ההגנה חזקה אחרי החילוף במשחק האליפות.

Because the base noun is הגנה (defense), and the definite article ה־ (the) is added in front of it.

So:

• הגנה = defense
• ההגנה = the defense

Since the noun itself already starts with ה, you see two ה letters in a row. It is pronounced ha-hagana.

In Hebrew, the verb to be is usually omitted in the present tense.

So:

• ההגנה חזקה literally looks like the defense strong
• but it means the defense is strong

This is completely normal Hebrew.

If you wanted past or future, you would usually include a form of היה:

• ההגנה הייתה חזקה = the defense was strong
• ההגנה תהיה חזקה = the defense will be strong

Because הגנה is a feminine singular noun, and Hebrew adjectives must agree with the noun in gender and number.

So:

• הגנה = feminine singular
• חזקה = feminine singular adjective

Compare:

• ההגנה חזקה = the defense is strong
• הקיר חזק = the wall is strong

Here חזק is masculine singular, while חזקה is feminine singular.

Because here חזקה is a predicate adjective, not an adjective directly attached to the noun.

There is an important difference:

• ההגנה חזקה = the defense is strong
• ההגנה החזקה = the strong defense

In the first sentence, חזקה is describing the subject after an implied is, so it does not take ה־.

In the second phrase, החזקה directly modifies ההגנה, so it does take ה־.

In a sports context, חילוף usually means substitution.

So אחרי החילוף most naturally means after the substitution.

More generally, חילוף can also mean change, switch, or exchange, but in a sentence about a game, substitution is the most likely meaning.

The ה־ makes it definite:

• חילוף = a substitution / substitution
• החילוף = the substitution

אחרי is the preposition after.

So:

• אחרי החילוף = after the substitution

It is followed directly by the noun phrase. This is very similar to English.

You may also see אחרי used with pronouns:

• אחריי = after me
• אחריו = after him
• אחריה = after her

But in your sentence, it is the simple preposition + noun form.

This is a very common Hebrew noun-noun structure called smikhut or a construct chain.

• משחק = game
• אליפות = championship
• משחק האליפות = the championship game

Literally, it is more like game of the championship.

A key point: in this structure, the first noun usually does not take ה־, even when the whole phrase is definite. The definiteness comes from the second noun:

• משחק האליפות = the championship game

Then the preposition ב־ (in) is attached to the first word:

• במשחק האליפות = in the championship game

Yes. This is a very natural Hebrew sentence.

The structure is:

• ההגנה = subject
• חזקה = predicate adjective
• אחרי החילוף = after the substitution
• במשחק האליפות = in the championship game

So the sentence moves in a straightforward way: subject, description, then extra context.

Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible, but this version sounds normal and clear.

A helpful pronunciation guide is:

ha-hagana chazaka acharei ha-chiluf be-mischak ha-alifut

A few pronunciation notes:

• ח in חזקה and חילוף is a throaty sound, often written ch or kh
• ההגנה is pronounced ha-hagana
• האליפות is pronounced ha-alifut
• the stress is generally near the end of these words:
  • hagaNA
  • chazaKA
  • achiREI
  • chiluF
  • mischaK
  • alifuT

Yes. Literally, it is something like the game of the championship.

But in natural English, that becomes the championship game.

This kind of literal-vs-natural difference is very common in Hebrew smikhut phrases. Another example:

• בית הספר literally = house of the book
• natural meaning = school

So with משחק האליפות, the literal structure helps you understand the grammar, even if the natural English translation sounds different.