Israel coach pledges to attack against Greece

Israel coach pledges to attack against Greece

Published Aug. 25, 2011 3:20 p.m. ET

Israel coach Luis Fernandez has called up an attack-minded squad for its crucial European Championship qualifier against group leader Greece next month.

Kaiserslauten striker Itay Shechter is expected to spearhead the attack alongside new RCD Mallorca signing Tomer Hemed, with Genk's Elyaniv Barda another option.

The squad also includes Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun and forward Tal Ben-Haim of Maccabi Petah Tikva.

Israel is looking to reach its first major tournament since the 1970 World Cup and is third in Group F, but has played a game more than Greece and second-place Croatia.

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It plays Greece in Tel Aviv on Sept. 2 and then takes on Croatia away four days later.

''We will do everything we can to win (against Greece),'' Fernandez said. ''We will try to play in an attacking (style) with lots of attacking players.''

Israel scored three goals in its last game, a friendly against Ivory Coast earlier this month, but still lost 4-3.

''We are coming into this game after three straight (qualifying) wins, which put us back in the picture,'' Fernandez added. ''But it is very difficult to score against Greece because their defense plays as a single unit. We must not characterize them as an average team. They are very strong.''

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Squad:

Goalkeepers: Dudu Aouate (RCD Mallorca), Guy Haimov (Maccabi Tel Aviv).

Defenders: Tal Ben-Haim (Portsmouth), Rami Gershon (Kortrijk), Itzik Cohen (Maccabi Haifa), Taleb Tawatha (Maccabi Haifa), Yuval Spungin (AC Omonia), Iyad Khutaba (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Omri Ben-Harush (Maccabi Netanya).

Midfielders: Yossi Benayoun (Chelsea), Eran Zahavi (Palermo), Lior Rafaelov (Club Brugge), Almog Cohen (Nuremburg), Biram Kiyal (Celtic), Maor Buzaglo (Standard Liege), Bibras Natcho (Rubin Kazan), Maor Melikson (Wisla Krakow), Eyal Golasa (Maccabi Haifa), Tamir Cohen (Maccabi Haifa).

Forwards: Ben Sahar (Auxerre), Elyaniv Barda (Genk), Omer Damari (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Tomer Hemed (RCD Mallorca), Itay Shechter (Kaiserslautern), Tal Ben-Haim (Maccabi Petah Tikva).

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