The Maccabi Toronto men’s team captured its sixth Downsview Park Adult Soccer League Championship in the last seven seasons, defeating Armour Elite 4-3 in the final at The Hangar.
In what was supposed to be a rebuilding season, the veteran Maccabi team hung on as Armour Elite mounted a last-minute push for the equalizer. Yair Rabinovich employed what is being called “the leg of God” to clear a shot and save a sure goal.
The veteran team consisting of former and current top university players, as well as many players who have represented Canada in the Maccabiah Games, utilized a counter-attacking style of game to thwart Armour’s non-stop high-intensity pressure. Armour Elite was last summer’s Ontario Soccer League Under 21 Cup Champions.
Tied 1-1 at halftime, Maccabi employed quick ball movement, one-touch soccer, great spacing and efficiency, and scored three goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Gil Vainshtein, a former U.S. college scholarship athlete, scored two, as did Dan Sankar, a former Dartmouth scholarship grad. Both competed for Canada in the 2009 Maccabiah Games along with player/coach Jason Mausberg, Erik Waisman, Yair Rabinovich, and Dave Zbar.
Armour rallied to score two more goals to close the gap to 4-3.
With numerous fans looking on, including boys from the under-nine Maccabi Toronto team, which is leading the Toronto Futsal League, the Maccabi men held on for the victory.
With his two-goal performance, Vainshtein captured the Golden Boot award for leading the league in goals scored.
In other developments, Maccabi Toronto Academy (MTA) has been accepted to compete in the Soccer Academy Alliance Canada against the best athletes in the city of Toronto and the province of Ontario. Players from across the GTA and beyond, with no geographic restrictions, will be eligible for the team.
Games will be Sundays as a result of the league’s agreeing to accommodate MTA’s request not to schedule Friday and Saturday matches.
Maccabi spokesperson Martin Scott said the move to the Alliance will provide better competition for the Maccabi Academy’s athletes. “The best way to get better is against better competition, and we will have that,” Scott said.
The Maccabi Academy team will field youngsters born in 2003 and 2002, but if the response is great enough, it will possibly add teams for kids born in 2001 and 2000 as well.
“We are hiring new coaches, getting more and bigger facilities, but need the public’s help to find the best Jewish kids that we don’t know about in those target years, in particular 2001,” Scott said.
For more information, contact Scott at 647-293-6645, or by e-mail at [email protected].
