Go Hapoel Tel Aviv! (And Go Tottenham!)

Last Wednesday night, Jeremy and I took the bus to Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa to watch Hapoel Tel Aviv play Benfica of Portugal in the European Champions League, a prestigious soccer tournament that features the best teams from all across Europe.  (Israel may be in Asia geographically, but it's in Europe as far as soccer is concerned, due to the political impossibility of most teams in the Middle East playing a team from Israel.)  Hapoel Tel Aviv qualified for the Champions League by winning the Israeli championship last year, on a goal in the closing minutes of the last game of the season.

From start to finish on Wednesday night, the small stadium was rocking with singing, drumming and cheering red-shirted fans as Hapoel Tel Aviv beat Benfica to win its first ever match in Champions League play.  Even with their impressive 3-0 victory, the team won't be advancing to the final 16 of the tournament.  But it was a great match and we had a really fun time.  Jeremy came prepared for the match decked out in the team colors, thanks to a shirt that Eden's cousin Raya gave him as a present.  (Thanks Raya!)

Posing for pictures before the game

Before the game, I'd read on line that Hapoel Tel Aviv has its roots in the Israeli labor movement and is the standard-bearer of the Israeli left.  As if on cue, the first fan we met on the bus, who showed us the way to the game, said (in very good English):  "It is a good thing your son is wearing the team colors.  We are good fans.  We are liberal, we like Arabs, and we try to get along with everyone.  Not like Beitar Yerushalayim."  (In case you're wondering, Beitar Jerusalem has a reputation for right-wing politics and extremist fans, and is the only top-flight Israeli club never to have signed an Arab player.  By contrast, the captain of Hapoel Tel Aviv is Arab.  Hapoel also has a Nigerian goalkeeper.)

Hapoel Tel Aviv, in their home white jerseys, on the attack (it's confusing, but both teams have red as their team color)

Moving from politics to the pitch, it was a very entertaining match, with plenty of scoring opportunities for both sides.  Hapoel scored first, then withstood an offensive barrage by Benfica in the early moments of the second half, then took control with a second goal with about 15 minutes left, then sealed the deal at the very end with a third.  As the final whistle blew, the team and the fans were ecstatic at its historic European accomplishment.  Jeremy thoroughly enjoyed himself, cheering, jumping, and rooting for Hapoel Tel Aviv - and complaining to me about various referee calls in Benfica's favor that he didn't agree with.

It was a great experience to see a Champions League match - even if it wasn't FC Barcelona vs. Inter Milan (that would be nice), or my favorite team, Tottenham Hotspur (aka "Spurs"), which plays in London and is making its first ever Champions League appearance.  When I explained to Jeremy that neither Hapoel Tel Aviv nor Benfica would be advancing to the final 16 of the tournament, he asked me:  "So, Dad, who are you rooting for?" This year, that's a pretty easy question for me to answer:  "GO SPURS!!"