Israel Women's Soccer Team Suffers Heavy Loss to Switzerland in World Cup Qualifier

The Israeli women's national soccer team was defeated 7-3 by Switzerland in the first leg of their 2027 Women's World Cup qualifying playoff, held in Hungary. The second leg will take place in Switzerland on Tuesday. The winner of the two-legged tie will advance to face either Austria or Kosovo for a spot in the tournament.

Switzerland's players wore black armbands in memory of innocent victims of global conflicts, a gesture noted by the Swiss Football Association as a call for peace and humanity, without specific mention of Israel. The Swiss team started aggressively, with Geraldine Reuteler scoring in the 14th minute to give them a 1-0 lead. Israel equalized in the 20th minute through Talia Zomer, who capitalized on a goalkeeping error. Zomer then scored again in the 35th minute from a free kick, putting Israel ahead 2-1. However, Switzerland equalized just before halftime with a goal from Iman Beny, making the score 2-2.

Switzerland regained the lead in the 47th minute with a goal from the player. Zomer completed her hat-trick in the 53rd minute, leveling the score at 3-3. Despite Israel's comeback, Switzerland dominated the remainder of the match. Riola Xhemaili scored in the 65th minute to put Switzerland back in front, 4-3. Xhemaili added another goal, initially disallowed but later confirmed by VAR, extending Switzerland's lead to 5-3. In the final minutes, two own goals by Israel sealed the 7-3 victory for Switzerland, putting them in a strong position to advance.

Coach Menachem Koretzky expressed disappointment with the final score, stating it did not reflect the team's performance, particularly after the first half where they played like a strong, trained team. He acknowledged the need for improvement, especially in maintaining focus during critical minutes and in the team's mental fortitude. "Playing 45 minutes is probably not enough, we need to improve that," Koretzky said, highlighting the concession of goals in the 45th, 47th, and stoppage time as particularly damaging. He praised Talia Zomer's hat-trick but noted her disappointment with the result.

Zomer echoed the sentiment, calling the result "really frustrating" despite her personal achievement. "We wanted to win, and it didn't happen," she stated, emphasizing that the World Cup dream remains alive. Zomer acknowledged the team's mistakes and the need for quick corrections, believing they have shown they are capable of more. The team lineup included Fortuna Rubin, Itaf Elkaisi, Shani David, Mia Schebil, Shahar Nakev, Zohar Cohen, Marian Awad, Maria Almtsri, Noa Selimagic, Vital Katz, and Talia Zomer, with several substitutions made during the game.