Maccabi Holon Eliminated From European Cup After Penalty Shootout Loss

Maccabi "Yoavim" Holon has been eliminated from the European Cup after losing a dramatic second-round, second-leg match to Bulgaria's Belye. The Bulgarian team won the return leg 31:29, forcing a penalty shootout after the aggregate score was tied 63:63. Holon had won the first leg 34:32, holding a two-goal advantage entering the decisive match.

In the penalty shootout, Belye emerged victorious with a 4:3 score, securing their advancement to the next round. Despite a strong performance and multiple comebacks from deficits during the game, Holon ultimately succumbed to the pressure of the 7-meter shots.

Belye started strong, taking an early 3:0 lead, but Holon's players, including Lina Isakov and Shira Moreno, managed to narrow the gap. The Bulgarian team extended their lead to five goals at one point, but Holon fought back, reducing the deficit to two goals by halftime, trailing 17:12. In the second half, Holon continued to battle, at one stage reducing the deficit to just two goals, 22:20, with contributions from Liran Zaguri, Noam Krief, and Shira Moreno. However, Belye consistently re-established a lead, which grew to five goals again in the 53rd minute.

In the final minutes, Holon, with key goals from Evandra Geraldo and Lina Isakov, narrowed the score to three goals. Liran Zaguri scored in the last minute to make it 31:29, but Belye missed their final attack, sending the game to penalties. Liran Zaguri was Holon's top scorer with 9 goals, followed by Evandra Geraldo with 6, and Lina Isakov and Noam Krief with 5 each. Goalkeepers Paulina Bazloda and Noam Ben Hamo made 7 and 3 saves respectively.