Hapoel Tel Aviv Coach Blames Red Card for Derby Loss to Maccabi

Hapoel Tel Aviv suffered their first league loss of the season, a heavy 4-1 defeat to rivals Maccabi Tel Aviv in the derby on Monday. Dor Peretz opened the scoring for Maccabi in the 19th minute, but Stav Touriyel equalized for Hapoel in the 33rd. Hapoel's lead was short-lived as Ohad Davida quickly restored Maccabi's advantage in the 36th minute. The game took a significant turn when Touriyel received a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time, leaving Hapoel with ten men.

Despite the disadvantage, Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Eliniv Barda acknowledged the red card's critical impact on the game's dynamics. "You can't put Touriyel's sending off aside, it had a critical impact on the game, on our style of play," Barda stated post-match. He felt the first half-hour was good and that Maccabi capitalized on their mistakes, but the scoreline and the red card "completely changed the face of the game."

Barda specifically addressed Touriyel's dismissal, calling it "unnecessary" and something "that could have been skipped." He admitted that at 2-1 down, with substitutions made, the scoreline difference between 2-1, 3-1, or 4-1 became less significant. However, he expressed pride in the team's effort with ten players, stating he would make the same attacking substitutions again despite the consequences.

The loss places Hapoel Tel Aviv third in the league table with seven points, five behind leaders Maccabi Tel Aviv, who have a perfect record after four games. Hapoel will look to bounce back when they host Hapoel Petah Tikva on Saturday.