State cup soccer: Hapoel TA, Maccabi Haifa the latest giants to fall

Beitar Jerusalem, Bnei Sakhnin both overcome opponents from 3rd division on their way to next round in State Cup.

By ALLON SINAI
Hapoel Haifa teammates Maharan Lala (10) and Yuval Avidor. (photo credit: ASAF KLIGER)
Hapoel Haifa teammates Maharan Lala (10) and Yuval Avidor.
(photo credit: ASAF KLIGER)
One day after Maccabi Tel Aviv was knocked out of the State Cup, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa were also stunned in the round-of-32 on Wednesday night.
A Zarko Korac penalty in the 86th minute gave Hapoel Haifa a 2-1 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium, with Maharan Lala giving the visitors the lead after 26 seconds before Sasha equalized in the 67th minute.
In Netanya, 19 penalties were required before Hapoel Ra’anana goalkeeper Arik Yanko saved Samuel Scheimann’s attempt to give the hosts an 8-7 win over Maccabi Haifa in the shootout after extra-time ended in a 0-0 deadlock.
Ra’anana looked to be doomed after the experienced Tamir Cohen and Ahmed Saba missed the team’s first two shots. However, Alon Turgeman failed to score Haifa’s second spot kick and additional penalties were required after Dekel Keinan squandered a chance to send the Greens into the last 16 when he smashed his team’s fifth attempt against the crossbar.
Nine accurate penalties would ensue, with Yogev Lerman giving Ra’anana an 8-7 lead before Yanko denied Scheimann and sent Haifa packing in the round of 32 for the first time since 1965.
Bnei Yehuda was the lone Premier League club to be knocked out in the round of 32 by an opponent from a lower division after losing 2-1 to Hapoel Petah Tikva of the National League.
Lior Asulin gave Petah Tikva the lead after six minutes, with Adrian Fernandez scoring the winner for the hosts in the 69th minute after Gil Itzhak (26) had equalized for Premier League basement boys Bnei Yehuda.
Also Wednesday, Beitar Jerusalem and Bnei Sakhnin both overcame opponents from the third division on their way to the next round. Jerusalem beat Ironi Bat Yam 2-0 at Teddy Stadium thanks to goals from debutant Pablo Brandan (53) and Nisso Kapiloto (67). Sakhnin defeated Kafr Qasim on the road 2-1 via goals from Firas Mugrabi (61) and Mohamed Kalibat (72).
The draw for the round-of-16 will be held on Thursday.
Wednesday’s results: State Cup round-of-32: Hapoel Tel Aviv 1, Hapoel Haifa 2; Hapoel Ra’anana 0, Maccabi Haifa 0 (Ra’anana advanced after winning 8-7 in penalties); Beitar Jerusalem 2, Ironi Bat Yam 0; Kfar Qasim 1, Bnei Sakhnin 2; Hapoel Petah Tikva 2, Bnei Yehuda 1.