Columnist Remains Optimistic About Hapoel Tel Aviv Despite Derby Loss

Despite a significant loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the recent derby, sports writer Emmanuel Rosen maintains a strong belief in the Hapoel Tel Aviv team's potential. He argues that the team possesses immense talent and motivation, capable of proving their true strength later in the season.

Rosen dismisses the common tendency to focus on the negatives following a defeat, such as blaming the team, management, or owners. Instead, he chooses a third path of optimism, expressing affection for the team and predicting that the current 4-1 loss will be a distant memory by the spring.

He likens the early deficit in the derby to conceding a goal in the fifth minute of a match, emphasizing that there are still 85 minutes to turn the game around. Rosen anticipates that commentators will analyze the tactical decisions, such as the formation used by coach Barda and the reasons behind Turiel's red card, but he chooses to look beyond these immediate explanations.

Looking ahead, Rosen expresses confidence that Hapoel Tel Aviv will rebound in their next match against Hapoel Petah Tikva, viewing the derby loss as their only defeat of the season. He highlights positive aspects, such as star player Eran Zahavi not scoring, and expresses a desire to embrace optimism after years of supporting a team often associated with losing.

The article also touches on a comedic moment involving player Hisham Laayous and a brief, critical mention of Ohad Davida, contrasting him with Dor Peretz as a model athlete. Rosen concludes by urging Hapoel fans to remain calm and look forward to the next derby, where he expects a resounding victory, or at least to enjoy the experience of being optimistic.