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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Josh's Maccabi Games Adventure--Part 1
I don't tweet or facebook (often), but I'll try my best to provide daily updates. Please forgive me if I skip a day or two or if my posts become shorter/lazier over time.
Well, I arrived safely in Tel Aviv yesterday. My flight from NYC was delayed several hours so I didnt arrive until around 5:30 PM local time. Flight was good though. Slept and then watched Tropic Thunder - funny. Didnt eat anything on flight. I sat in exit row so lots of leg room.
The airport in TA is so much bigger and more modern than my last visit (2001). The Maccabi organization was set up there and did a great job getting me settled with credentials and transportation. There was a team training in Haifa at 7:30 pm, so I convinced the Maccabi folks to take me straight to the field from the airport. Lets just say that I have had better ideas in my life.
The driver spoke no english, which was not a big issue. We went past TA, Netanya, Hadera, etc. and then the Mediterranean as we entered Haifa. I defintely felt a pump of adrenaline being back in Israel.
Unfortunately, the driver didnt know where he was going once we got to Haifa (about 75 mins away from airport). We drove in circles and side streets for a while as night quickly fell. Finally we found the field, which was in a stadium built into the side of the mountain.
I ran onto the field, now feeling the effects of the day's journey. Everyone seemed happy to see me and I was happy to see the guys. I was immediately thrust into a 7v7 half field match. The field was an immaculate grass pitch, which is a nice luxury.
One thing I have discovered as I have become older is that I cannot see anything without my glasses after 8:00 pm, especially on a soccer field. My eyes are just too tired. Nevertheless, I think I was able to get through it. I got 20 mins of training in before practice ended and we took a chartered bus back to the hotel.
At the hotel I ran up to my room and quickly changed for dinner in the hotel. We are at the Dan Hotel and it is very nice albeit about 25 years outdated. All meals are included and buffet style and there is a ton of food, so that is good. I hung out with the guys but kept dinner brief and then went back to my room to unpack, shower and go to sleep (they use those euro hand held showers - I like those).
I was able to sleep from 10:45 or so until 5:00 am... I think that is pretty good for my first night. I had an odd dream that I was at my Bar Mitzvah - but it wasnt my actual Bar Mitzvah from years ago, this one was somewhere else with different folks. I gave a speech so touching that it brought people to tears. I did a great job. Then all of a sudden my mother has this irrational outburst at my father. Go figure.
Well, I just opened up the breakfast buffet at 6:15 and ended up eating with Elliot Koolik, one of my teammates and a great guy. We have training this morning from 10 - 11:30. I let you know how it goes.
Stay tuned for more. Hopefully these posts will get interesting!
Well, I arrived safely in Tel Aviv yesterday. My flight from NYC was delayed several hours so I didnt arrive until around 5:30 PM local time. Flight was good though. Slept and then watched Tropic Thunder - funny. Didnt eat anything on flight. I sat in exit row so lots of leg room.
The airport in TA is so much bigger and more modern than my last visit (2001). The Maccabi organization was set up there and did a great job getting me settled with credentials and transportation. There was a team training in Haifa at 7:30 pm, so I convinced the Maccabi folks to take me straight to the field from the airport. Lets just say that I have had better ideas in my life.
The driver spoke no english, which was not a big issue. We went past TA, Netanya, Hadera, etc. and then the Mediterranean as we entered Haifa. I defintely felt a pump of adrenaline being back in Israel.
Unfortunately, the driver didnt know where he was going once we got to Haifa (about 75 mins away from airport). We drove in circles and side streets for a while as night quickly fell. Finally we found the field, which was in a stadium built into the side of the mountain.
I ran onto the field, now feeling the effects of the day's journey. Everyone seemed happy to see me and I was happy to see the guys. I was immediately thrust into a 7v7 half field match. The field was an immaculate grass pitch, which is a nice luxury.
One thing I have discovered as I have become older is that I cannot see anything without my glasses after 8:00 pm, especially on a soccer field. My eyes are just too tired. Nevertheless, I think I was able to get through it. I got 20 mins of training in before practice ended and we took a chartered bus back to the hotel.
At the hotel I ran up to my room and quickly changed for dinner in the hotel. We are at the Dan Hotel and it is very nice albeit about 25 years outdated. All meals are included and buffet style and there is a ton of food, so that is good. I hung out with the guys but kept dinner brief and then went back to my room to unpack, shower and go to sleep (they use those euro hand held showers - I like those).
I was able to sleep from 10:45 or so until 5:00 am... I think that is pretty good for my first night. I had an odd dream that I was at my Bar Mitzvah - but it wasnt my actual Bar Mitzvah from years ago, this one was somewhere else with different folks. I gave a speech so touching that it brought people to tears. I did a great job. Then all of a sudden my mother has this irrational outburst at my father. Go figure.
Well, I just opened up the breakfast buffet at 6:15 and ended up eating with Elliot Koolik, one of my teammates and a great guy. We have training this morning from 10 - 11:30. I let you know how it goes.
Stay tuned for more. Hopefully these posts will get interesting!
Josh's Maccabi Games Adventure--Part 2
Amanda reminded me of something I forgot to say in my last post. At one point while driving aimlessly with the lost taxi driver, I called Amanda in the US and put her on the phone with the driver to speak to him. It took awhile for them to understand each other though - not b/c of Amanda's hebrew, but b/c the driver was nearly deaf. Once they finally understood each other, he gave the phone back to me. He was asking Amanda where to go in Haifa and she obviously had no idea what to tell him.
It is HOT here. The heat is going to play a big factor in the tournament. It should be 90-100 degrees for most of the time here. Consequently, our games are scheduled for 6 pm most of the time.
As we approached the field for training yesterday, we saw that the US "Grand Master" team (45+) was finishing up their training on one half. It was cool to see our US brothers. On the other half, the Mexican Open team was taking practice free kicks. The "open" age group is the most competitive, so these were youngsters in their 20's. They looked clearly younger and stronger than me. However, when they left the field they asked if we were the Open US team, which made our day. That validated all our individual efforts to get fit leading up to the tournement (we are the 35-45 age group).
In training, we played a variety of half field scrimmages, mostly restricted to 2 touches on the ball per person. Than we had games which incorporated crossing drills. We are practicing a lot of game situations that involve quick transition and crossing b/c our first opponent is Great Britain and that is their style of play. I think I trained OK, although the heat clearly was affecting me by the end (as it was for all of us). There were a few goal scoring opportunities that I would like to have back, so that is a reminder to be more clinical in my shots.
After training, we went back to the Dan hotel, showered, changed and met for lunch. Lunch was set up in a room that is almost impossible to adequately describe. It has a massive 180 degree panoramic open view of Haifa sloping down the mountain side beneath the viewer and spilling in to the Mediterranean. It was really breathtaking, as if I was stepping into a picture. All the guys were equally impressed.
We had our own free time after lunch until dinner later on, so some guys went to the beach and others went to the pool. I went to an internet cafe down the street to get a big ice coffee and do some work on my computer. I walked about a half mile and found the place inside a mini indoor mall. I had a lot of difficulty getting my adapter to work properly, but eventually I got settled and was able to get about 3 hours of work done (and have 2 ice coffees). Near the end, an american girl wearing a UPenn Soccer shirt asked if she could borrow access to the outlet. Noticing her shirt, we naturally started talking. Turns out she is from Huntington Valley, attended and played at UPenn and is here for the US Womens Open soccer team. Her brother is also here playing for the mens Open team (he is a senior at Duke and plays soccer for them). It was cool to meet someone from where I live, so that was nice.
After I wrapped up my work, I headed back to the hotel, where we were planning to meet to leave for a special Shabbat at the home of the parents of one of our players, Gil Oren. We loaded onto a bus and drove out to Herzliya.
The Oren house was beautiful, with the dinner set up outside in their garden. We enjoyed a great meal and good conversation. This is a really interesting and nice bunch of guys and everyone gets along well. Everyone is competitive and we like to joke and kid around a lot, but there is a quick bond that has formed - similar to the other teams I have played for. That is an excellent sign, since team chemistry is vital.
After dinner we drove back to Haifa, arriving around 11:30. We all just went to bed. No training until the afternoon today.
It is HOT here. The heat is going to play a big factor in the tournament. It should be 90-100 degrees for most of the time here. Consequently, our games are scheduled for 6 pm most of the time.
As we approached the field for training yesterday, we saw that the US "Grand Master" team (45+) was finishing up their training on one half. It was cool to see our US brothers. On the other half, the Mexican Open team was taking practice free kicks. The "open" age group is the most competitive, so these were youngsters in their 20's. They looked clearly younger and stronger than me. However, when they left the field they asked if we were the Open US team, which made our day. That validated all our individual efforts to get fit leading up to the tournement (we are the 35-45 age group).
