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Soccer / Late Sahar strike saves Kashtan's blushes By Haaretz Sports Staff Tags: Dror Kashtan, soccer  An injury-time equalizer from Ben Sahar grabbed an undeserved share of the points against Switzerland for Dror Kashtan's national team at Ramat Gan last night, in the first qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup. And if Israel continues to play the same anemic, unadventurous and insipid soccer it did last night, there is little danger of ending its 30-year exile from the world's largest soccer tournaments. After the game, Kashtan praised his players' "fighting spirit," saying that "even when they were trailing by two goals, they didn't give up. When they got the first goal back, they kept on looking for the equalizer. I have said all along that there is new spirit in the national team - and the boys proved it tonight." Advertisement Kashtan decided before the game that Duda Awat would stand between the posts for the national team, rather than Nir Davidovich, and the coach must have been ruing his decision on the stroke of half-time. Having conceded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, the Israeli defense did not look to be ready when Hakan Yakin lofted a swerving shot over the wall and Awat flapped helplessly at thin air as the ball sailed into the net. When the half-time whistle blew a few moments later, the Israeli team left the field to jeers from the home crowd. The second half was hardly any better. Israel failed to create any clear-cut chances, and few were surprised when the Swiss doubled their advantage in the 56th minute. Once again it was a free-kick, and once again it was Awat who failed to deal with the danger. Another Yakin free kick evaded everyone in the packed Israeli penalty box - including the 'keeper - and Blaise N'Kufo's was on hand to head home from close range. By this time, the crowd was getting on the Israeli players' backs, and had Yossi Benayoun not taken advantage of a momentary and atypical lapse in the otherwise disciplined Swiss defense, the national stadium would have started emptying out long before the final whistle. As it was, the majority of the 25,000 fans who braved the heat hung on to the end, and were rewarded in the first minute of injury time when Sahar got onto the end of a perfect cross from Moshe Ohayoun to slide the ball home and earn Israel an unexpected point from a match they hardly deserved to get anything from. Asked whether Israel could still qualify for the 2010 World Cup, Kashtan replied, "What a question. Of course we can. Even if we had won, there's no guarantee that we would make it to South Africa, so a draw doesn't rule us out of contention." While that may be true - there are still nine matches to go and plenty of points to be won or lost between now and 2010 - Kashtan surely knows that the level of soccer on display last night will leave Israel frustrated for another four years. Moldova beaten at home Elsewhere in Group 2 last night, Israel's next opponent - Moldova - was beaten 2-1 at home by Latvia. Striker Girt Karlsons found the net in the eighth minute with a shot from 10 meters to give the visitors the lead, and Vitalijs Asin's six-meter header beat goalkeeper Nicolae Calancea in the 22nd to double the advantage. Moldova pulled a goal back in the 76th minute through substitute Serghei Alexeev, but Latvia hung on for all three points. Greece is top of the group after the first round of matches, beating Luxembourg 3-0. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'I didn't kill Rose' Ronny Ron, grandfather of missing 4-year-old, recants his confession. Diplomatic incident Olympic medalist Shahar Zubari stirs controversy, calling Chinese 'shits'.   1.   Coming back from 0-2 is strong! 17:40  |  Mark B. 09/09/08   2.   Felicidades to Israel, first qualifier win 11:29  |  Mark B. 11/09/08

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