21 October 1960 - A Little Asian Cup Déjà Vu

On 21 October 1960, South Korea won their second consecutive Asian Cup, beating China 1-0.

It was the second edition of the tournament, with South Korea returning as defending champions after winning it in 1956. They were joined in 1960 by China, Vietnam, and Israel, the 1956 runners-up. Each team played the other team once, with the standings decided by points. Wins were worth two points and draws one.

South Korea opened the tournament with a powerful statement of intent by beating Vietnam 5-1, followed by a 3-0 win over Israel. They entered their last match in the top spot, two points clear of Israel and China (Vietnam was at the bottom). Israel, like South Korea, had only one match left, but China had two, including their game against South Korea. So while the Koreans needed only a draw to guarantee that they would finish over Israel, they needed a win to ensure a higher finish than China.

And they got it, narrowly. Playing before their own supporters at the Hyochang Stadium in Seoul, forward Moon Jung-Sik scored the day's only goal in the 54th minute. Israel again finished as runners-up, beating China 1-0 two days later in the final match of the tournament.

19 May 1968 - It Was Just A Formality, Really

On 19 May 1968, Iran won their first Asian Cup, beating defending champions Israel 2-1 in Tehran.

In addition to being their first Asian Cup title, it was Iran's first time in the competition. They did not enter in 1956, they did not qualify in 1960, and they withdrew from the 1964 tournament, which was hosted and won by Israel.

As hosts of the 1968 edition, Iran qualified automatically, but they quickly demonstrated their ability once the tournament began, winning their first three matches over Hong Kong (2-0), China (4-0), and Burma (3-1). Under the competition's round-robin format, the six points Iran earned from those wins were enough to clinch the title before they faced Israel, as Burma, their closest challenger, had already completed all of their matches and had only five points.

Playing before a crowd of 30,000 at the Amjadieh Stadium, Israel jumped to a 56th-minute lead with a goal from midfielder Giora Spiegel, but Iran rallied with goals from striker Homayoun Behzadi (75') and midfielder Parviz Ghelichkhani (86') to win 2-1 and complete their perfect record of four wins in four games.

Iran repeated as champions in 1972 and 1976, while Israel was expelled from the Asian Football Confederation in 1974, then joined UEFA in 1994.

20 October 1968 - Lots May Be Fair, But They're Not As Exciting

A 1-1 Olympic quarterfinal draw between Bulgaria and Israel on 20 October 1968 resulted in FIFA's adoption of penalty shootouts.

The two teams met at the Nou Camp in León, Mexico. It was a heated affair, with referee Michel Kitabdjian issuing six cautions in the first minute (three to each team).

In a battle of prolific attacks, Bulgaria took an early lead with a 5th-minute goal from an unlikely source, Slavia Sofia defender Georgi Hristakiev. For the next 84 minutes, Hristakiev played a more traditional role as Bulgaria managed to stifle Israel.

But Yehoshua Feigenbaum eventually cracked the Bulgarian defense, drawing Israel level in the 89th minute and the match ended at 1-1 after 90 minutes. In order to determine which team would advance, the rules at the time required the drawing of lots. Bulgaria won and progressed to the semifinals where they beat Mexico, 2-3. They then moved on to the final, losing to Hungary 4-1.

After watching his team lose via lots, Israel supporter Yosef Dagan wrote to FIFA, suggesting they resolve draws with a penalty shootout. FIFA adopted the proposal in 1970.

18 February 2004 - An Impressive First Impression

On 18 February 2004, Israel beat Azerbaijan 6-0 in a friendly played at Tel Aviv's Ramat Gan Stadium. It was a memorable match for Israeli forward Shlomi Arbeitman, making his international debut.

Arbeitman (right) scored a hat-trick, which set two Israeli national team records: he was the first national team player to score three goals on his debut and, at the age of 18 years, 270 days, he was the youngest person to score a hat-trick for the national team.

Unfortunately, they would prove to be Arbeitman's only international goals, as he was unable to replicate his success against Azerbaijan in his four other national team appearances. He currently plays for Israeli Premier League side Hapoel Be'er Sheva, having signed with them in 2014.

26 September 1948 - Shalom!

On 26 September 1948, the United States beat Israel 3-1 in a friendly before a crowd of approximately 50,000 at Giants Stadium in New York. The match was the first for the Israeli national team.

The Israel Football Association is the successor to the Palestine Football Association, which was founded in 1920 and joined FIFA in 1929. When the state of Israel declared its independence in 1948, the IFA became the new governing body for the new national team.

In that first match, the US took an early lead with a goal from forward Ed Souza in the 13th minute. The lead didn't last long, however, as right midfielder Shmulik Ben-Dror scored a 20th-minute equalizer for Israel--the new national team's first ever goal. The Americans reclaimed the lead right before the break, as forward Ben McLaughlin found the net in the 44th minute. Souza finished the scoring in the 57th minute to complete his brace and secure the win.

