When will we learn never to expect anything from Israel's soccer team
The same failures that have plagued Israeli soccer for years were at the heart of the national team's shameful loss to Cyprus.
On Saturday, Israel's soccer team played against Cyprus, losing 2-1.
We've had the same problems for over 100 years. We keep trying to shake them off, to be rid of them. Some of us push in this direction, some in that direction, but we all want to see them disappear.
And it keeps hitting us time and again, during decisive matches. Critical situations. Crunch time. Everything hurts. Who lost control? Who wasn't defending? Who didn't block him?
Before the game Eli Guttman, the team manager, left aside the issue of motivation and spoke only about offensive tactics. But that was just talk. The reality is one of cowardice.
After 15 heartening minutes of good play from Nir Bitton (the only one who played well for the duration of the match) and Dabour, the Cypriots got the trick: to close out the middle and push out to the sides, in particular the right flank where Eli Dasa, Gili Vermouth and Eran Zahavi had a remarkably poor game.
Kayal was disappointing, Tal Ben Haim didn't show up. Jews and Arabs refuse to create chances.
The team found it impossible to settle into the match. Tomer Hemed was not on form, Dabour is not having a great season and Omer Damari didn’t get off the bench, but even so – he decided not to start with two strikers?
And today of all days, when 25,000 people came to Jerusalem during an incredibly emotional period and had to return home with even more despair. It's not just an upsetting loss, but a loss to a lowly team. On paper, at least.
And the players? They said that "especially now, we have to bring a little joy to Israel," but instead they brought us down even lower into depression. In spite of the fear, 25,000 came out just to be spat in the face.
At a time when little demonstrations of hatred are breaking out all across the country, we were supposed to have a giant display of love. To fight and push with all our heart, all together. Zahavi and Dabour and Dasa and Kayal.
But in reality, demonstrations don't change the big things. And yes – it's important to mention that there is more to come from these playoffs. Because it's mathematics. Even if we don't deserve to be there, the numbers are not final. We are helplessly optimistic, despite the reality.
Even when things are unspeakably awful, we say that things will soon be right as rain. On Tuesday, maybe during the next campaign. Or the next round. We will get out our calculators and we will wave our banners.
