HEBRON: Shabab Al-Khaleel and Hilal Al-Quds met for an important match in the West Bank Premier League on Sunday.
After a few seasons with one dominant team setting the pace (Hilal Al-Quds and then Shabab Balata), this season the Palestinian Pro League has a much more diverse and competitive title race.
Shabab Al-Khaleel (Hebron), Merkaz Balata (Nablus), Jabel Mukaber (Jerusalem), Shabab Al-Am’ari (Ramallah) and Hilal Al-Quds (Jerusalem), are all in the chase for the first place, with eight points gap between the first and the fifth in the table.
Tamer Seyam (Shabab Al-Khaleel, in white) fighting with Sari Jodallah (Hilal Al-Quds, in blue) in a top clash of Palestinian football. (Photo: Shurooq Al-Shareef)
On Sunday, Shabab Al-Khaleel and Hilal Al-Quds met at the Dura International Stadium, for a clash that might become a crucial one for all five teams.
Hilal arrived at the match in good shape, with victories against Jabel Mukaber and Balata in recent games. Shabab Al-Khaleel, that since the arrival of Tamer Seyam looks much more dangerous looked to win and open a serious gap between Hilal Al-Quds and Al-Am’ari.
The match was one of the most quality games in the West Bank Premier League this year, but ended in a 0-0 draw, as neither of teams managed to find the back of the net.
The controversial moment came in the 80th minute when one of Shabab Al-Khaleel’s defenders committed a handball within his own box after a freekick by Islam Al-Batran. Still, VAR isn’t an integral part in the league. However, it was quite clear it was a direct handball. Hilal, unrightfully so, was neglected a penalty that could have been a crucial one.
The match ended in a draw, what kept the eight-point gap between the Hebronites in the first place, and the Jerusalemites in the fifth. For Shabab, it is a good result, as they remain on top, but for Hilal, things just got more complicated. With eight games in hand, an eight-point gap, it seems that retaining the title is a mission impossible for the Blues, but in the West Bank Premier League, we never say never.
The 15th and 16th matchdays will run throughout this week, with more critical matches for the title race in Palestine:
Monday (Today): Merkaz Balata v Shabab Al-Samu
Tuesday (Tomorrow): Jabel Mukaber v Taraji Wad Al-Nes
Thursday: Shabab Al-Khaleel v Shabab Al-Am’ari
Photo by Shurooq Al-Shareef, a Palestinian photojournalist that covers all sports in Palestine and more.