In training, we played a variety of half field scrimmages, mostly restricted to 2 touches on the ball per person. Than we had games which incorporated crossing drills. We are practicing a lot of game situations that involve quick transition and crossing b/c our first opponent is Great Britain and that is their style of play. I think I trained OK, although the heat clearly was affecting me by the end (as it was for all of us). There were a few goal scoring opportunities that I would like to have back, so that is a reminder to be more clinical in my shots.
After training, we went back to the Dan hotel, showered, changed and met for lunch. Lunch was set up in a room that is almost impossible to adequately describe. It has a massive 180 degree panoramic open view of Haifa sloping down the mountain side beneath the viewer and spilling in to the Mediterranean. It was really breathtaking, as if I was stepping into a picture. All the guys were equally impressed.
We had our own free time after lunch until dinner later on, so some guys went to the beach and others went to the pool. I went to an internet cafe down the street to get a big ice coffee and do some work on my computer. I walked about a half mile and found the place inside a mini indoor mall. I had a lot of difficulty getting my adapter to work properly, but eventually I got settled and was able to get about 3 hours of work done (and have 2 ice coffees). Near the end, an american girl wearing a UPenn Soccer shirt asked if she could borrow access to the outlet. Noticing her shirt, we naturally started talking. Turns out she is from Huntington Valley, attended and played at UPenn and is here for the US Womens Open soccer team. Her brother is also here playing for the mens Open team (he is a senior at Duke and plays soccer for them). It was cool to meet someone from where I live, so that was nice.
After I wrapped up my work, I headed back to the hotel, where we were planning to meet to leave for a special Shabbat at the home of the parents of one of our players, Gil Oren. We loaded onto a bus and drove out to Herzliya.
The Oren house was beautiful, with the dinner set up outside in their garden. We enjoyed a great meal and good conversation. This is a really interesting and nice bunch of guys and everyone gets along well. Everyone is competitive and we like to joke and kid around a lot, but there is a quick bond that has formed - similar to the other teams I have played for. That is an excellent sign, since team chemistry is vital.
After dinner we drove back to Haifa, arriving around 11:30. We all just went to bed. No training until the afternoon today.
Josh's Maccabi Games Adventure--Part 3
So, yesterday started off weird. I had fallen asleep right after we came back to the hotel the night before around 11:30 pm. I didnt set the alarm, since we had no training or team meetings planned for the morning. Well, the next sound I heard was the cleaning lady knocking on my door at 11:30 am! I have not slept 12 hours for years, and then only if was ill. This time, I slept like a dead weight and I had no sense of how long I was out. I was actually disappointed by this though; I don't want to sleep my days away here. I got up and went to lunch (breakfast), where I discovered that at least 4 others and the coach all had the same exact experience that morning! That made me feel a bit better about myself.
After lunch (breakfast), I joined a bunch of the guys going to the beach. We split taxis down there, with the idea that we would meet up. I took a ride with Elliot Koolik and Dave Rosenstein. When we got to the Dado Beach, we started walking in the wrong direction for about 10 minutes before we figured that out and headed back the other way.
Dado Beach was crawling with thousands of people. The beach itself isnt so big, although it is a few miles long. There is a boardwalk that covers the length of it and there are cafes, bars and ice cream/water stands bordering the boardwalk. It seemed as though all of Haifa was out at the beach. Folks in Israel are NOT shy and everyone wears very little at the beach - defintely not what I see at the Belmont Pool back home. String bikinis, thongs, speedos are pretty common and to their credit, most (although not all) pull it off well. And the lather themselves up with oil.
As we strolled down the boardwalk looking for our teammates, we ran into a few other guys who were already there. We finally found the guys we were looking for about 1 mile or so down the beach. They already had obtained a few chairs out on the sand under an umbrella, so we joined them and chilled out. We mostly talked about people we know in common in the soccer world. Some of the guys, like Irad Young, played pro in the MISL, MLS and abroad so they told us stories about what it was like and what they did. I thought it was very cool to learn about that and to hear about some players that I only watched on TV and discover what they were really like as people.
After an hour or so we headed back up the boardwalk and stopped in at a cafe where we were treated by Irad's dad to turkish coffee. I had an ice coffee instead though since it was extremely hot there (yes, Mand, I am wearing my sunscreen). Mr. Young is a living legend in Israel. He played pro there and was the captain of their national team for most of the 1960s. He also played in the 1968 olympics and for the Cosmos in 1972-1973. He is also a real character and fun to be around. He told different stories about his playing days and growing up in Israel that were fascinating.
We headed back to the hotel where we had about 30 minutes to get ready to take a team run. After a shower and change into running gear, I met up with the boys in the lobby and we ran out into the streets of Haifa and took a short 1.5 mile course through the city to a park where we streched some and then ran back. Then coach spoke to us for awhile about strategy and ideas for tomorrow's game against Great Britain, which will open our games for us, we streched/cooled down and then headed back in for dinner.
At dinner, a rabbi sat with us. He was assigned to stay with our delegation over shabbat at the hotel, so he had been with us at lunch as well. He is an interesting guy. During meals, he would get up and say a few words about the torah portion that day and how it relates to what we are trying to do here at the Games. After dinner, he held a quick 5 minute Havdalah service. Other than maybe 2 other guys on the team, this was a first time experience for my teammates. I think they enjoyed it.
That evening we were planning on catching Bruno or some other movie, but we couldnt get to the movies in time, so we just walked down ths street to a pool hall where we played pool for about 3 hours. No alcohol of course, since we are 24 hours from game time. That was low key but fun since it was another great team bonding experience. We left the pool hall around 11 and were in bed by 11:30.
It was an odd day because I slept all morning and we didnt really train other than the run. Now, all the guys are really focusing on the game tomorrow evening against Great Britain and the role each of us will have to play. Everyone will have a meaningful contribution in the tournament b/c of the heat, the number of games, injuries and open substitution rules. We are quickly getting our game faces on. I should have a game to report in my next post!
After lunch (breakfast), I joined a bunch of the guys going to the beach. We split taxis down there, with the idea that we would meet up. I took a ride with Elliot Koolik and Dave Rosenstein. When we got to the Dado Beach, we started walking in the wrong direction for about 10 minutes before we figured that out and headed back the other way.
Dado Beach was crawling with thousands of people. The beach itself isnt so big, although it is a few miles long. There is a boardwalk that covers the length of it and there are cafes, bars and ice cream/water stands bordering the boardwalk. It seemed as though all of Haifa was out at the beach. Folks in Israel are NOT shy and everyone wears very little at the beach - defintely not what I see at the Belmont Pool back home. String bikinis, thongs, speedos are pretty common and to their credit, most (although not all) pull it off well. And the lather themselves up with oil.
As we strolled down the boardwalk looking for our teammates, we ran into a few other guys who were already there. We finally found the guys we were looking for about 1 mile or so down the beach. They already had obtained a few chairs out on the sand under an umbrella, so we joined them and chilled out. We mostly talked about people we know in common in the soccer world. Some of the guys, like Irad Young, played pro in the MISL, MLS and abroad so they told us stories about what it was like and what they did. I thought it was very cool to learn about that and to hear about some players that I only watched on TV and discover what they were really like as people.
After an hour or so we headed back up the boardwalk and stopped in at a cafe where we were treated by Irad's dad to turkish coffee. I had an ice coffee instead though since it was extremely hot there (yes, Mand, I am wearing my sunscreen). Mr. Young is a living legend in Israel. He played pro there and was the captain of their national team for most of the 1960s. He also played in the 1968 olympics and for the Cosmos in 1972-1973. He is also a real character and fun to be around. He told different stories about his playing days and growing up in Israel that were fascinating.
We headed back to the hotel where we had about 30 minutes to get ready to take a team run. After a shower and change into running gear, I met up with the boys in the lobby and we ran out into the streets of Haifa and took a short 1.5 mile course through the city to a park where we streched some and then ran back. Then coach spoke to us for awhile about strategy and ideas for tomorrow's game against Great Britain, which will open our games for us, we streched/cooled down and then headed back in for dinner.
At dinner, a rabbi sat with us. He was assigned to stay with our delegation over shabbat at the hotel, so he had been with us at lunch as well. He is an interesting guy. During meals, he would get up and say a few words about the torah portion that day and how it relates to what we are trying to do here at the Games. After dinner, he held a quick 5 minute Havdalah service. Other than maybe 2 other guys on the team, this was a first time experience for my teammates. I think they enjoyed it.
That evening we were planning on catching Bruno or some other movie, but we couldnt get to the movies in time, so we just walked down ths street to a pool hall where we played pool for about 3 hours. No alcohol of course, since we are 24 hours from game time. That was low key but fun since it was another great team bonding experience. We left the pool hall around 11 and were in bed by 11:30.
It was an odd day because I slept all morning and we didnt really train other than the run. Now, all the guys are really focusing on the game tomorrow evening against Great Britain and the role each of us will have to play. Everyone will have a meaningful contribution in the tournament b/c of the heat, the number of games, injuries and open substitution rules. We are quickly getting our game faces on. I should have a game to report in my next post!
