Israel National Football Team Disappointed by Kosovo Draw, Eyes Austria Match

Israel's national football team expressed mixed feelings following a 0-0 draw against Kosovo in Pristina in the UEFA Nations League. While acknowledging Kosovo's strength as a home team and the unfamiliar conditions, the Israeli squad felt they missed an opportunity to secure their first win of the campaign, especially after Kosovo had a player sent off in the 66th minute, leaving Israel with a numerical advantage for over 25 minutes.

"We are ultimately disappointed with both games against Kosovo, and that says a lot," sources within the Israeli team stated. "We drew twice with Kosovo and felt we could have gotten more each time. This is the reality, and it's more painful that we cannot host games in Israel. In both the first game in Hungary and this one in Pristina, the feeling was that we could have achieved more, especially when we had a numerical advantage."

Despite the disappointment, team officials noted their efforts to win after the red card, including offensive substitutions and tactical instructions. They acknowledged that while they aimed for victory, they also had to manage the situation to avoid losing, a balance they believe they struck appropriately. The team is now in Hungary, preparing for their upcoming match against Austria in Debrecen.

Defender Raz Shlomo will miss the Austria game due to yellow card accumulation and has been released from the squad. Coach Ran Ben Shimon is expected to continue with a three-defender formation, a tactic that has yielded positive results in the team's last three campaign matches. Guy Mizrahi or Eliyahu Feingold are likely replacements for Shlomo, while the team will assess the fitness of Roy Revivo and Manor Solomon for the final match.

The team is satisfied with the performance of forward Idan Toklomati, who had a strong first half despite feeling unwell. Other players, including debutant Niv Yehoshua and Eitan Azulai, who drew a second yellow card and a red card from a Kosovo player, also received praise. The defense, often a point of criticism, has shown improvement in the last three games, conceding only one goal. The final training session will be held in Debrecen, with the last Nations League match scheduled for Tuesday night, aiming for a victory to end the campaign on a positive note after earlier heavy defeats to Austria and Ireland.