Maccabi Haifa were cruising in the latest of their preseason friendlies on Tuesday, leading Liga Leumit side Hapoel Kfar Saba 2-0 midway through the first half, according to a live report from ONE.
The Greens broke through early. Adam Grimberg, a 16-year-old forward who has been pushed up from Haifa's youth ranks and capped at Israel under-17 and under-18 level, opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Five minutes later it was 2-0, with Yair Mordechai — the midfielder Haifa signed this summer on a four-year deal from Ironi Kiryat Shmona — adding the second.
ONE's report covers the match only up to the 27th minute, so Tuesday's friendly was still in progress when this story was filed; there is no confirmed final score yet.
The fixture is part of a run of warm-up matches Haifa have scheduled before the new Ligat Ha'al season, a stretch that has already included a 2-1 win over Dundee. Coaching staff have used the games to rotate personnel and take a longer look at squad depth, including academy prospects like Grimberg, before competitive football resumes.
Hapoel Kfar Saba, who play their football a division below in Liga Leumit, have provided competitive preseason opposition for Haifa in past summers, including a match in which Kfar Saba beat a rotated Haifa side 3-1. Tuesday's meeting was arranged in that same spirit of friendly, low-stakes preparation rather than as a competitive fixture.
Mordechai's goal will be an early, encouraging sign for Haifa fans after the club moved quickly in the transfer market to bring him in following a prolific spell at Kiryat Shmona, where he scored ten goals and added six assists last season.
