Soccer / U-21 / Don't panic - it all depends on you

Motti Ivanir, the coach of the national Under-21 team, knows that the senior national team's recent failures mean that his charges have to save Israeli soccer's lost prestige. After Saturday's 1-0 defeat in Montenegro, Israel must beat Bulgaria in this evening's Group Six qualifier (kickoff 7 P.M., live broadcast on Channel 1) to keep a chance of reaching the European Championships finals.

For years, Israel's youngsters have warmed local soccer fans' hearts while the senior team has failed dismally, but the current squad is not realizing its potential. Ivanir devoted much of the past few days to calming his young players' nerves ahead of this evening's encounter.

"Before the Montenegro game I didn't notice tension in the players, but this time it's different because they know what a critical game this is to the campaign. Everyone knows that if we don't win, it's over for us," he said yesterday. The Israel Football Association is hoping that low ticket prices will bring as many as 5,000 fans to Ramat Gan Stadium, "if only to see [Espanyol's] Ben Sahar and [Barcelona's] Guy Assulin," said one IFA official.