ByDanny Caro, Danny Caro
The JC MSFL awards take place in north-west London on Monday night and I expect Hendon United Sports Club A to dominate off the pitch as much as they did on it.
We’ve heard both sides of the “greatest team” debate on the club that recently claimed the treble, but I expect the proof to be in the pudding when managers from the league have their say about the community’s top Sunday morning footballers.
We recently saw Liverpool Haroldeans striker Bobby Abrams scoop the top award in the MJSL, but I think it could be a defender or midfielder that collects the prestigious Player of the Season accolade in the capital next week.
Two names who spring to mind are Josh Lipman and Greg Corin. They are the favourites for me. Josh is the Maccabi League’s equivalent of Vincent Kompany - big, strong, quick and an excellent reader of the game. He is a major reason why the team conceded so rarely in a memorable season. Keeper Russell Corin, together with Alex Rosenthal, Martin Smulovitch, Alex Gilbert, Motti Colman and Paul Bentley also deserve special praise.
Hendon’s midfield was, on the whole, in a league of its own, with the guile of Corin blending perfectly with the power of Ben Lauffer, Ari Last and skipper Josh Bentley. Greg popped up with some crucial goals and assists for the likes of Avidan Last, Yoav Kestenbaum and the Kon boys. His silky skills, quick feet and neat ball control were like a breath of fresh air.
The star man in Division One is somewhat harder to call. Oakwood captain Adam Levine was a real power-house, but he missed a chunk of the season through injury. He was certainly their talisman and an heroic performance in the Peter Morrison Trophy, when he played through the pain barrier, might sway the judges.
Teammate Jonny Beilin was Mr Consistent, while Ilan Scorah and Bradley Wine were outstanding most weeks in what was another wonderful team effort.
Division Two will be an interesting call with players from Hendon B and Camden Park putting in top-level displays on a weekly basis. However, London Maccabi Lions B striker James Gold had a stand-out campaign and cannot be overlooked.
Glenthorne United B raised the bar in Division Three and joint-player-manager Craig Sandford, the MSFL’s Golden Boot winner, is expected to clean up.
New boys Brady Maccabi B earned rave reviews in a memorable first season, with five players shortlisted for my team of the season. Captain James Joseph led by example with Reiss Mogilner not far behind.
Lots of questions and I will have all the answers for you this time next week. But if you can’t wait until then, keep your eye out for full details online.