Maccabi Tel Aviv Faces Challenges Ahead of Big Game
Maccabi Tel Aviv is back in Israel today after a double round in Belgrade, but it seems like “back” isn’t the only thing they’ve misplaced—like their entire lineup! Now, when they head to Kovna on Wednesday, they’re going to arrive at the Zalgirio Arena without having trained as a full squad. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, they must really love each other down there!
Injuries and Absences Spell Trouble
They may be missing Wenyan Gabriel, who’s in the last stages of his recovery from injury—though let’s hope he isn’t just “stepping back” to enjoy a bit of rest. But seriously, the guy won’t even be able to join the contact training phase until then. Meanwhile, Sivan Lee will be spending another week in isolation, presumably learning how to beat everyone in solitaire or perfecting his potato chip-eating technique. Either way, he won’t be learning the dance moves of his teammates anytime soon!
Coach Oded Ketch might’ve had a decent excuse for Lee’s lack of playtime during their loss to Partizan Belgrade, but, spoiler alert: that’s not going to fix itself anytime soon. In a twist of fate that wouldn’t look out of place in a tragicomedy, the final training session will take place in Tel Aviv before their flight to Lithuania. Talk about last-minute jitters! On Sunday, our champions will be “hosting” Gilboa/Galil in Be’er Sheva, where Ketch should have three foreigners at his disposal—Laliway Randolph, Jaylen Hurd, and newly added Hasiel Rivero. Hope they brought their A-game, or maybe just a really good snack to keep spirits high!
Zalgiris: A Mixed Bag
Transitioning now from one problematic side to another, let’s talk about Zalgiris. Despite the somewhat dreary squad and their slip into mid-table mediocrity with a record of 1:3, Andrea Trincieri has clearly been working some magic. The Italian coach recently led his team to an unbelievable away victory against Ettore Messina and Olympiakos Milan. They trailed by a whopping 27 points during the third quarter—now that’s a comeback that could make a good Netflix special! It’s the second-largest comeback in Euroleague history, falling just short to Procom Gdynia, who managed a 28-point turnaround in 2013. I guess sometimes you just need to channel that inner Rocky Balboa, eh?
Now, before we pat Zalgiris on the back too much, they’re also facing their share of issues. Key player Sylvain Francisco, who racked up an impressive 17 points and six assists in Milan, left the field nursing an injury. His back seemed to have caught onto the stress of the game—literally! To add to their woes, Tyrone Wallace decided that he wanted to leave the team for personal reasons, proving that drama isn’t reserved solely for reality TV shows.
As local fans gear up for what could be a nail-biter, one can only hope that neither side adds more injuries to their already packed lists. With players shuffling about, coaches scratching their heads, and fans at the edge of their seats, this game’s going to require more than just good luck—it’s going to take a blend of strategy, resilience, and perhaps a few magic tricks!
So, as we await what unfolds on Thursday, let’s keep our fingers crossed that the only thing getting injured is a lack of decent puns and zingers in this heated Euroleague clash. Game on!
Maccabi Tel Aviv returns to Israel today (Friday) from the double round in Belgrade, and again with a missing lineup. Although only two foreigners decided to stay behind, their absence has great significance; The Yellows will go to Kovna on Wednesday – that is, they will arrive at the meeting with Zalgiris without training with a full squad.
Until the reunification of forces in Lithuania, the day before the away game at Zalgirio Arena, they will be missing Wenyan Gabriel, who is in the last stages of his recovery from the injury (and therefore will not be able to move to the contact training phase until then), and Sivan Lee, who will spend another week without learning the team , connect with her and train with her.
If Oded Ketch explained Lee’s benching for many minutes in the loss to Partizan Belgrade with this lack of familiarity, then the problem is not going to be solved for him in the foreseeable future. This time the final training will be held in Tel Aviv, even before the departure to Lithuania. On Sunday, the champion will “host” Gilboa/Galil in a Radius game in Be’er Sheva, and this time the coach will have three foreigners at his disposal, when Laliway Randolph and Jaylen Hurd will be joined by Hasiel Rivero.
Make some big color moves. Gabriel Official website, SAVVIDES PRESS
Despite a somewhat dreary squad, Andrea Trincieri leads Zalgiris to the top of the Euroleague with a record of 1:3. Yesterday the Italian coach recorded a particularly prestigious away victory, 82:85 over Ettore Messina and Olympia Milan in his home country; His team trailed by 27 during the third quarter, and recorded the second largest comeback in Euroleague history. In first place is still the turnaround caused by Procom Gdynia against Montefski Siena in 2013, from minus 28 to victory.
However, the Lithuanians will not come without problems to the game on Thursday either, and their problems are concentrated in the center position. Sylvain Francisco, who excelled with 17 points and six assists in Milan (and leads Zalgiris in average points, assists and index) injured his back yesterday and left the field, when it is still unclear what the severity of the injury is; His back line partner, Tyrone Wallace, missed the double rotation and decided to leave the team due to personal issues.
