Hapoel Haifa Stages Dramatic Comeback for Draw Against Champions

Hapoel Haifa secured a valuable point on Wednesday evening, achieving a dramatic 2-2 draw against champions Hapoel Be'er Sheva at Toto Turner Stadium. The team came back from behind twice, with the equalizer scored in the final moments of stoppage time.

After a lackluster first half, Hapoel Haifa, managed by Haim Silvas, displayed a significantly different approach in the second half. Alon Turgeman scored a stunning equalizer, and even after conceding again, the team fought until the very end to salvage the draw.

"The entire game didn't characterize us, except for the fact that we showed character on the field. We have quality, but our attacking patterns weren't working well enough. We entered the game poorly, which pushed us into a defensive momentum that doesn't suit our team type," admitted Silvas in a press conference. He praised his players' fight, noting, "It wasn't great football, but to come back from behind twice at Turner, I don't remember that. Kudos to the players, I'm really proud of them."

Naor Sabag, who scored the late penalty equalizer, expressed his feelings of being underrated but emphasized his belief in his abilities. Sabag, a key player for Hapoel Haifa under Silvas, also reflected on his past with Be'er Sheva, stating, "I think I took the opportunities when I arrived here, but with the coaching changes, it didn't work out as well. It's understandable, not every coach gets along with every player. I gave what I could to get an opportunity. In my second season, I didn't get an opportunity and preferred to leave and play. It's special for me to score in the last minute. I'm from Be'er Sheva and my family supports the team."

Owner Yoav Katz highlighted the team's character in the draw, stating, "Character won. The players gave everything, we managed to cover up defensive mistakes with character. It's not normal, it's definitely a draw of effort, a draw of giving your soul on the field. The defense was problematic, honestly Be'er Sheva could have scored 4-5 goals due to mistakes we made, but we showed great character and had luck." Katz set a goal for the next match against Maccabi Netanya: "Now it's time for a win. If we beat Maccabi Netanya, it will be an unusual achievement, and I believe we can do it with the effort and sacrificial play we showed in Be'er Sheva."

Silvas concluded, "What's important to me in this game is the message it sent, it's a valuable point. Every one of our players needs to understand that their capability is limitless. There were years when I had to do more defensive things to get a result, but with this year's Hapoel Haifa, we've been very careful as a team to be precise in what I want to do so we don't reach such situations, so we have an attacking team. We might lose games, but it will give us belief and give the fans a boost. If on an off day we came away with a draw from Turner, we can achieve any result."

In other news, Hapoel Haifa is expected to sign Anis Porat Ayash on loan from Maccabi Tel Aviv for a second season, likely concluding their summer transfer window activity.