Hapoel Tel Aviv Wins Despite Red Card, VAR Controversy

Hapoel Tel Aviv secured a 1-0 victory over Ironi Tiberias at Bloomfield Stadium on Saturday, with Omri Altman scoring the winning penalty. The win was hard-fought, as the team played with ten men from the fourth minute after Adrian Cruyff was sent off. Despite the disadvantage, Hapoel Tel Aviv felt they were the better side throughout the match, a sentiment expressed by club officials who praised the players' effort in compensating for the red card.

The club acknowledged the referee's decision to send off Cruyff, noting that his suspension for the next match would alleviate some of the coach's selection dilemmas regarding foreign players. However, Hapoel Tel Aviv expressed dissatisfaction with the VAR's decision to overturn a penalty initially awarded to them. They argued that the overturned penalty was more legitimate than the one eventually given, though they chose not to protest loudly due to the win.

Koko insisted that Ido Sharon fouled him, justifying the penalty that was ultimately awarded. Meanwhile, Radamel Falcao, who was not in the lineup, understood the decision, acknowledging the team's strong squad depth. Emmanuel Boateng is a doubt for the upcoming match against Hapoel Jerusalem due to a facial injury sustained during the game, which required him to be stretchered off and left him with a swollen eye.

Notably, Sativ Touriel was not in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game, despite being fit and included in the squad. While he missed the previous match due to an injury that affected his training, this week's omission was a professional decision by coach Eliniv Barda, stemming from dissatisfaction with Touriel's performance as a substitute the prior week. However, Touriel showed improvement in the current match, potentially earning him a return to the starting eleven.