Josh's Maccabi Games Adventure--Part 4
Well, every adventure has its ups and downs. The last 24 hours has definitely been down.
Our game against Great Britain was at 6 pm so we had most of the day to ourselves. I took the opportunity to get a shoulder massage at the hotel, which was great (discount for Maccabi atheletes). Then I headed for the internet cafe and worked there for a few hours.
Gamtime came quickly and we left for the field. We already knew the starting lineups in advance, so I knew that I was starting at right midfield. Another game between Mexico and S. Africa was winding down when we arrived (Mex: 6 - S. Afr.: 0). The guys seemed ready and prepared.
Once the game started the initial nerves wore away quickly. I was having a great time, making tackles and passing and making runs. Then, at about the 12 minute mark I landed wrong on my ankle and it turned over. This is the same injury I had back in March, although not as severe. Regardless, I was done for the day b/c I couldnt support myself with the ankle. Gutted, I came off. Coach asked me if I could come back in if I taped the ankle, so I got it taped...but it still was not good enough, so I threw on a yellow substitute pinney and supported the squad the best I could from the bench.
The game was good, although I thought we gave them a bit to much respect. In my opinion, the GB team wasnt that impressive. They controlled a bit more possession out the backfield, but we were much too strong for them in defense. The game seemed detined for a draw when GB got a goal in the 90th minute, seconds before the game ended. A heartbreaking loss plus I got injured!
On the ride back to the hotel, I started to feel nauseus, which worried me b/c there is a bug that's been going around the team. Well, that ended up being my destiny as well. That night I was horribly sick in every way imaginable and didnt sleep a wink. We had a practice the next morning (which I couldnt play in anyhow b/c of the ankle injury), but I spoke to Coach and he let me sleep in. I tried to sleep in all morning and overcome the nausia, which got a bit better. I also kept bags of ice nearby to ice my ankle. Not a fun night or morning.
This afternoon, we left for Tel Aviv to take part in the Opening Ceremonies. The athletes are required to line up about 3 hours before the march, which is a bit crazy. So, most of the athletes snuck out to the mall right next to the stadium to chill out. That is where I am writing this from, drinking an ice coffee and trying to rehab my ankle. Tomorrow we play S. Africa, but I am 50/50 because of the ankle. Just tring to maintain...hopefully cheerier stuff tomorrow.
Our game against Great Britain was at 6 pm so we had most of the day to ourselves. I took the opportunity to get a shoulder massage at the hotel, which was great (discount for Maccabi atheletes). Then I headed for the internet cafe and worked there for a few hours.
Gamtime came quickly and we left for the field. We already knew the starting lineups in advance, so I knew that I was starting at right midfield. Another game between Mexico and S. Africa was winding down when we arrived (Mex: 6 - S. Afr.: 0). The guys seemed ready and prepared.
Once the game started the initial nerves wore away quickly. I was having a great time, making tackles and passing and making runs. Then, at about the 12 minute mark I landed wrong on my ankle and it turned over. This is the same injury I had back in March, although not as severe. Regardless, I was done for the day b/c I couldnt support myself with the ankle. Gutted, I came off. Coach asked me if I could come back in if I taped the ankle, so I got it taped...but it still was not good enough, so I threw on a yellow substitute pinney and supported the squad the best I could from the bench.
The game was good, although I thought we gave them a bit to much respect. In my opinion, the GB team wasnt that impressive. They controlled a bit more possession out the backfield, but we were much too strong for them in defense. The game seemed detined for a draw when GB got a goal in the 90th minute, seconds before the game ended. A heartbreaking loss plus I got injured!
On the ride back to the hotel, I started to feel nauseus, which worried me b/c there is a bug that's been going around the team. Well, that ended up being my destiny as well. That night I was horribly sick in every way imaginable and didnt sleep a wink. We had a practice the next morning (which I couldnt play in anyhow b/c of the ankle injury), but I spoke to Coach and he let me sleep in. I tried to sleep in all morning and overcome the nausia, which got a bit better. I also kept bags of ice nearby to ice my ankle. Not a fun night or morning.
This afternoon, we left for Tel Aviv to take part in the Opening Ceremonies. The athletes are required to line up about 3 hours before the march, which is a bit crazy. So, most of the athletes snuck out to the mall right next to the stadium to chill out. That is where I am writing this from, drinking an ice coffee and trying to rehab my ankle. Tomorrow we play S. Africa, but I am 50/50 because of the ankle. Just tring to maintain...hopefully cheerier stuff tomorrow.
Josh's Maccabi Games Adventure--Part 5
Well, I have some better news to report. I overcame by bug and my ankle is healing remarkably well. Considering my bad luck in recent months with this ankle, I am amazed at the quick recovery. Maybe it has something to do with being in Israel? I don't know, but divine intervention or not, I'll take it. As a result of my quick recovery, I anticipate getting plenty of minutes today in our second game against S. Africa, although I expect a substitutes' role.
Last I wrote, I was sitting in a coffee shop with a few of my teammates waiting for the Opening Ceremonies to begin. Although, since I was typing away at my blackberry posting to you, I wasn't really involved in the group dynamic. After about an hour, we headed back to the field in the shadow of the stadium where all the athletes were waiting for the procession to begin.
There are over 8,000 athletes in these games, so there were a lot of us. The US contingent is the largest. Just like the Olympics, each team has its own ceremonial outfit. For the US, the men wore an Adidas navy blue button-up polo jersey with a red "USA" on the back, Adidas khaki shorts and a sort of straw-like hat that had a red and blue trim. The shirt and khakis looked pretty good, the hat was awful. The women wore an Adidas red polo shirt with a blue "USA" on the back, Adidas women-style khakis and the same terrible hat. As a team, we looked pretty good. I thought the Holland team had the sharpest look with an orange polo with big white letters in the back that said "Holland". But, I am a minimalist.
Soon it became nightfall and the athletes were getting excited and rowdy. The Brits and the Argies were singing a lot of songs at each other. I milled around with Doug Homer, my teammate and a fantastic guy and we talked with a lot of folks from different teams (US, UK, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Norway) just to get to know people. From where we stood, we caught glimpses into the upper tiers of the stadium, and it was PACKED all the way around. The stadium is in Ramat Gan and is the national stadium of Israel. Soon, the loudspeakers started telling the athletes to start marching in according to country alphabetical order. This meant we were near the end. Eventually, the US team started the march into the stadium.
I cannot even begin to adequately describe the following experience. The best I can do is to say it was identical to a modern Olympic opening ceremony. There were about 70,000 people in the stadium and it was bright and loud. There were TV cameras set up everywhere with boom mikes and cameras flying overheard, processional style music, a roaring crowd, dignitaries (including Netanyahu and Peres), fireworks, thousands of professional dancers and children doing all sorts of choreographed dances, flags everywhere. Exploding confetti raining down. It was pretty nuts. They marched us in on the track oval. We were all pretty overwhelmed, smiling and waiving at the crowds and cameras. Very exhilarating.
They walked us into our designated area on the field and then everyone sat down and the proceeded to have about an hour to hour and a half of shows and dance and singing numbers, speeches by Netanyahu and Peres. The center of the field had a massive stage with huge screens on all four sides that constantly had prearranged, choreographed shows on. That US olympic swimmer Lezak (forgot his first name) who swam with Phelps this past Olympics in Beijing ran the torch into the stadium for the last leg and lit up the Maccabi torch. He is competing for the US in Swimming. But the most touching part, I thought, was when everyone in the stadium sang the Hatikvah together. It was a chilling and moving experience. People from all over the world, speaking different languages -- but united together as Am Yisrael and in Israel all singing the Hatikvah as a nation. It was all an unbelievable experience that I will carry with me for a long time.
Another of the cooler experiences was trading stuff with other players. I had done this before as a youth player in other countries and never thought much of it. But, for some reason, it was really cool to have people come up to you and trade the shirt right off your back, your hat, whatever. I traded my hat for an Australia cyclist-style hat that is white, yellow and green and made out of meshy clima-lite material, so that was a great trade for me. Some of my teammates really got great stuff - Argentina and Brazil national jerseys, Chile sleeveless athletic vest, Swiss baseball cap, etc. We also stole about 5 of the Israeli flags that were in the stadium.
Finally it all wound down and the atheletes waited as the crowd left the stadium before filing out ourselves. We waded amongst a crowd of thousands until we got to the designated bus area, found our bus, and drove back to our base in Haifa. It was a special night.
Well, as mentioned before, today we play South Africa. We absolutely need a victory here. SA lost to Mexico 6-0, but we cannot be cocky. I'll let you know how it goes.
Last I wrote, I was sitting in a coffee shop with a few of my teammates waiting for the Opening Ceremonies to begin. Although, since I was typing away at my blackberry posting to you, I wasn't really involved in the group dynamic. After about an hour, we headed back to the field in the shadow of the stadium where all the athletes were waiting for the procession to begin.
