Flag Football: Haifa gooses Tel Aviv 26-0

By URIEL STURM
Saturday night's IFL game at Maccabi Fields in Kiryat Shalom was, by and large, a one sided affair, producing the league's first shutout, as the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs trounced the Mike's Place Tel Aviv Sabres 26-0. The Sabres (1-4) were not able to mount any type of pressure whatsoever, either offensively or on the defensive side of the ball, and indeed, the total net yards for the game ended in an embarrassingly unbalanced 275-5 in favour of Real Housing. Haifa (4-2), for their part, played an efficient all-around game, but were never really challenged to make big plays and were satisfied to bide their time and wear out a Sabres' roster that featured some new personnel, coupled with a number of key players on the sideline. Tel Aviv sorely missed all-around talent Asaf Katz, out with a separated shoulder, and Raviv Faig, who also missed the game due to illness. They looked out of sync on offence under new quarterback Roi Yair, who never found his bearings in the face of a frenetic Haifa pass-rushing attack. All in all, there was not much positive the Sabres' can take from this game, and they will have to regroup and come up with a creative game plan going forward to have a chance at emerging from the league's cellar. The Underdogs, on the other hand, are playing their best football of the season and seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. They play again this upcoming Friday, January 25 with a game against the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers (1-4), as the IFL returns at a special venue, the Wingate Institute for Physical Culture and Sport in Netanya with a 12:30 kickoff. It is Haifa's last game before facing the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions (5-1) for first place on February 7th at Kraft Family Stadium.