16 June 1927 - The Real Hebrew Hammer

On 16 June 1927, Yaakov Hodorov was born in Rishon LeZion, Palestine. Remembered as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, he played for the Israeli national team from 1949 to 1964.

Hodorov began his professional career in 1942 at the age of 15 with his hometown club Maccabi Rishon LeZion, but moved after a couple of years to local rival Hapoel Rishon LeZion. In 1947, he moved again, this time to Hapoel Tel Aviv, where he spent the majority of his club career and won his first major honors - the Israeli league championship in 1957 and the Israeli cup in 1960.

One of Hodorov's most memorable matches was a World Cup qualifier against Wales on 5 February 1958. At the time, Israel was playing in the Asian Football Confederation and almost qualified for the 1958 World Cup without playing a match. Israel's first scheduled opponent was Turkey, who refused to compete in the Asian group, allowing Israel to advance. Israel's opponent in the second round, Indonesia, withdrew from qualification after FIFA rejected their request to play Israel on neutral ground. Israel was then scheduled to play Sudan in the third round, but the Sudanese refused to play.

Israel would have qualified automatically, but FIFA ruled that, apart from the hosts and the defending champions, no team could qualify without playing a match and thus drew Wales for a special playoff against Israel. After Wales won the first leg 2-0 in Israel, the teams met in Cardiff on 5 February 1958. Wales again won 2-0, but Hodorov drew high praise for making several outstanding saves and playing after suffering a broken nose in a collision with Welsh striker John Charles.

Hadorov reportedly received numerous offers to play for European clubs including Arsenal, Dundee United, and Fenerbahçe, but chose to play his entire career in Israel.

In 2006, the Israeli government awarded him the Israel Prize for excellence and contribution to sports. He had a stroke shortly before the presentation ceremony, however, and was unable to attend. He died on 31 December 2006 at the age of 79.

3 June 1964 - The Third Time's The Charm

On 3 June 1964, hosts Israel won the AFC Asian Cup with a 1-2 win over two-time defending champions South Korea.

South Korea won the first two Asian Cups in 1956 and 1960, with Israel finishing as runners-up both times. But by the time the two teams met in 1964, the Koreans were already out of contention after a loss to India in their opening match--their first loss in all three tournaments. India went on to finish with four points on 2 June, putting them level with Israel who had a game in hand and needed only a draw against South Korea to secure the title.

Playing at Ramat Gan Stadium near Tel Aviv, Israel defender Moshe Leon put the hosts up 1-0 in the 20th minute, then Gideon Tish doubled their lead eighteen minutes later. Huh Yoon-Jung scored for South Korea in the 79th minute, but they were unable to find another goal.

The win gave Israel a total of six points and their first Asian Cup title. It would also be their last, as they finished third in 1968, then withdrew from the competition in 1972 before being leaving the confederation in 1974.

21 October 1960 - A Little Asian Cup Déjà Vu

On 21 October 1960, South Korea won their second consecutive Asian Cup, beating China 1-0.

It was the second edition of the tournament, with South Korea returning as defending champions after winning it in 1956. They were joined in 1960 by China, Vietnam, and Israel, the 1956 runners-up. Each team played the other team once, with the standings decided by points. Wins were worth two points and draws one.

South Korea opened the tournament with a powerful statement of intent by beating Vietnam 5-1, followed by a 3-0 win over Israel. They entered their last match in the top spot, two points clear of Israel and China (Vietnam was at the bottom). Israel, like South Korea, had only one match left, but China had two, including their game against South Korea. So while the Koreans needed only a draw to guarantee that they would finish over Israel, they needed a win to ensure a higher finish than China.

And they got it, narrowly. Playing before their own supporters at the Hyochang Stadium in Seoul, forward Moon Jung-Sik scored the day's only goal in the 54th minute. Israel again finished as runners-up, beating China 1-0 two days later in the final match of the tournament.

19 May 1968 - It Was Just A Formality, Really

On 19 May 1968, Iran won their first Asian Cup, beating defending champions Israel 2-1 in Tehran.

In addition to being their first Asian Cup title, it was Iran's first time in the competition. They did not enter in 1956, they did not qualify in 1960, and they withdrew from the 1964 tournament, which was hosted and won by Israel.

As hosts of the 1968 edition, Iran qualified automatically, but they quickly demonstrated their ability once the tournament began, winning their first three matches over Hong Kong (2-0), China (4-0), and Burma (3-1). Under the competition's round-robin format, the six points Iran earned from those wins were enough to clinch the title before they faced Israel, as Burma, their closest challenger, had already completed all of their matches and had only five points.

Playing before a crowd of 30,000 at the Amjadieh Stadium, Israel jumped to a 56th-minute lead with a goal from midfielder Giora Spiegel, but Iran rallied with goals from striker Homayoun Behzadi (75') and midfielder Parviz Ghelichkhani (86') to win 2-1 and complete their perfect record of four wins in four games.