There are over 8,000 athletes in these games, so there were a lot of us. The US contingent is the largest. Just like the Olympics, each team has its own ceremonial outfit. For the US, the men wore an Adidas navy blue button-up polo jersey with a red "USA" on the back, Adidas khaki shorts and a sort of straw-like hat that had a red and blue trim. The shirt and khakis looked pretty good, the hat was awful. The women wore an Adidas red polo shirt with a blue "USA" on the back, Adidas women-style khakis and the same terrible hat. As a team, we looked pretty good. I thought the Holland team had the sharpest look with an orange polo with big white letters in the back that said "Holland". But, I am a minimalist.
Soon it became nightfall and the athletes were getting excited and rowdy. The Brits and the Argies were singing a lot of songs at each other. I milled around with Doug Homer, my teammate and a fantastic guy and we talked with a lot of folks from different teams (US, UK, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Norway) just to get to know people. From where we stood, we caught glimpses into the upper tiers of the stadium, and it was PACKED all the way around. The stadium is in Ramat Gan and is the national stadium of Israel. Soon, the loudspeakers started telling the athletes to start marching in according to country alphabetical order. This meant we were near the end. Eventually, the US team started the march into the stadium.
I cannot even begin to adequately describe the following experience. The best I can do is to say it was identical to a modern Olympic opening ceremony. There were about 70,000 people in the stadium and it was bright and loud. There were TV cameras set up everywhere with boom mikes and cameras flying overheard, processional style music, a roaring crowd, dignitaries (including Netanyahu and Peres), fireworks, thousands of professional dancers and children doing all sorts of choreographed dances, flags everywhere. Exploding confetti raining down. It was pretty nuts. They marched us in on the track oval. We were all pretty overwhelmed, smiling and waiving at the crowds and cameras. Very exhilarating.
They walked us into our designated area on the field and then everyone sat down and the proceeded to have about an hour to hour and a half of shows and dance and singing numbers, speeches by Netanyahu and Peres. The center of the field had a massive stage with huge screens on all four sides that constantly had prearranged, choreographed shows on. That US olympic swimmer Lezak (forgot his first name) who swam with Phelps this past Olympics in Beijing ran the torch into the stadium for the last leg and lit up the Maccabi torch. He is competing for the US in Swimming. But the most touching part, I thought, was when everyone in the stadium sang the Hatikvah together. It was a chilling and moving experience. People from all over the world, speaking different languages -- but united together as Am Yisrael and in Israel all singing the Hatikvah as a nation. It was all an unbelievable experience that I will carry with me for a long time.
Another of the cooler experiences was trading stuff with other players. I had done this before as a youth player in other countries and never thought much of it. But, for some reason, it was really cool to have people come up to you and trade the shirt right off your back, your hat, whatever. I traded my hat for an Australia cyclist-style hat that is white, yellow and green and made out of meshy clima-lite material, so that was a great trade for me. Some of my teammates really got great stuff - Argentina and Brazil national jerseys, Chile sleeveless athletic vest, Swiss baseball cap, etc. We also stole about 5 of the Israeli flags that were in the stadium.
Finally it all wound down and the atheletes waited as the crowd left the stadium before filing out ourselves. We waded amongst a crowd of thousands until we got to the designated bus area, found our bus, and drove back to our base in Haifa. It was a special night.
Well, as mentioned before, today we play South Africa. We absolutely need a victory here. SA lost to Mexico 6-0, but we cannot be cocky. I'll let you know how it goes.
Josh's Maccabi Games Adventure--Part 6
So yesterday was a must win match against South Africa. We gathered as a team in the morning in the back of the hotel and discussed tactics. For this game we were going to switch our alignment to a 3-4-3, which is a very offensive approach. Coach also gave out the game line up. As predicted, I was listed as a substitute b/c of the knock I took to the ankle. Coach said I was a game time decision b/c we needed to see how my ankle held up once it was taped.
I spent most of the day working from the internet cafe. Time really seems to go quickly here and it was soon 4:00. I left to see the trainer to get my ankle taped. My ankle was tender, but it seemed to hold up when I put pressure on it. Again, I cant believe how well it has rehabbed in so short of a time. Even Coach expressed surprise at my recovery b/c he saw how swollen it was.
We left for the field at 4:30 for our 6:00 game. It takes about 30 minutes driving through Haifa to get to the field. When we arrived, GB and Mexico were already playing on an adjacent field, but we avoided the temptation to watch and instead suited up and began warm ups. All our warm ups are led by Dave Bannick, our keeper. He has a high-end personal training business in LA. He is the personal trainer to the stars and knows his stuff. After warm ups, we kicked some balls around, practiced shooting and played small sided games.
The field was different from our first game. This one was tiny and pretty hard, which was a disadvantage for us. SA play very direct and physical, but are not so fast or technical, so we would rather have had a larger field to pass around them. On this field, there would be very little time on the ball before you get hit hard.
The game started and I was in my sub's pinney. The game was fast and physical. SA was definitely not a technically gifted team, but they had passion. The combination of small field dimensions and SA also needing a win made it a scrappy affair. After about 15 minutes, Coach told me to get ready to come in to play left midfield - so that wasn't much time on the bench. As I was warming up, we were able to the make a nice build up down the right side, get a cross in and score a goal by Gil Oren. The early goal was great for us and was a huge relief. I came in after the goal and played left midfield for the remainder of the first half.
At halftime, Coach changed our formation to a 4-4-2, which is a bit more defensive and control-oriented. In this alignment, he shifted me to right defensive back, which is where I played for the rest of the game. We were able to score a second goal in the second half on a beautiful turn and shot in the penalty box by Irad Young. I had tough man marking responsibilities against their forward, who was pretty good. Fast and physical. In fact, the game overall was played at a very fast pace, so I had to concentrate to make sure I was in the match and doing what I needed to do to help the team. I played a solid game, though.
Finally, the game ended with a US victory, 2-0. I was relieved to hear the final whistle b/c I was severely depleted. The past few days of illness took a lot out of me and it was a challenge to keep up my energy level. All the guys were happy that we got the needed victory. GB and Mexico tied their match, 0-0. This means that we must beat Mexico in our match against them tomorrow to advance out of our bracket into the knockout phase. A tie or a loss will not be enough.
We headed back to the hotel, wasted and tired, but happy. At the hotel we quickly showered, changed and then got on a bus to go to a planned dinner in Tel Aviv. I grabbed an ice bag and brought it with me to ice my ankle. The bus ride was long, especially since we stopped in Ceasereia (sp?) to pick up some guys from the South African golf team (already drinking) and a bunch of girls from the Israeli Maccabi organization committee that wanted to hitch a ride. We didnt get to the beach in Tel Aviv until 11:30 pm and we were all regretting this trip. The beach, however, was beautiful. We ate on the beach outside a place called Mezamim. After dinner we hopped back on the bus and took the trip back to Haifa, made longer b/c of highway construction, and fell into bed.
This morning we had a light practice session for about 1 hour, talked about the SA game and our upcoming match against Mexico, and then headed over to watch the US Grand Master team lose 2-0 to the Brits. We have the rest of the day to ourselves and some of the guys are going back to Tel Aviv this afternoon to watch a UEFA Cup match between Hapoel Tel Aviv and some Irish team at the stadium. I am not going, because I need all the rest I can get for tomorrow's crucial match against Mexico.
I spent most of the day working from the internet cafe. Time really seems to go quickly here and it was soon 4:00. I left to see the trainer to get my ankle taped. My ankle was tender, but it seemed to hold up when I put pressure on it. Again, I cant believe how well it has rehabbed in so short of a time. Even Coach expressed surprise at my recovery b/c he saw how swollen it was.
We left for the field at 4:30 for our 6:00 game. It takes about 30 minutes driving through Haifa to get to the field. When we arrived, GB and Mexico were already playing on an adjacent field, but we avoided the temptation to watch and instead suited up and began warm ups. All our warm ups are led by Dave Bannick, our keeper. He has a high-end personal training business in LA. He is the personal trainer to the stars and knows his stuff. After warm ups, we kicked some balls around, practiced shooting and played small sided games.
The field was different from our first game. This one was tiny and pretty hard, which was a disadvantage for us. SA play very direct and physical, but are not so fast or technical, so we would rather have had a larger field to pass around them. On this field, there would be very little time on the ball before you get hit hard.
The game started and I was in my sub's pinney. The game was fast and physical. SA was definitely not a technically gifted team, but they had passion. The combination of small field dimensions and SA also needing a win made it a scrappy affair. After about 15 minutes, Coach told me to get ready to come in to play left midfield - so that wasn't much time on the bench. As I was warming up, we were able to the make a nice build up down the right side, get a cross in and score a goal by Gil Oren. The early goal was great for us and was a huge relief. I came in after the goal and played left midfield for the remainder of the first half.
