By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Maccabi Tel Aviv became Israeli champions for a record 20th time on Monday when they sealed the Premier League title with a 2-0 win over hosts Hapoel Ramat Hasharon. The result gave Tel Aviv an unassailable 13-point lead over second-placed Maccabi Haifa with four matches remaining and will see them play in the preliminary rounds of next season's Champions League.

By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Improved discipline and tactical ability from Israel's players are the reasons for the team's continued challenge for a World Cup qualification spot, coach Eli Guttman said on Wednesday. The Israelis returned home after beating Northern Ireland 2-0 in a tough Group F qualifier in Belfast and were seconds away on Friday from defeating Portugal at home before conceding a stoppage-time equaliser.

By Mike Collett LONDON (Reuters) - World champions Spain were held by lowly Finland but there were wins for England, Germany, France and Netherlands as Europe's top teams returned to the task of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals on Friday. The first of this month's two rounds of qualifiers -- with another 20-plus matches scheduled for Tuesday - went according to plan for the big guns apart from Spain who lost top spot in Group I to France after Finland forced a 1-1 draw in Gijon.

March 11 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Israeli championship Preliminary round matches on Monday Monday, March 11 Ashdod 2 Bnei Yehuda 1 Sunday, March 10 Maccabi Tel Aviv 5 Beitar Jerusalem 0 Saturday, March 9 Hapoel Akko 0 Hapoel Tel Aviv 0 Hapoel Beer Sheva 0 Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon 1 Hapoel Haifa 2 Hapoel Ramat Gan 1 Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2 Bnei Sakhnin 0 Maccabi Netanya 1 M