Maccabi Haifa Faces Criticism After Humiliating Loss to Netanya

Maccabi Haifa suffered a significant 4-0 defeat to Maccabi Netanya at Sammy Ofer Stadium on Saturday, conceding all four goals in the second half. This marks the second home game this season where the team has collapsed, following a 5-2 loss to Hapoel Be'er Sheva. The team has now conceded 20 goals this season, a low figure in the league.

Brazilian defender Tsunami received the brunt of the criticism for his performance, which was described as embarrassing and a significant factor in the loss, including errors leading to two goals. Tsunami has struggled since joining Maccabi Haifa and is expected to lose his starting position after the international break when the team faces Bnei Sakhnin. He has been deployed as both a left-back and a center-back this season.

Sources within Maccabi Haifa admitted to being disappointed with Tsunami's performance, stating, "We fell with him. We thought we would get something else. It's far from what we expected. Tsunami will have to improve, and quickly." Pedrazo, Noam Shtayfman, and Sean Goldberg are reportedly vying for his starting spot.

Beyond defensive issues, the club acknowledges a significant mental problem. The team's second-half performance mirrored their collapse against Hapoel Be'er Sheva. "The first thing the new coach will have to fix is the defense. So far, it's simply embarrassing, there's no quiet or security in the back line. We can't find balance," a club source said.

Pedrazo also faced criticism for his play, with his dribbling skills overshadowed by frequent ball losses that exposed the team to counter-attacks. The coaching staff intends to focus on this area. Several players, including Omri Glazer, Eli Dasa, Yarin Levy, and Eitan Azulay, will be joining national teams, leaving the new coach to prepare for upcoming matches without them.