At halftime, Coach changed our formation to a 4-4-2, which is a bit more defensive and control-oriented. In this alignment, he shifted me to right defensive back, which is where I played for the rest of the game. We were able to score a second goal in the second half on a beautiful turn and shot in the penalty box by Irad Young. I had tough man marking responsibilities against their forward, who was pretty good. Fast and physical. In fact, the game overall was played at a very fast pace, so I had to concentrate to make sure I was in the match and doing what I needed to do to help the team. I played a solid game, though.
Finally, the game ended with a US victory, 2-0. I was relieved to hear the final whistle b/c I was severely depleted. The past few days of illness took a lot out of me and it was a challenge to keep up my energy level. All the guys were happy that we got the needed victory. GB and Mexico tied their match, 0-0. This means that we must beat Mexico in our match against them tomorrow to advance out of our bracket into the knockout phase. A tie or a loss will not be enough.
We headed back to the hotel, wasted and tired, but happy. At the hotel we quickly showered, changed and then got on a bus to go to a planned dinner in Tel Aviv. I grabbed an ice bag and brought it with me to ice my ankle. The bus ride was long, especially since we stopped in Ceasereia (sp?) to pick up some guys from the South African golf team (already drinking) and a bunch of girls from the Israeli Maccabi organization committee that wanted to hitch a ride. We didnt get to the beach in Tel Aviv until 11:30 pm and we were all regretting this trip. The beach, however, was beautiful. We ate on the beach outside a place called Mezamim. After dinner we hopped back on the bus and took the trip back to Haifa, made longer b/c of highway construction, and fell into bed.
This morning we had a light practice session for about 1 hour, talked about the SA game and our upcoming match against Mexico, and then headed over to watch the US Grand Master team lose 2-0 to the Brits. We have the rest of the day to ourselves and some of the guys are going back to Tel Aviv this afternoon to watch a UEFA Cup match between Hapoel Tel Aviv and some Irish team at the stadium. I am not going, because I need all the rest I can get for tomorrow's crucial match against Mexico.
Josh's Maccabi Games Adventure--Part 7
Apologies for the missed day. It has been a busy 48 hours. I'll do my best to bring you up to date.
Last I wrote, I referenced a UEFA football match that my teammates were considering going to in Tel Aviv. I didn't want to go b/c of the long trip to TA. However, my info was wrong. The game was in Haifa at the stadium of Maccabi Haifa, the reigning champions of the Israeli Premier League. The game was a play-in for Champions League against the winners of the Northern Ireland league. Since it was so close by, I went after all.
The tickets were pretty expensive, around $40 - but that was because the game was for Champions League play. We all sat more or less at field level at about the 18 yard line, very good seats. The stadium was filled and full of cheer and chants. The main supporters section was across the field on the opposite side, diagonally from our location. The entire section from top to bottom and about 50 seats across was up and chanting in unison the entire game. The entire stadium was clad in green, the main color of Maccabi Haifa. Sometimes, the two sides of the stadium would engage in interactive call and response chants or songs. I've been to euro soccer games before, so I have experienced professional football matches, but it is always uplifting and chilling to be in the middle of the chants, even if I dont understand what they are saying (even when it is in english).
The game was completely one-sided, with the Israeli team destroying the Irish team, 6-0. I leafed though the game day brochure and made quick notice that none of the players were born before 1981, yet another sobering realization of my aging status. One player was born in 1992, a fact that made me simply slump in my chair. But, these players were very good, so fast and fit and technical. The crowd was in a great mood due to the lopsided score. We took taxis back to the hotel after the game and settled in to rest for the next day's crucial match against Mexico.
The next morning we had a team meeting in the morning to go over the plans for the Mexico game. Coach announced that we would use a 4-4-2 formation, with me playing right back. However, I was to have very offensive responsibilities, pushing up into the midfield offensively to leave the man marking responsibilities to the other 3 defenders. My job was to become an offensive option and to cut off passes into the midfield and clog up transition for the Mexicans. So, I had a lot of running ahead of me and I needed to be alert and proactive so I could anticipate and read Mexico's outlet passing out of the back, as well as resume normal defensive responsibility's if the Mexican's breached our midfield pressure. We were all pumped for the game, although I sensed a mixture of tension as well. This was a must-win scenario if we wanted to continue for medal contention. Also, this game was at 4:00, earlier than the other games, so the sun and heat would play a part.
As with the other gamedays, the day went quickly. I stayed in the hotel lobby and stole some free wi-fi for awhile, before leaving to get my ankle taped for the game. We left the hotel around 2:30 and went to the field. We played at the same field where we played Great Britain. The Mexican team shares the same hotel as us, so we all went to the field at the same time (although, smartly, on separate buses).
At the field, we had our standard warm up routine. We streched, kicked the ball around and played small sided, two-touch games. When the game was ready to begin, both teams' starting 11 lined up side by side in the corner with the referee and linesmen in the front, followed by each team's captain, the goalkeeper, and then the rest of the team. Some sort of official sounding song started and we walked out to the center circle. When we reached the center circle, the teams lined up in a flat line, with the referee and linesmen in the center. We all saluted the supporters sitting in the side of the stadium we were facing, then turned around and saluted the supporter sitting in the other side. Then each team walked past each other, shaking hands and giving best wishes, before sprinting out to our positions in the field. It was done just like a professional match, which I think is pretty damn cool. All of our matches had the same start, something I forgot to mention.
The game started well for the US. We were controlling play and applying high pressure to the Mexicans. The first 10 minutes, especially, were good for the US. After that, the game seemed to settle and become a more even affair. The Mexicans were not particularly fit or fast, or even that technical, but the clearly played well as a team and had high familiarity, something that we sort of lacked. It's hard to pull together a team from across the US. The Mexicans all live in Mexico City and have known eachother for years, so each player knows how the other tends to touch the ball, his strengths and weaknesses, etc. They also had 2-3 more technical/clinical players around the goal who could hold the ball and get a good shot off. Their goalie was small and not good, but their 2 central defenders were very, very big and good in the air.
Nonetheless, we needed to play with more urgency, since a tie would not be good enough. We had to play for the win and get goals. Then, at about the 20 minute mark, bad things happened. A Mexican forward got into the box and was tripped up by a defender and was awarded a penalty kick. There was no argument from the US side. However, our keeper improbably saved the penalty kick, which lifted our morale and kept us in the game.
About 4 minutes later, the Mexicans had a free kick into our penalty box, which we cleared. A Mexican player collected the clearance and passed a looping ball to a forward on the left side of the box. The ball was played perfectly over the head of the defender (in this case, not me), and the forward was able to collect the pass and touch it well, slotting it in the opposite corner. Mexico -1, US -0.
We tried not let the goal get us down, although the uphill battle just became harder. We started to play with more urgency and higher pressure. About 10 minutes later, Mexico had a throw in from about 25-30 yards out, The man I was marking made a run to the ball to get the throw in, and I followed him, goal side. As the throw in came to my man, I saw an opportunity to step in front of him to attempt the steal. I took the chance, but the ball was moving off the throw a bit faster than I anticipated and it flew past my leg. My man also did a good job of bumping/shielding me from making the intercept. My man then wheeled around and on the first touch off the bounce blasted a 20-25 yard shot in to the roof of the goal. Mexico-2, US-1. I could only feel disappointment.
We entered halftime down 2-0, an almost impossible task ahead of us. We agreed to take it one goal at a time, rather than look at it as a 3 goal battle. The second half started looking for the goal that would begin the comeback. As in the first half, we started the half strong, keeping the ball in the Mexican half, working the ball around and looking for our chances. We could not get a good shot, though, and the clock kept ticking. The Mexicans were able to get a few counterattacks here and there, but we did a good job keeping them in check. Then, at about15 minutes into the second half, a Mexican forward was played a counterattack long ball which he was able to run down in the corner and bring into the box. A trailing US player chased him down and caught up, but the Mexican dragged the ball in front of the US player, tripping over his foot. The ref called another penalty shot. We were really feeling like this wasn't our day. 2 penalties is pretty rare, and our luck was running out. The Mexicans had a different player take this kick and this time...our goalkeeper made another save! David Bannick, penalty saver extraordinaire. We were still down 2-0, but it could be worse if not for Dave's fantastic heroics.
The game continued, but to the Mexican's credit, we couldn't get any dangerous shots in. Then, at about 7 minutes left, the Mexican's had a throw in from the US corner. The ball was thrown to a Mexican player in the box, who tried to pivot and turn off his marker. All of a sudden, the ref came running in calling ANOTHER penalty! Unbelievable. 3 penalties is nearly unheard of. At this point, we knew that the game wasnt meant to be and asking any more of our goalkeeper was too much. This time, Dave had no more heroics left and the Mexican's were able to convert the penalty. The game ended soon after.
