Hapoel TA-Bnei Yehuda match canceled

Game called off at halftime after referee rules water-logged pitch unplayable following downpours.

By ALLON SINAI
The match between Bnei Yehuda and Hapoel Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium on Sunday night was called off at halftime when referee Eli Hakhmon ruled the water-logged pitch unplayable following a downpour in the hours leading up to the game which continued during the entire first half.
Both teams struggled to create any scoring opportunities in the first 45 minutes, with the state of the pitch deteriorating by the minute due to the relentless rain.
Unsurprisingly, the score was tied at 0-0 at halftime and Hakhmon decided that there was no longer any sporting value to the encounter and blew it dead.
“The match should never have been started,” Bnei Yehuda coach Dror Kashtan said. “It was impossible to play. The referee made the right decision, but he would have made a better decision had the match never gone ahead.”
The match will now need to be replayed from its start, possibly on Wednesday.
Monday’s showdown between Ironi Kiryat Shmona and Maccabi Haifa also looks set to be postponed, with the stadium at Kiryat Shmona looking more like an Olympic pool than a Premier League pitch on Sunday night.