Beitar Jerusalem Embraces Weissman Despite Penalty Shootout Loss to Hapoel Tel Aviv

Beitar Jerusalem was eliminated from the Toto Cup quarterfinals after losing 3-1 on penalties to Hapoel Tel Aviv in the "European Games" on July 18, 2026. This marked the first match coached by Almog Cohen, who experienced a defeat but remained optimistic about the team's performance. Despite missing key players including defenders Brian Carvalho and Luka Gadrani, midfielder Tomer Yosefi, and captain Yarden Shua who entered only late in the game, Beitar controlled the pace and pressed high throughout the match.

Club owner Barak Abramov praised the team's initiative and expressed that if victory had been decided in regular play, Beitar deserved to win. The team acknowledged that penalty shootouts involve luck, which was not on their side during extra time or the spot kicks. Standout performances came from Daniel Vorko, making his starting debut, Boris Ino despite a late error, and Sean Weissman, who debuted as a substitute and scored Beitar's only goal in the 76th minute.

Weissman was hailed as a significant reinforcement who quickly integrated into the squad. The penalty shootout also offered a tactical lesson: captain Yarden Shua had chosen to take the fifth penalty, but after missing three of the first four shots (by Ziv Ben Shimol, Timothy Muzi, and Boris Ino), the team decided Shua would no longer take the last penalty. Instead, he will be among the first shooters in future shootouts, with Omri Atsili or Weissman as alternatives if he opts out.

Beitar Jerusalem remains focused on improving their penalty strategy and building on the positive aspects of their play despite the disappointing exit from the tournament.