Hapoel Tel Aviv Coach Blames Red Card for Derby Loss

Hapoel Tel Aviv suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the derby on Monday, despite a strong start to the season. The turning point came in the second half when player Stav Touriyal received a second yellow card, reducing Hapoel to ten men. Coach Eli Ginzburg stated that Touriyal's initial yellow card was unnecessary and critically impacted the team's performance and style of play.

Ginzburg acknowledged that Maccabi scored quickly on two of their first chances, but Hapoel was still in the game. "After the 2-1 and the red card, the game completely changed," he said. He explained that with the team down a man and trailing, he gambled by bringing on two strikers, aiming for an equalizer, believing that a 3-2 or 4-2 scoreline would be no different from a 2-1 loss in terms of points.

Despite the painful outcome, Ginzburg intends to focus on the positives, including the team's performance in the first half and their ability to play competently with ten men for a significant portion of the match. He reiterated that the decision to push for an attack, even with the risk of conceding more, was a calculated gamble he would take again in pursuit of a draw.