Hapoel Haifa defeated Ironi Tiberias 3-1 as Alon Turgeman scored a first half brace to pick up the Toto Cup win. Turgeman opened the scoring as he slotted the ball home off a corner kick, but Kayes Ganem found the equalizer after Tiberias picked the ball off following a poor build up. However, Turgeman took a short pass from Yaad Gonen to give the Carmel Reds the lead while Wahib Habiballa scored from in close in the second half to close out the victory.

“When you win it’s always fun,” Haifa Head Coach Haim Silvas said. “But we also know that the league will be quicker and faster and tougher on the pitch. We really controlled the game for the most part but still had some tough minutes when we conceded but we knew how to come right back and regain the lead.”

“I have to say that we have guys here that are really working hard and they want to play well,” Tiberias assistant coach Moti Krispil began. “They deserve a lot of credit despite the situation that we are in. It’s not easy for them but they are trying their best on the pitch to play as best as they can.”

Alon Turgeman who scored his third goal in two matches discussed his fast start and the win, “It’s only the start of the season. I’m very happy with how we played in the derby and then followed it up against Tiberias, but I’m not even thinking about that. My focus is on getting into the best possible shape for the league season. I feel really good and over the last three years I’ve felt better than at any other point in my career. Physically, I feel great and I take good care of myself, that’s the most important thing. I’m happy it’s showing in the numbers that I’m producing. The goals are just a bonus. The main thing is that we go into the league season in good form.”

Over in Netanya, Kiryat Shemona stunned Maccabi Haifa 3-0 as three different goal scorers found the back of the net to help Shai Barda’s squad pick up the Toto Cup win. Niv Gabbay opened the scoring against his former club while Amdou Sanga doubled the advantage in the 23rd minute, however, the play leading up to the goal saw both keeper Omri Glazer and Tsunami crash into one another which resulted in both having to be substituted off injured. Ariel Sheratzky’s scorcher ten minutes later made it 3-0 ahead of the break as northerners picked up the victory.

Kiryat Shemona Head Coach Shai Barda looked back at the win, “There was only one team on the pitch in the first half. Every goal we scored came from things we’ve been working on. This is Maccabi Haifa, but we can’t get carried away by the result. I felt we took our foot off the gas a little, which is a shame, but I’m very pleased.”

Barda also spoke about the situation in which the club can’t play at home and must play in Netanya due to the security situation, “We’re starting a fourth consecutive season away from home. It’s easier to say it’s not a big deal after a win. For people who live in central Israel, it’s easy to say it’s better this way. But we’re losing an entire community. Giving the people of the north the chance to watch a performance like today’s is an incredible experience, and it’s a shame they can’t. After a win like this, it’s even more disappointing. I don’t want to use it as an excuse. We’re losing an entire community.”

Haifa Head Coach Barak Bachar said following the game, “We can’t look like this, even in a friendly match. We drew a lot of conclusions from this game and we’ll learn from it. We collapsed far too quickly. There are problems here and we’re aware of them. We need to integrate the new players. It’s unacceptable to concede three goals in two different matches in less than a week. I promise the fans that we’ll look different by the opening round of the league season. We’re trying things and working hard. We need the fans to stand with us, even during the tougher times.”

Ariel Shretzky who scored the third goal said, “I had some space, so I took the shot. I’m happy it went in. I dream about moments like this before every game, I can’t sleep the night before. When it actually happens, it’s crazy. We work on our pressing in training and every player knows exactly where they need to be. The moment one player slips up in the press, it doesn’t work. I’m happy it’s working for us. I’ve been working hard on that this year and I’m glad it’s paying off.”