Josué Filipe lifts Beersheba to football State Cup championship
Beersheba waited 23 years to win the State Cup title. More than two decades had passed since the last time the Southern Reds took home the trophy which was way back in 1997.
By JOSHUA HALICKMANHAPOEL BEERSHEBA MIDFIELDER Josue (right) celebrates this week during the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Maccabi Petah Tikva in the Israel State Cup final.(photo credit: ISRAEL FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, COURTESY)
As the curtain finally fell on the 2019/20 season this week with the State Cup final that saw Hapoel Beersheba top Maccabi Petah Tikva, it was obvious that one player who featured in this contest just didn’t want the campaign to end. That player is Portuguese sensation Josué Filipe Soares Pesqueira, or just simply put Josue.Who is Josue? Who is this phenomena that landed in Israel just as the season began? Why is such a talent here in the Holy Land and where will he go from here?Beersheba waited 23 years to win the State Cup title. More than two decades had passed since the last time the Southern Reds took home the trophy which was way back in 1997.Sure the club has won league championships since then and played admirably in European competition this past decade, but somehow, arguably the most exciting title in Israeli soccer hadn’t been able to find its way to the capital of the Negev.The last time the Reds played in the final back win 2015, they were blown away 6-2 by Maccabi Tel Aviv in a game that saw Swedish striker Rada Prica slice up the Beersheba defense and score a hat-trick to lead the yellow-and-blue to a stunning victory.When it comes down to a one game, winner-take-all title, it has been proven time and time again that to reach the pinnacle, one great player needs to rise above the rest. In the 2019/20 edition that player was Josue.Even prior to the opening whistle, it was obvious that all eyes would be on Josue, Beersheba’s attacking midfielder and this was indeed the case throughout the game itself.In the 50th minute, Josue set up winger Ben Sahar for the opening goal of the clash and 10 minutes later the 29-year-old sent a left-footed missile into the back of the goal, stunning Maccabi Petah Tikva goalkeeper Dor Hevron for a 2-0 lead. Josue was substituted off in the closing minutes and one could easily see the joy smeared across his face.Josue brought Beersheba the Cup simply with his two feet.In the game itself, he was dominant with countless threatening plays and watching him operate on the pitch was simply sheer pleasure. On TV it may look great, but on the field of play itself at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, it looked beautiful. To witness the wonder with one’s own two eyes certainly did not disappoint.Josue is similar to another Portuguese player named Ricardo Quaresma. Josue has now become the Israeli Quaresma, if you will. In Israel, he plays at the level of a Leo Messi in relation to the rest of the competition, but of course his career arc has been nowhere near that of the Barcelona great.With Porto in the 2012/13 campaign, Josue was named the “Breakthrough Player of the Season" in a very strong Portuguese league and was also no stranger to starring in Cup finals in his home country. In 2016, he scored for Braga against his former club Porto to help his team win the Taça de Portugal, the equivalent of the Israel State Cup for the first time in half a century.Josue is the type of player that fans will specifically buy a ticket to watch play because you just never know what he will do. Whether it will be an incredible play that will come out of nowhere or something that may have been excepted becomes the unexpected. With Josue that is just the way it is, expect the unexpected.Of course, due to the coronavirus restrictions fans aren’t allowed to gather at the stadium but rest assured, Beersheba fans would pay almost anything to see Josue dribble, pass and kick the ball on the luscious green grass.With four appearances for the mighty Portugal national team, it isn’t exactly clear what Josue, who played with the great Cristiano Ronaldo, is doing here in Israel. It has been said that his personality prevented him from reaching the highest of heights which is probably true, at least in part.But here in Israel, Josue is the king of the field and isn’t playing second fiddle to anyone.His great connection with coach Yossi Abukasis works so well on the pitch, as evidenced by the superstar’s performance against second division squad Petah Tikva. Josue said that Abuksis is like a father to him, because he had lost his own about a year and a half ago. For Abukasis, Josue is just like a son and arguably the most talented player he has ever coached.Abukasis is one of the leading candidates to become the coach of the Israel national team and should he get the job, he will miss Josue dearly. Abukasis will need a player like Josue with the blue-and-white, he even said that he is a level above the soccer in Israel and the coach is one hundred percent correct.In Hebrew, there are so many variations to spell Josue, but that doesn’t really matter because regardless of how one spells the 1.74-meter midfielder’s name he is not only one of the best foreigners ever to have arrived in Israel but also one of the most fascinating.Following this week’s game he also promised that he will remain in Beersheba for the upcoming season to the delight of the supporters down south.Josue is one of Beersheba’s trio of Portuguese players, but it’s clear to everyone that he’s the icing on the cake, with his marvelous abilities, his left-footed kick and incredible dribbles.But once again one thing still isn’t clear – how did the Holy Land get the privilege to have Josue in Israel?
