Benado still looking for answers for disappointing Greens

Perhaps for the first time this season, Maccabi Haifa coach Arik Benado looked helpless following Sunday’s surprise defeat to Hapoel Haifa.

By ALLON SINAI
Mac Haifa coach Arik Benado 370 (photo credit: Uzi Gal)
Mac Haifa coach Arik Benado 370
(photo credit: Uzi Gal)
Perhaps for the first time this season, Maccabi Haifa coach Arik Benado looked helpless following Sunday’s surprise defeat to Hapoel Haifa.
Even as the frustrating results began to pile up, the 39-year-old coach, who guided Haifa to the runners-up position last season after replacing Reuven Atar, continued to exude confidence.
He insisted Haifa has an excellent squad, that the players are training well and that it will only be a matter of time until they manage to turn things around.
However, following Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to its cross-town rival at Kiryat Eliezer Stadium, Benado looked almost resigned.
“We are simply not good enough at the moment,” admitted the coach.
“This is not what we planned or expected, but we will do everything to fix it.”
Haifa was considered to be the main challenger for reigning-champion Maccabi Tel Aviv at the start of the season, but no one at the club is dreaming of lifting the league title at the moment, with the Greens currently sitting in 10th place with eight points from seven matches, 11 points behind the surging yellow-and-blue.
Haifa visits Hapoel Ra’anana in Netanya on Saturday, with the latter so far losing just one of its first seven matches.
Hapoel Haifa, which climbed up to third place with the derby win, will look to build on the momentum when it hosts Ironi Kiryat Shmona on Saturday, while Beitar Jerusalem welcomes Bnei Yehuda.
Also Saturday, Ashdod SC visits Maccabi Petah Tikva and Bnei Sakhnin faces Hapoel Ramat Hasharon.
Hapoel Tel Aviv hosts Hapoel Acre on Sunday, while Maccabi Tel Aviv travels down south to face second-placed Hapoel Beersheba on Monday.