Sports are supposed to be played in front of fans. Period.

Unfortunately, the reality in Israel right now is that this can not take place due to the restrictions implemented by the Home Front Command due to the ongoing war with Iran.

So, as the Israel Soccer League took to the pitches across the country on Saturday night, the reality was a very eerie one. It unquestionably took us back to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 but it also hearkened back to a sad and disappointing situation as the players lined up while the Hatikva national anthem played.

Fan noise was piped into the TV feeds and the coaches orders along with every player’s movement could be heard in the cavernous stadiums be it in Jerusalem, Netanya, Beer Sheva or Nazareth. Limited to roughly 150 people total at each facility, the games went on, but the spirit of the games themselves were far from the field of play.

Of the four games that took place, one had to be halted due to incoming missiles from Iran as players were sent off of the Netanya Stadium pitch by the referee as everyone crowded into a shelter as bombs bursted in the air. When the coast was clear, the players ascended the staircase leading to the grassy field and the game began again anew.

This is the reality that we are currently living with in the Holy Land.

Beitar Jerusalem Head Coach Barak Itzhaki had said prior to his team’s game against Ironi Tiberias that while they had worked hard over the 40 days and 40 nights break due to the war with an Eilat training camp, nothing is guaranteed which is exactly what happened. Before the yellow-and-black and Itzhaki could settle in, the Kineret based side was up 2-0. Eliran Hodeida’s team took full advantage of an empty Teddy Stadium that would have normally been brimming with 30K fans and scored a pair of goals in fashion to stun the hosts and put themselves in the drivers seat.

However, that didn’t last too long.

Itzhaki made a trio of substitutes to begin the second half and also moved to a different formation that the head coach felt would give Beitar a chance to get back into the game and sang a point to stay close to the top of the table. As the yellow-and-black started to press for a goal to halve the lead, down south at Turner Stadium Hapoel Petach Tikva found a way to draw even with the hosts Hapoel Beer Sheva at 1-1. If the table leaders didn’t pick up the maximum points of 3, that would give Beitar the chance to cut the lead down to just 2-points should they mount a comeback for the ages.

As the opening two games of the day came to a close, a goalless draw between Maccabi Bnei Reineh and Hapoel Jerusalem in a classic relegation battle and a 2-0 win by Kiryat Shemona over Bnei Sakhnin in a game that took place at the Netanya Stadium due to the endless assault on the northern capital, two games remained and one that was just about to begin.

When Beitar realized the situation they were in, down by two with a incredible chance to close the gap with one game remaining in the regular season, they got to work and fast.

Beitar center back Luka Gadrani leaped above all of the Tiberias defenders and nodded home Yarden Shua’s perfect corner kick with twenty minutes to go in the game to cut the lead to 2-1. Next up was striker Gonzalez being yanked down in the box handing Beitar a penalty that Omer Atzily who had come on as a second half substitute, promptly slotted home.

At this point, Beitar was now breathing fire and pressed to find the winner. Would they be able to do it as their fans sat at home on their couches or in a bomb shelter with some of their newest best friends. As the score at Turner became final and Beer Sheva picked up only one point instead of three, Itzhaki’s charges turned it up yet another notch as a couple more players entered the fray.

Finally, as the match headed into injury time, Yarden Cohen, the veteran left back who had signed with Beitar in the offseason as a player that most figured would come off of the bench and not have any sort of major role with the club at 29 years old, did what he had done all season long, surprise everyone. Having played for Maccabi Petach Tikva and Hapoel Raanana, Cohen received his first ever Israel National Team call-up last month thanks to his three goals and as any assists this campaign.

With the ball at his feet roughly 30 meters out, Cohen launched a low liner towards the Tiberias goal that caromed off of a defender and past a stunned keeper Ido Sharon as the Beitar staff and players leaped in joy and danced down the sidelines, celebrating with themselves in an empty stadium. The Beitar faithful leapt off of their couches and punched their fist in the air or jumped into the open arms of their pals down in the shelter or safe room as missiles were intercepted overhead.

Beitar’s 3-2 win was not ideal, as they would have wanted to leap into the stands, share the victory and hear the song of songs being sung out in celebration. However, that was not the case, as the fans will be banned from the stadiums until the Home Front Command deems it safe for the supporters to return and pack Teddy to the rafters.

But until then, the current reality that we are all now living in will continue to exist and the fans will not be able to share in the fun and games with their heroes as the league heads into the final matchday of the regular season and then move into a ten match championship playoff which is about to begin.

Hopefully the war will come to an end sooner rather than later and everyone can once again enjoy sports the way they were supposed to be played, in front of the fans.