Israel hosted another match against Scotland for a match that became a recurring event.
Sunday is the best time that friends can gather and play football. Week after week, no matter if it's a Sunday League team or playing on an asphalt field. It is giving it a feeling of a tradition that can't be stopped.
On this Sunday, also Israel and Scotland have played again for another encounter. This match was the sixth meeting since October 2018. After four games in two different Nations League campaigns and the decisive Euro 2020 playoffs, they know each other even better than they thought.
Israeli fans in Bloomfield for the second time in a few days (Nicole Liberman / BabaGol)
FIRST HALF
The first expectation was to see a bit more tactical match. Both teams arrived after missing points on the opening day. Israel lost 2-0 against Denmark, while the Scots come after a narrow 2-2 draw against Austria. Surprisingly, Israel and Scotland were looking for the first goal since the beginning. In the first half, the teams made 12 goal attempts and presented the weakness of the defences.
In the 44th minute, Israel scored the leading goal. Manor Solomon dribbled his was in the left side and passed it to Dor Peretz. Maccabi Tel Aviv's player made a long-range shot, David Marshall failed to tip it away, and it's a 1-0 to Israel. That was the halftime score, and Israel celebrated its first goal in the campaign.
Dor Peretz is getting ready to score Israel’s goal (Nicole Liberman / BabaGol)
SECOND HALF
The advantage was gone too quickly in the second half. Ryan Fraser got an easy ball nearby the box, three defenders were standing in front of him, but none of them blocked his shot. The ball was fired all the way the net, as Scotland equalized the score.
One player was not good enough on the Israeli side, and it was crucial. Eran Zahavi, the team's top scorer in the last campaign, was looking nervous and confused. His shots were not accurate, and he preferred to look for the goal instead of trying to assist.
With that 1-1 friendly draw, Israel and Scotland will look for their first win in the campaign. At least they will have one more time to play against each other in October. There is a tradition to keep.