Everyone on the team was disappointed in the result and what it meant. As a result of this loss, we are now out of medal contention. We will continue in a mini-tourney amongst the third place teams from each bracket, the "UEFA Cup" tourney to the "Champions League" tourney that the Mexicans and Brits will play in for the medal rounds. We were all feeling bad because we knew that the score was not inicative of the difference between the teams and also because we knew we could do better in the tournament. In retrospect, the 1-0 loss to GB in injury time in our first game ended up being a real difference. Had we tied GB, or won that match, it would have helped a lot. But, that's soccer - no could haves or would haves allowed. Now, we have 2 more games to go, 1 on Sunday and 1 on Tuesday.
I was pretty spent after the match. I have played quite a bit here and there's been a lot of running and high-concentration. On a personal level, I am disappointed with these results and our failure to advance for the medals. I think I have played solidly, but I tend to only think about what I've done wrong or what else I could have done to be a more impactful player. Physically, the games are demanding and I have been giving whatever I have. The playing time I have received and the words of my teammates have been a nice recognition that I am a key member of the squad (although everyone has made a contribution), but I know that there is more that I could give. I will use these last 2 games to give whatever else I have left...and maybe have a goal to speak of.
Josh's Maccabi Games Adventure--Part 8
OK, I will try to bring you up to date with all the latest that has occurred since the Mexico game.
We went out the night of the Mexico game to a local pub/restaurant, trying to forget the game. About 15 of us took over an "Irish" place and basically ordered everything on the menu, including the hard drinks. We were having a good time, washing away the disappointment and getting rowdy -- until the Mexican team showed up. Unbelievable, we can't get away from these guys. We tried to avoid them as best we could - the liquor helped. When we finished, we headed out to a karaoke bar. That was actually pretty fun for awhile. I left after about an hour and went to bed.
The next morning we got going early because Nir Servi, one of our players, arranged for a guided tour of Jerusalem. About 12-13 of us went on the tour. The bus ride was about 1.5 hours to Jerusalem. For most of the trip, our tour guide spoke, telling us about the history of Israel. He wasnt shy about the hot topics either. I thought it was very interesting to hear his perspective, which I found pretty balanced.
We entered Jerusalem and parked at a location which overlooked the old city. The whole team got together and we poured some wine into plastic cups. The guide asked if anyone would lead the Shehechiyanu and the Kiddush and no one volunteered, so I stepped forward and said both prayers. For those who do not know, the Shehechiyanu is the prayer which is recited thanking God for letting us arrive at a holy moment, such as holiday or a simcha, like a wedding. Since this was the first time in Jerusalem for most of the players, it was deemed appropriate to say the prayer. The Kiddush is recited before we drink wine. I felt very honored to say the prayers for the team, and it held special meaning for me as well since going to Jerusalem is always a holy experience for me.
We got back on the bus and drove to a spot from which we disembarked into the old city. We entered in the Jewish quarter, and walked around the narrow, walled-in city looking at the various architechture and history. Many places really expose the history of the city, since you can see layers of architecture going back through Ottoman, Christian, Roman, Jewish, etc. rule. At the same time, though, it is a modern city with shops, schools, butchers, and other necessities of normal modern life. It is a hard place to describe...it really is like stepping into a living time capsule.
After a while in the Jewish quarter, we stopped and got some food. I got a shwarma, which is a pita filled with chicken that is roasted on a vertical spit, along with hummus, Israeli salad (diced tomato and cucumber) and french fries. Real, authentic shwarma is great, so I loved it. All the guys loved it as well. After lunch, we went into the local "shuk", which is a bazaar, sort of like an open air flea market, except much, much bigger and probably 100s of years old (if not 1000s). All the vendors are Israeli arabs. The mostly sell jewelry, clothes (printed t-shirts to suits), tinkets, food and other stuff. The cool thing about the shuk (to me) is that nothing is "sticker price" there. This is where haggling was conceived. I love to negotiate deals, so I was really in my element. I helped out one of my teammates who purchased some earrings for his wife and then got myself a t-shirt.
From the shuk we continued into the Arab quarter. The midday prayers had just ended, so we were cast into a massive tide of arab men returning from the mosques, each with their sajada (prayer rug) over their shoulder. We waded through that and looked at some more architecture before moving through butcher and meat market, which was kind of gross. From there we kept on going to the Christian quarter, where we navigated to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Throughout the Christian quarter, there was a procession of polish Catholic tourists that were making the 14 stations of the cross, chanting latin as they went. That was an odd sight for me, something I am unaccustomed to. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was pretty amazing, even though I've seen it before. There are eastern orthodox holy men which sit in there and guard it.
After that, we made it to the Kotel (western wall), which is the holiest site in the Jewish world. This wall used to be part of the outer wall of the second Temple, which was the the religious center of the Jewish world in ancient times, before it was destroyed by the Romans in 67 CE (that's 67 AD to you gentiles :) ). Being at the Kotel is always so moving for me. I inscribed a small prayer on a piece of paper and made my way right up to the wall itself, which is massive. I also had to wade past dozens of Lubavitch hasidic men trying to convince me to roll tefillin and others who sought tzedakah (charity) in return for a blessing. I was actually looking to give some tzedakah in Jerusalem (on behalf of myself and others in the US who gave me some to give on their behalf), so I gave some to a lubavitch beggar, who then blessed me and my family by name (although I wasnt looking for the blessing). It is really quite an amazing sight, seeing lubavitch hasidim running around begging. You never see that in the US.
At the wall, I put my hands flat up against the massive, ancient stones, so smooth from thousands of years of use by billions (trillions?) of people. I really let myself relax and become moved by the moment in time and space. I said a few small prayers in hebrew and english, opened my eyes, and tuck my piece of paper into a crevice in the wall. Then I turned around and walked back. It was a very fulfilling moment and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to have it.
Once everyone regrouped, we headed out of the Kotel and hopped back on to our bus, which was waiting for us. We then drove back to Haifa.
Well, I have more to write, but I'll have to do it later.
We went out the night of the Mexico game to a local pub/restaurant, trying to forget the game. About 15 of us took over an "Irish" place and basically ordered everything on the menu, including the hard drinks. We were having a good time, washing away the disappointment and getting rowdy -- until the Mexican team showed up. Unbelievable, we can't get away from these guys. We tried to avoid them as best we could - the liquor helped. When we finished, we headed out to a karaoke bar. That was actually pretty fun for awhile. I left after about an hour and went to bed.
The next morning we got going early because Nir Servi, one of our players, arranged for a guided tour of Jerusalem. About 12-13 of us went on the tour. The bus ride was about 1.5 hours to Jerusalem. For most of the trip, our tour guide spoke, telling us about the history of Israel. He wasnt shy about the hot topics either. I thought it was very interesting to hear his perspective, which I found pretty balanced.
We entered Jerusalem and parked at a location which overlooked the old city. The whole team got together and we poured some wine into plastic cups. The guide asked if anyone would lead the Shehechiyanu and the Kiddush and no one volunteered, so I stepped forward and said both prayers. For those who do not know, the Shehechiyanu is the prayer which is recited thanking God for letting us arrive at a holy moment, such as holiday or a simcha, like a wedding. Since this was the first time in Jerusalem for most of the players, it was deemed appropriate to say the prayer. The Kiddush is recited before we drink wine. I felt very honored to say the prayers for the team, and it held special meaning for me as well since going to Jerusalem is always a holy experience for me.
We got back on the bus and drove to a spot from which we disembarked into the old city. We entered in the Jewish quarter, and walked around the narrow, walled-in city looking at the various architechture and history. Many places really expose the history of the city, since you can see layers of architecture going back through Ottoman, Christian, Roman, Jewish, etc. rule. At the same time, though, it is a modern city with shops, schools, butchers, and other necessities of normal modern life. It is a hard place to describe...it really is like stepping into a living time capsule.
After a while in the Jewish quarter, we stopped and got some food. I got a shwarma, which is a pita filled with chicken that is roasted on a vertical spit, along with hummus, Israeli salad (diced tomato and cucumber) and french fries. Real, authentic shwarma is great, so I loved it. All the guys loved it as well. After lunch, we went into the local "shuk", which is a bazaar, sort of like an open air flea market, except much, much bigger and probably 100s of years old (if not 1000s). All the vendors are Israeli arabs. The mostly sell jewelry, clothes (printed t-shirts to suits), tinkets, food and other stuff. The cool thing about the shuk (to me) is that nothing is "sticker price" there. This is where haggling was conceived. I love to negotiate deals, so I was really in my element. I helped out one of my teammates who purchased some earrings for his wife and then got myself a t-shirt.
From the shuk we continued into the Arab quarter. The midday prayers had just ended, so we were cast into a massive tide of arab men returning from the mosques, each with their sajada (prayer rug) over their shoulder. We waded through that and looked at some more architecture before moving through butcher and meat market, which was kind of gross. From there we kept on going to the Christian quarter, where we navigated to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Throughout the Christian quarter, there was a procession of polish Catholic tourists that were making the 14 stations of the cross, chanting latin as they went. That was an odd sight for me, something I am unaccustomed to. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was pretty amazing, even though I've seen it before. There are eastern orthodox holy men which sit in there and guard it.
