Maccabi Tel Aviv Player Regrets Naivety After Draw

Translated & summarized from N12 by baba

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Hebrew · 3 newsrooms covering

Maccabi Tel Aviv player Hisham La'ayos lamented his team's 2-2 draw against Maccabi Petah Tikva, calling their late defensive lapse "naivety" and a mistake. The team squandered a late lead, conceding an equalizer from a corner kick. La'ayos stated they should have continued attacking rather than retreating defensively. He also discussed his own performance, the team's need for depth, and his belief in his abilities despite criticism.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Hisham La'ayos called Maccabi Tel Aviv's late draw "naivety" and a mistake.
The team conceded a late equalizer from a corner kick after leading 2-1.
La'ayos stated the team should have continued attacking instead of defending.
He reflected on past draws and the importance of securing points against smaller teams.
La'ayos believes players are judged at the end of the season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv Player Regrets Naivety After Draw — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Maccabi Tel Aviv player Hisham La'ayos expressed frustration following his team's 2-2 draw against Maccabi Petah Tikva on Friday, which saw them drop crucial points in the league championship race. The team had taken a 2-1 lead late in the game but conceded an equalizer from a corner kick. La'ayos admitted the team was not good enough, especially in the first half, but improved significantly in the second. He described the late equalizer as a result of "naivety," stating the team should have continued attacking after scoring their second goal instead of retreating defensively. "We were supposed to keep attacking and not go back to defense at all and not give them any chance at all to get to a corner," La'ayos said. He acknowledged this defensive lapse was a mistake, particularly in the 90th minute when they should have pressed forward. La'ayos also reflected on a previous draw against Bnei Sakhnin, noting that while the team created many chances in that game, they were better against Petah Tikva. He stressed the importance of securing points against smaller teams. Discussing his own performance and role, La'ayos stated he feels the coach believes in him and that he is receiving credit. He mentioned a difficult summer with a groin injury that affected the start of his season but is determined to give his all. La'ayos also spoke about his loan spell last season, which he requested because he felt he wasn't performing well and couldn't express himself. He returned ready and is happy to perform well when given opportunities. Regarding criticism and high expectations since his arrival at Maccabi Tel Aviv, La'ayos believes players are judged at the end of the season. He acknowledged not being good enough upon his initial arrival and hopes to be judged fairly this season. He dismissed negative comments about the team's bench depth, stating he focuses on his best performance and believes in his abilities. Finally, when asked about the potential signing of another winger in January, La'ayos said it doesn't concern him personally, viewing it as beneficial for the squad to have depth in every position. He believes that if a player is good, they will play regardless of new signings.