Hapoel Be'er Sheva Coach Sees Progress Despite Europa League Loss
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Hapoel Be'er Sheva coach Ran Kozuch saw progress despite a 2-1 Europa League loss to AZ Alkmaar, calling it a "leap forward." He praised his team's performance and resilience, despite conceding a late penalty. Kozuch explained tactical decisions, including starting Zahi Ahmed over Javon East. The coach believes competing at this level will improve the team and players, and they must now translate this performance into wins.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Be'er Sheva coach Ran Kozuch praised his team's performance in a 2-1 Europa League loss to AZ Alkmaar.
- Kozuch described the team's performance as a "leap forward" despite the disappointment of a late penalty.
- He explained starting Zahi Ahmed over Javon East due to desired intensity.
- The loss leaves Hapoel Be'er Sheva with one point in the Europa League group stage.
- Kozuch believes competing at this level will improve the team and players.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva coach Ran Kozuch expressed mixed feelings following his team's 2-1 defeat to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday. Despite the disappointment of conceding a late penalty that sealed their first loss in the group stage, Kozuch praised his players' performance against the Dutch side, stating they "made a leap forward." He acknowledged the team's frustration, particularly with defensive errors that led to the first goal, but emphasized the team's resilience. "I hate losing," Kozuch admitted, "but I am proud of the guys for the worthy performance here, it will teach us a lot for the future." He also addressed his tactical decision to start Zahi Ahmed over Javon East, who missed a crucial scoring opportunity. Kozuch explained that Ahmed brought the desired intensity to the field. Despite the loss leaving Hapoel Be'er Sheva with only one point from a possible six, Kozuch believes competing at this level will benefit the club. "I know which team we played against, even if they had rotation," he said, adding that the competition will improve the team and players individually and collectively. He concluded by stating the need to translate this performance into future wins.
