YnetSports01:30

Hapoel Be'er Sheva's Cunning Left Behind in Loss to AZ Alkmaar

By ניר צדוק

Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba

CenterCharged tone

Hebrew · 2 newsrooms covering

Hapoel Be'er Sheva adopted a defensive strategy in their match against AZ Alkmaar, focusing on preventing goals rather than scoring. Despite a strong defensive first half, errors in the second half, including two by Djibril Diop, led to two goals for Alkmaar. Be'er Sheva managed to equalize once after falling behind but ultimately lost 2-1, with the article suggesting the team lost its characteristic "cunning."

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Hapoel Be'er Sheva lost 2-1 to AZ Alkmaar after a defensive strategy backfired.
Defensive errors by Djibril Diop in the second half led to both of Alkmaar's goals.
Amankwaa Forson scored for Be'er Sheva to equalize after falling behind 1-0.
The team's "cunning" approach was absent, replaced by a focus on "responsibility."
The loss suggests Be'er Sheva lost touch with their attacking identity.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva's defensive approach against AZ Alkmaar, characterized by a reluctance to press high and a focus on preventing goals, mirrored their previous match against Red Star Belgrade. While that earlier game saw a spark of "cunning" leading to a playoff berth, the match against Alkmaar was marked by "responsibility" alone, with the "cunning" remaining "in the country."

The team's 0-0 draw against Dinamo Zagreb had seemed like a compromise, but the 0-0 strategy against Alkmaar was a deliberate game plan. Be'er Sheva executed this defensive strategy effectively, showcasing an ability to adapt to playing against superior opponents, a niche they seem to inhabit naturally. In the first half, they limited Alkmaar to a single shot on target, with minimal defensive lapses aside from a brief period of turnovers by Pedro Amador, Amankwaa Forson, and Eliel Peretz.

However, the second half exposed Be'er Sheva's lack of a margin for error. A defensive error by Djibril Diop in the 49th minute created a gap, leading to the opening goal by פר קופמיינרס. This deficit forced Be'er Sheva to revert to their more familiar attacking style, a switch that came naturally. Within minutes, Amankwaa Forson scored to equalize, completing a comeback that few expected.

The team's resilience was tested again when another mistake by Diop in the 77th minute resulted in a penalty, converted by מקס מרדינק, sealing the 2-1 victory for Alkmaar. The article suggests that Be'er Sheva's loss was not just to Alkmaar, but also a loss of their own identity.