After returning from the World Cup break with an important victory in Ashdod, Hapoel Beer Sheva hopes to collect three more points when it hosts the improving Beitar Jerusalem (Saturday at 7:30 p.m., live on Sport2). Remember, in the first round, Eliniv Barda’s team defeated the team 5:0 of Yossi Abouxis, and this time too she hopes to come out with the upper hand to reach the important away game in the next round against Maccabi Haifa with a reasonable margin from the champion and the leader.
Eliniv Barda opened his words and complimented the opponent: “I see this game as very difficult, a crossroads for us and I think there will be no resemblance to the first game. Beitar changed players, hit with foreigners and Yossi Aboksis is doing an amazing job. Beitar is perhaps the most improving team of the first round. They gave an impressive display in the last game against Maccabi Netanya, but we come to a home game and want to return to our ability.”
On the ability shown by his team since returning from the World Cup break: “There was a long break and it takes time to put the team together and get back into physical fitness and playing fitness. We need the games and I hope that game by game it looks better. The load in the squad? There is always a load. We gave ourselves a blow no Simple with the elimination from the cup because we have less factory to play in. I had a headache before and I still have a headache now. Players will have to be the best they can when the opportunity comes and be patient as well.”
Breda was asked if his team would strengthen in the January window: “I think we have a strong and good squad, I know exactly what is really needed to make a leap forward and I hope it happens.”
On the virus that attacked the team’s players recently: “We passed some kind of virus that passed from player to player and now several staff members have it. As of now we still have a few who have symptoms of a cold. We will have to wait and see.”
Midfielder Roi Gordana stood next to Breda and spoke about his condition: “Every minute on the field for me is an achievement. I came back earlier than expected from the injury and I’m happy and feel good. You have to conserve all the time and do reinforcements, but I feel perfectly fine. Personally, I think there comes a stage in your career that you don’t want Breaks and I don’t like long breaks. It’s much more difficult to come back from a break and prepare everything again from scratch and rebuild. We fell in the cup, we won the league with character and we will come to Beitar fired up and sharp.”
On the defeat in the first round: remember the five? We don’t, maybe the media does. This game was deleted the day after we won. Now we remember Ashdod, we made a video and corrected what was needed. Tomorrow we will see Beitar in depth and come to a tough game. No one expects it to be 0:5 again.”
On the competition in the squad: “Befitting a big club, you need a good squad and good competition. The Israeli player always needs competition and to be pushed to the edge, otherwise he ends up in bad places. For me, it’s good to have as much competition as possible and I’m sure this squad will do more good things.”