Iran repeated as champions in 1972 and 1976, while Israel was expelled from the Asian Football Confederation in 1974, then joined UEFA in 1994.

20 October 1968 - Lots May Be Fair, But They're Not As Exciting

A 1-1 Olympic quarterfinal draw between Bulgaria and Israel on 20 October 1968 resulted in FIFA's adoption of penalty shootouts.

The two teams met at the Nou Camp in León, Mexico. It was apparently a heated affair, as the official FIFA report of the match indicates that referee Michel Kitabdjian issued six cautions in the first minute (three to each team).

Despite boasting a strong attack that racked up the group stage's best tally of 11 goals, Bulgaria took an early lead with a 5th-minute goal from an unlikely source, Slavia Sofia defender Georgi Hristakiev. For the next 84 minutes, Hristakiev played a more traditional role as Bulgaria managed to stifle Israel's own prolific offense--they had scored 8 goals in the group stage, including a hat-trick from Hapoel Tel Aviv striker Yehoshua Feigenbaum against Ghana in their opening match.

But Feigenbaum eventually cracked the Bulgarian defense, drawing Israel level in the 89th minute and the match ended at 1-1 after 90 minutes. In order to determine which team would advance, the rules at the time required the drawing of lots. Bulgaria won and progressed to the semifinals where they beat Mexico, 2-3. They then moved on to the final, losing to Hungary 4-1.

After watching his team lose via lots, Israeli Yosef Dagan proposed to resolve draws with the modern penalty shootout, which FIFA adopted in 1970.

18 February 2004 - An Impressive First Impression

On 18 February 2004, Israel beat Azerbaijan 6-0 in a friendly played at Tel Aviv's Ramat Gan Stadium. It was a memorable match for Israeli forward Shlomi Arbeitman, making his international debut.

Arbeitman (right) scored a hat-trick, which set two Israeli national team records: he was the first national team player to score three goals on his debut and, at the age of 18 years, 270 days, he was the youngest person to score a hat-trick for the national team.

Unfortunately, they would prove to be Arbeitman's only international goals, as he was unable to replicate his success against Azerbaijan in his four other national team appearances. He currently plays for Israeli Premier League side Maccabi Haifa, his club since 2005.

26 September 1948 - Shalom!

On 26 September 1948, the United States beat Israel 3-1 in a friendly before a crowd of approximately 50,000 at Giants Stadium in New York. The match was the first for the Israeli national team.

The Israel Football Association is the successor to the Palestine Football Association, which was founded in 1920 and joined FIFA in 1929. When the state of Israel declared its independence in 1948, the IFA became the new governing body for the new national team.

In that first match, the US took an early lead with a goal from forward Ed Souza in the 13th minute. The lead didn't last long, however, as right midfielder Shmulik Ben-Dror scored a 20th-minute equalizer for Israel--the new national team's first ever goal. The Americans reclaimed the lead right before the break, as forward Ben McLaughlin found the net in the 44th minute. Souza finished the scoring in the 57th minute to complete his brace and secure the win.

16 June 1927 - The Real Hebrew Hammer

On 16 June 1927, Yaakov Hodorov was born in Rishon LeZion, Palestine. Remembered as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, he played for the Israeli national team from 1949 to 1964.

Hodorov began his professional career in 1942 at the age of 15 with his hometown club Maccabi Rishon LeZion, but moved after a couple of years to local rival Hapoel Rishon LeZion. In 1947, he moved again, this time to Hapoel Tel Aviv, where he spent the majority of his club career and won his first major honors - the Israeli league championship in 1957 and the Israeli cup in 1960.

One of Hodorov's most memorable matches was a World Cup qualifier against Wales on 5 February 1958. At the time, Israel was playing in the Asian Football Confederation and almost qualified for the 1958 World Cup without playing a match. Israel's first scheduled opponent was Turkey, who refused to compete in the Asian group, allowing Israel to advance. Israel's opponent in the second round, Indonesia, withdrew from qualification after FIFA rejected their request to play Israel on neutral ground. Israel was then scheduled to play Sudan in the third round, but the Sudanese refused to play.

Israel would have qualified automatically, but FIFA ruled that, apart from the hosts and the defending champions, no team could qualify without playing a match and thus drew Wales for a special playoff against Israel. After Wales won the first leg 2-0 in Israel, the teams met in Cardiff on 5 February 1958. Wales again won 2-0, but Hodorov drew high praise for making several outstanding saves and playing after suffering a broken nose in a collision with Welsh striker John Charles.

Hadorov reportedly received numerous offers to play for European clubs including Arsenal, Dundee United, and Fenerbahçe, but chose to play his entire career in Israel.

In 2006, the Israeli government awarded him the Israel Prize for excellence and contribution to sports. He had a stroke shortly before the presentation ceremony, however, and was unable to attend. He died on 31 December 2006 at the age of 79.