After that, we made it to the Kotel (western wall), which is the holiest site in the Jewish world. This wall used to be part of the outer wall of the second Temple, which was the the religious center of the Jewish world in ancient times, before it was destroyed by the Romans in 67 CE (that's 67 AD to you gentiles :) ). Being at the Kotel is always so moving for me. I inscribed a small prayer on a piece of paper and made my way right up to the wall itself, which is massive. I also had to wade past dozens of Lubavitch hasidic men trying to convince me to roll tefillin and others who sought tzedakah (charity) in return for a blessing. I was actually looking to give some tzedakah in Jerusalem (on behalf of myself and others in the US who gave me some to give on their behalf), so I gave some to a lubavitch beggar, who then blessed me and my family by name (although I wasnt looking for the blessing). It is really quite an amazing sight, seeing lubavitch hasidim running around begging. You never see that in the US.
At the wall, I put my hands flat up against the massive, ancient stones, so smooth from thousands of years of use by billions (trillions?) of people. I really let myself relax and become moved by the moment in time and space. I said a few small prayers in hebrew and english, opened my eyes, and tuck my piece of paper into a crevice in the wall. Then I turned around and walked back. It was a very fulfilling moment and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to have it.
Once everyone regrouped, we headed out of the Kotel and hopped back on to our bus, which was waiting for us. We then drove back to Haifa.
Well, I have more to write, but I'll have to do it later.
Josh's Maccabi Games Adventure--Last Post
Well, it's been a few days since I last wrote and a lot has happened. I knew that I wouldn't be able to write every day.
When we came back to Haifa from Jerusalem, I immediately hitched a ride with Nir and his family down to Herzeliya, where Amanda's aunt and uncle (Tessa and Errol) own a beautiful beach house (they normally live in London). They dropped me off in Herzeliya and Errol picked me up. Because it was Friday night, we went to shabbat at Errol's step-brother's apartment. Various family members were there and we had a very nice shabbat dinner. Afterwards, I drove with Errol and Tessa and their son, Sam (Amanda's first cousin) to the beach house.
The beach house is really spectacular, with a pool in the back. I crashed in the guest room while Errol and his brother Alan played snooker (Alan and his family are also visiting for the Maccabiah games). For the next 24 hours, I took advantage of the generous hospitality that Tessa and Errol showed me, working on the computer, lounging around the pool and generally recharging for our match against Canada the next day. That late afternoon I took a run with Errol - who happens to be representing Great Britain in the half-marathon. Another one of his teammates also joined us. It was nice to get a run in on my off day, except that these guys run at about a 100X faster rate than I do. I kept up for the first mile, but by the second, third and fourth, they were becoming dots on the horizon. I huffed my way to the end though. The next morning Errol dropped me off at the train station and I took a train up to Haifa. It was extremely crowded, mostly with young soldiers making their way across the country to various stations or camps. It was pretty straightforward though, and I made it back to the hotel in Haifa.
It was also an exciting day because Amanda was due to arrive that afternoon.
That afternoon we headed out to the Avi Ran stadium where we last played South Africa. I started again as a right defensive back. We scored an early goal to go up 1-0, but Canada equalized later in the first half. They were probably a more technical team than, say, South Africa, but they were certainly not as physical. As the second half wore on, we finally started gelling as a team and applied a lot of pressure to Canada. After a few misses, we got our second goal. Unfortunately, about 15 minutes from full time I collided with another player going for a 50-50 ball, flipped over and landed with all my weight on the top of my shoulder. I felt a jolt of pain and I knew that I had done some damage. Thankfully, I did not hear a "pop" which usually happens with a dislocation. I had to take a knee and the game stopped, but I was able to get up and played out the rest of the game. My shoulder was in bad shape though.
We won that game 2-1. After the game the trainer analyzed my shoulder. It is not dislocated, and there is not visible bruise, but there is a bad sprain and almost certainly some tearing in there. A big golf-ball style bump popped up on my shoulder almost immediately. There was some good news though: about 10 minutes before the end of the game, Amanda showed up at the game! She had arrived and drove up to Haifa. It was wonderful to see Amanda. She didn't seem to care that I was sopping wet from the game since she hugged me. She followed the bus in the rental car back to the hotel. I showered and changed, put an ice pack on my shoulder and we went with the rest of the team to a restaurant on the beach in Haifa where Amanda met the rest of the team.
The next day Amanda and I went back down to Herzeliya so Amanda could visit her aunt and uncle. We stayed with them, relaxed at the beach and generally caught up on lost time. Amanda and I ate dinner at a fish restaurant in Herzeliya and then drove back to Haifa. Just not much to write about for that day.
The next day we had an 11:00 game against Brazil, our last opponent. My shoulder was definitely in healing mode, but it was just not good enough to play. The physical rigors of the game would be too much. I spoke to coach and he understood. I was to be used only in case of emergency. I was definitely disappointed on many levels. Disappointed to let my teammates down, disappointed not to be on the field and contribute. But, there was nothing much I could do. I had some measure of satisfaction knowing that I gave everything I had when I was on the field and that, when healthy, I was in the first eleven every minute.
Brazil is typically a very difficult opponent, but we weren't intimidated. We had far better of the play, but Brazil scored 2 fluky goals early on. To our credit, we came back and scored 2 goals to even the score before half time. I sat on the bench cheering on the team and trying to be helpful. In the second half, Brazil scored after about 10 minutes on a free kick, which is their specialty. But, we came back and tied the game again at 3-3. We were definitely the better team. The Brazil squad had 2-3 good players, but the rest were pretty underwhelming. I guess there aren't that many good over-35 Jewish soccer players in Brazil anymore. Then, at about 10 minutes before the end of the game, Brazil scored on a bad defensive mix up with the goalie coming off his line. The Brazilian player slipped in between the defensive back and the goalie and headed it over the goalie. Just a bad play on our part. This time there was no comeback, and we lost our final game to Brazil, 4-3.
The last result left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. No one wanted to end the tournament on a loss. Also, none of us felt that we had fully played to our potential during the tournament. The second half of the Canada game was probably the closest since we finally started to gel properly on the field and move together as a team, rather than as 11 individuals. On the other hand, I felt privileged to play and live with these guys. They were all extremely nice people, good guys and fantastic players.
After the game, we went back to hotel, got some lunch and then Amanda and I headed out to Ceasarea, which was pretty amazing. We visited the old ruins, including the aqueduct and hippodrome. It is an awesome, massive ancient city right on the shores of the Mediterranean. We watched a multimedia presentation that was very good and showed the history of the city, how it was ruled by the Jews, Byzantines, Christian Crusaders, Ottomans, etc.
That night, the Maccabiah organization held a special street concert for all the soccer players. That was pretty cool. There was some Israeli rock band playing dance music and all the soccer players from every country and age group were there. They were also selling beer in YARD glasses, so that brought the affair to an even better level. The next day Amanda and I and some other guys went to the shopping mall in Haifa to get some Maccabi Haifa jerseys and just mill around, before Amanda and I headed back down to Herzeliya to stay permanently with Amanda's aunt and uncle. We stopped off there before heading out to downtown Tel Aviv. We had arranged a dinner in Ramat Gan, right outside TA that night with Amanda's cousin, Simon and his fiance, Ahuvi. We spent a few hours walking around Dizengoff center and shopping or browsing before meeting Simon and Ahuvi for dinner at a very pretty high-end restaurant.
The next day, we picked up my teammate Drew Misher at the train station (he came down from Haifa) and drove with him to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, we parted with Drew who was meeting with someone else, and Amanda and I spent the next several hours walking around the old city and getting items in the the shuks. We visited some of the same spots I visited when I came to Jerusalem, and saw some new spots. It was wonderful to be in Jerusalem again, but it gets very, very hot there. Eventually in the late afternoon, we drove over to a suburb of Jerusalem to visit and have dinner with our friend Karen and her husband Robert. We met them at their apartment, hung out with their two young daughters and then left for the restaurant, along with their 11 month old son (which was fine because he is a cute baby). We ate at a fish restaurant - which was OK by me. The fish in Israel is fantastic. After dinner we headed back to Herzeliya and collapsed to sleep.
Today is our last day.
As I reflect back on this trip, I realize what an amazing privilege it has been to be here. The opportunity to play high-level competitive soccer where results matter, playing for my country and being in Israel has all been overwhelming, crazy, unbelievable, fantastic experience. It has also been my first trip as a mature adult, a father and a professional, so it has been a unique feeling, even though I've been here before. I think I understand and appreciate being in Israel, playing for the US, meeting friends and family, etc. more so now than before. I am so fortunate to have been able to be here and share this experience with you, so I hope you have been able to take some of my experience with you.
div>
When we came back to Haifa from Jerusalem, I immediately hitched a ride with Nir and his family down to Herzeliya, where Amanda's aunt and uncle (Tessa and Errol) own a beautiful beach house (they normally live in London). They dropped me off in Herzeliya and Errol picked me up. Because it was Friday night, we went to shabbat at Errol's step-brother's apartment. Various family members were there and we had a very nice shabbat dinner. Afterwards, I drove with Errol and Tessa and their son, Sam (Amanda's first cousin) to the beach house.
