Kiryat Shmona, a small city on the edge of the Isreali-Lebanon border with a population of just over 26k is the scene of one of the most surprising, and dare I say awesome, minnow stories of recent years. The team, that plays in a stadium with a capacity of just over 5k, has done what many would consider to be the impossible. With little resources, a troubled existence and in a city plagued by the constant threat of war, they have come out as the most dominant team in Isreal at the moment.
On Tuesday, a sizable contingent of the city’s residents traveled south to Petah Tikva to watch its team take on the traditional Israeli power-house — Hapoel Tel Aviv — in the final of the Toto cup, the first major tournament of the season. In a grueling contest, which played out just like a minnow story should, Kiryat Shmona surrendered a late goal that tied the score, putting everyone on edge, but came out victiourious from the penalty-kick shootout.
But that's not all, anyone can win a cup trophy after all, in addition to winning this trophy, they are also first in the Isreali league, with an astounding 11 point lead! Well on course on winning the leauge, it puts the club on course for its first league championship and, remarkably, a qualifying spot in the world’s richest and most prestigious soccer club competition, the UEFA Champions League.
That this long-shot team — officially known as Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona — has been able to get this far has already shaken up Israeli soccer, which is normally dominated by clubs from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, with their bigger budgets.
Beyond that, the team has given a city that has often felt marginalized and neglected a sense of pride.
“Today, it’s like a dream,” Almorg Moryoussef, a 23-year-old student, said as he stood outside Ironi Stadium in Kiryat Shmona last Saturday as the team prepared to play Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon and local fans — nicknamed the Blue Lions — gathered with drums and banners.
“This is the very first time since Kiryat Shmona was established that the city was in the news not because of the connection with missiles, attacks and war, but football,” he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/sports/soccer/in-israel-a-stunning-rise-for-kiryat-shmonas-soccer-team.html?ref=sports
On Tuesday, a sizable contingent of the city’s residents traveled south to Petah Tikva to watch its team take on the traditional Israeli power-house — Hapoel Tel Aviv — in the final of the Toto cup, the first major tournament of the season. In a grueling contest, which played out just like a minnow story should, Kiryat Shmona surrendered a late goal that tied the score, putting everyone on edge, but came out victiourious from the penalty-kick shootout.
But that's not all, anyone can win a cup trophy after all, in addition to winning this trophy, they are also first in the Isreali league, with an astounding 11 point lead! Well on course on winning the leauge, it puts the club on course for its first league championship and, remarkably, a qualifying spot in the world’s richest and most prestigious soccer club competition, the UEFA Champions League.
That this long-shot team — officially known as Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona — has been able to get this far has already shaken up Israeli soccer, which is normally dominated by clubs from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, with their bigger budgets.
Beyond that, the team has given a city that has often felt marginalized and neglected a sense of pride.
“Today, it’s like a dream,” Almorg Moryoussef, a 23-year-old student, said as he stood outside Ironi Stadium in Kiryat Shmona last Saturday as the team prepared to play Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon and local fans — nicknamed the Blue Lions — gathered with drums and banners.
“This is the very first time since Kiryat Shmona was established that the city was in the news not because of the connection with missiles, attacks and war, but football,” he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/sports/soccer/in-israel-a-stunning-rise-for-kiryat-shmonas-soccer-team.html?ref=sports
