Israel's soccer crisis runs deeper than the score

A little over a year ago, on September 8, 2025, Israel's national team last took the field at the stadium in Debrecen. Back then it was against Italy, a team that, even in its current shaky form, still ranks above Ireland.

Israel lost that game, too - but what a difference! That unforgettable evening, head coach Ran Ben-Shimon's team took the initiative, attacked, and led 1-0 and 2-1.

Even after conceding four times, it fought back to tie the game 4-4, before conceding again in stoppage time and losing 5-4. On Sunday, the team didn't concede five goals this time, "only" three.

But it also didn't score a single one. The comparison isn't just about the numbers, the results, the statistics.

And usually, though not always, the better team wins. A humiliating performance Against Ireland, though, it wasn't the loss itself that stood out; it was how it happened.

And what happened in the first half was a disgrace. Head coach Ran Ben-Shimon, the man ultimately responsible, admitted as much, saying, "Today was a huge embarrassment, for all of us.

What I won't say is that it was a horror show. " What makes it so startling is that 12 of the 16 players involved in the narrow loss to Italy also took the field against Ireland.

Of those who started against the Italians, the only two who didn't play Sunday were center-back Idan Nachmias, who played against Austria and was rested this time, and midfielder Dan Bitton, who has been sidelined in recent months for medical reasons. In other words, this is nearly the same team.

Yet the gulf between the approach on display a year ago against Italy and the one we witnessed Sunday night against Ireland is enormous. Poor mental preparation So the question is, why?