The beach house is really spectacular, with a pool in the back. I crashed in the guest room while Errol and his brother Alan played snooker (Alan and his family are also visiting for the Maccabiah games). For the next 24 hours, I took advantage of the generous hospitality that Tessa and Errol showed me, working on the computer, lounging around the pool and generally recharging for our match against Canada the next day. That late afternoon I took a run with Errol - who happens to be representing Great Britain in the half-marathon. Another one of his teammates also joined us. It was nice to get a run in on my off day, except that these guys run at about a 100X faster rate than I do. I kept up for the first mile, but by the second, third and fourth, they were becoming dots on the horizon. I huffed my way to the end though. The next morning Errol dropped me off at the train station and I took a train up to Haifa. It was extremely crowded, mostly with young soldiers making their way across the country to various stations or camps. It was pretty straightforward though, and I made it back to the hotel in Haifa.
It was also an exciting day because Amanda was due to arrive that afternoon.
That afternoon we headed out to the Avi Ran stadium where we last played South Africa. I started again as a right defensive back. We scored an early goal to go up 1-0, but Canada equalized later in the first half. They were probably a more technical team than, say, South Africa, but they were certainly not as physical. As the second half wore on, we finally started gelling as a team and applied a lot of pressure to Canada. After a few misses, we got our second goal. Unfortunately, about 15 minutes from full time I collided with another player going for a 50-50 ball, flipped over and landed with all my weight on the top of my shoulder. I felt a jolt of pain and I knew that I had done some damage. Thankfully, I did not hear a "pop" which usually happens with a dislocation. I had to take a knee and the game stopped, but I was able to get up and played out the rest of the game. My shoulder was in bad shape though.
We won that game 2-1. After the game the trainer analyzed my shoulder. It is not dislocated, and there is not visible bruise, but there is a bad sprain and almost certainly some tearing in there. A big golf-ball style bump popped up on my shoulder almost immediately. There was some good news though: about 10 minutes before the end of the game, Amanda showed up at the game! She had arrived and drove up to Haifa. It was wonderful to see Amanda. She didn't seem to care that I was sopping wet from the game since she hugged me. She followed the bus in the rental car back to the hotel. I showered and changed, put an ice pack on my shoulder and we went with the rest of the team to a restaurant on the beach in Haifa where Amanda met the rest of the team.
The next day Amanda and I went back down to Herzeliya so Amanda could visit her aunt and uncle. We stayed with them, relaxed at the beach and generally caught up on lost time. Amanda and I ate dinner at a fish restaurant in Herzeliya and then drove back to Haifa. Just not much to write about for that day.
The next day we had an 11:00 game against Brazil, our last opponent. My shoulder was definitely in healing mode, but it was just not good enough to play. The physical rigors of the game would be too much. I spoke to coach and he understood. I was to be used only in case of emergency. I was definitely disappointed on many levels. Disappointed to let my teammates down, disappointed not to be on the field and contribute. But, there was nothing much I could do. I had some measure of satisfaction knowing that I gave everything I had when I was on the field and that, when healthy, I was in the first eleven every minute.
Brazil is typically a very difficult opponent, but we weren't intimidated. We had far better of the play, but Brazil scored 2 fluky goals early on. To our credit, we came back and scored 2 goals to even the score before half time. I sat on the bench cheering on the team and trying to be helpful. In the second half, Brazil scored after about 10 minutes on a free kick, which is their specialty. But, we came back and tied the game again at 3-3. We were definitely the better team. The Brazil squad had 2-3 good players, but the rest were pretty underwhelming. I guess there aren't that many good over-35 Jewish soccer players in Brazil anymore. Then, at about 10 minutes before the end of the game, Brazil scored on a bad defensive mix up with the goalie coming off his line. The Brazilian player slipped in between the defensive back and the goalie and headed it over the goalie. Just a bad play on our part. This time there was no comeback, and we lost our final game to Brazil, 4-3.
The last result left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. No one wanted to end the tournament on a loss. Also, none of us felt that we had fully played to our potential during the tournament. The second half of the Canada game was probably the closest since we finally started to gel properly on the field and move together as a team, rather than as 11 individuals. On the other hand, I felt privileged to play and live with these guys. They were all extremely nice people, good guys and fantastic players.
After the game, we went back to hotel, got some lunch and then Amanda and I headed out to Ceasarea, which was pretty amazing. We visited the old ruins, including the aqueduct and hippodrome. It is an awesome, massive ancient city right on the shores of the Mediterranean. We watched a multimedia presentation that was very good and showed the history of the city, how it was ruled by the Jews, Byzantines, Christian Crusaders, Ottomans, etc.
That night, the Maccabiah organization held a special street concert for all the soccer players. That was pretty cool. There was some Israeli rock band playing dance music and all the soccer players from every country and age group were there. They were also selling beer in YARD glasses, so that brought the affair to an even better level. The next day Amanda and I and some other guys went to the shopping mall in Haifa to get some Maccabi Haifa jerseys and just mill around, before Amanda and I headed back down to Herzeliya to stay permanently with Amanda's aunt and uncle. We stopped off there before heading out to downtown Tel Aviv. We had arranged a dinner in Ramat Gan, right outside TA that night with Amanda's cousin, Simon and his fiance, Ahuvi. We spent a few hours walking around Dizengoff center and shopping or browsing before meeting Simon and Ahuvi for dinner at a very pretty high-end restaurant.
The next day, we picked up my teammate Drew Misher at the train station (he came down from Haifa) and drove with him to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, we parted with Drew who was meeting with someone else, and Amanda and I spent the next several hours walking around the old city and getting items in the the shuks. We visited some of the same spots I visited when I came to Jerusalem, and saw some new spots. It was wonderful to be in Jerusalem again, but it gets very, very hot there. Eventually in the late afternoon, we drove over to a suburb of Jerusalem to visit and have dinner with our friend Karen and her husband Robert. We met them at their apartment, hung out with their two young daughters and then left for the restaurant, along with their 11 month old son (which was fine because he is a cute baby). We ate at a fish restaurant - which was OK by me. The fish in Israel is fantastic. After dinner we headed back to Herzeliya and collapsed to sleep.
Today is our last day.
As I reflect back on this trip, I realize what an amazing privilege it has been to be here. The opportunity to play high-level competitive soccer where results matter, playing for my country and being in Israel has all been overwhelming, crazy, unbelievable, fantastic experience. It has also been my first trip as a mature adult, a father and a professional, so it has been a unique feeling, even though I've been here before. I think I understand and appreciate being in Israel, playing for the US, meeting friends and family, etc. more so now than before. I am so fortunate to have been able to be here and share this experience with you, so I hope you have been able to take some of my experience with you.
div>
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Israel--ani ba'ah
I'm 2 1/2 hours into my flight to Israel. It's the first time I'll be there since 1995. I have so many emotions surrounding this trip! Mostly I am excited. I haven't seen Josh in what feels like two months; it's actually only 10 days. For some reason I didn't expect to spend much time together in Israel, but I was wrong. I'll explain--the US lost two out of three games in the first round of the Maccabiah Games, so the pressure is off. The team has much more free time. And, hotel rooms in the beautiful Dan Carmel hotel in Haifa are still booked...the children are safe in NY...it's summer, we can pretend we are 22 again!
Just pray we are safe. Pray we have a safe flight home, and that I arrive safely. Anxiety abounds.
I upgraded my iPhone 3g software when the 3gS came out and they added this cool voice memo feature. Libi discovered it last night and recorded a few messages. She was just playing around, but I just listened to the last recording and she is singing to me. She says "never leave me" over and over. I am freaked out. And my iPod just shuffled to Five for Fighting's "Superman" which starts out with , "I can't stand to fly". This happens to be the song I was listening to on the radio as I watched the burning buildings on 9/11. Did I say I am freaked out?
I plan to post happy and carefree messages in the days ahead. (smileyface icon here).
Love to all!
-- Post From My iPhone
Just pray we are safe. Pray we have a safe flight home, and that I arrive safely. Anxiety abounds.
I upgraded my iPhone 3g software when the 3gS came out and they added this cool voice memo feature. Libi discovered it last night and recorded a few messages. She was just playing around, but I just listened to the last recording and she is singing to me. She says "never leave me" over and over. I am freaked out. And my iPod just shuffled to Five for Fighting's "Superman" which starts out with , "I can't stand to fly". This happens to be the song I was listening to on the radio as I watched the burning buildings on 9/11. Did I say I am freaked out?
I plan to post happy and carefree messages in the days ahead. (smileyface icon here).
Love to all!
-- Post From My iPhone
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