pitch, the one setting the tone was, of course, Beitar.

However, as always, as long as a qualitative advantage is not realized into scoring goals, its benefit is minimal. It is possible that the 1:0 victory that Beitar achieved in the first match last week instilled in the players the confidence that things would work out on their own. But in a single counterattack, the Cypriots took a 1:0 lead thanks to an accurate penalty kick. The goal came as a reminder that in football, even a weak team is capable of scoring, and even more than one goal.

The weakness of Beitar's defense allowed Larnaca yesterday to finish the 90 minutes with a 2:3 lead, as in stoppage time Miguel Silva conceded the third after the ball slipped from his hands. Riad Bajić pounced on the ball from close range, scored, and sent both teams to extra time. Beitar was better in that too, but failed in executing the finishing shot towards the goal.

Someone who personally deserves praise (score 8.5) is Omer Atzili, the scorer of the brace. First, on the verge of the end of the half, he equalized to 1:1 from the penalty spot, and later, trailing 2:1, Atzili equalized with a characteristic long-range shot that sent the ball under the crossbar. A goal that fits crowning him as unstoppable. Atzili is one of the few Israelis in our league who is aware of the fact that the ball is on the pitch so that it can be kicked towards the goal.

At the end of the 120 minutes, Beitar and Larnaca were forced to go to a penalty shootout. Larnaca wanted it more, because by any professional standard, they are inferior to Beitar. On the other hand, this was, as mentioned, the opportunity for Miguel Silva to carry his teammates to the next stage with his own hands. And indeed, with two amazing dives, he blocked two of those kicks, and with great enthusiasm, he began a fast run of joy that would not shame any sprinter.

Beitar Jerusalem breathed a sigh of relief, a stone was rolled off Silva's heart, but the team would do well to draw the necessary conclusions, because it will not always meet such an inferior opponent in the Conference League.