Europa LeagueSC Freiburg 1-0 West Ham United
Thursday, 7th March 2024
by Chris Wilkerson
West Ham United have it all to do in the second leg after they lost 1-0 in Germany to Freiburg this Thursday evening.
In a tight game with little in the way of incident, a blunder by Alvarez set Freiburg off to score a late winner and take hold of the tie in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16.The Hammers missed chances to take a lead from the game into the London Stadium early next Thursday evening, and now have to play catch-up.
The hosts were unchanged from their weekend draw with Bayern Munich, whilst West Ham made only the single change themselves, with Fabianski returning to start as the side?EUR(TM)s Europa League goalkeeper.
The German side started with intensity and could have scored within 30 seconds, if not for the excellent and aware defending of Coufal. Bursting down the right straight away, a low ball to the near post saw Grifo attack the ball, but his effort on goal from close range was blocked as Coufal was alert to the danger and tracked from his spot at right back to the far side of the six-yard box to make a crucial block.
It was a frantic start that was not followed up on. The Hammers settled in and immediately began their task of restricting space in dangerous areas, not exactly allowing their hosts to have possession, but not particularly uncomfortable as the Germans took 75% possession of the ball in the opening 15 minutes.
Whilst the statistics may have looked good for Freiburg, they had offered little except heading practice for Mavropanos as cross after cross was cleared by the big Greek defender.
It took West Ham 20 minutes to get properly into the game, and half hour before a goalkeeper was really threatened. And even then, the chance was wasted. Mavropanos was the man exposed, rashly bursting forward from the defensive line to challenge for a ball he couldn?EUR(TM)t win, quickly passed by as the pass from the edge of the box, the flick through, found Sallai running into space. With Zouma for company, he shot straight at Fabianski in a good position.
West Ham immediately countered, and had their biggest chance of the game. Kudus got the ball after a turnover in the Freiburg half and carried into the box. On the right side, with the defence set in the middle, Kudus was smart enough to chip to the far post.
He had seen Bowen?EUR(TM)s movement, drifting into the space left as Soucek burst into the box and took defenders with him. It dropped down perfectly for Bowen to volley home from six yards out, but the striker fluffed his lines, failing to properly connect with the ball and wasting the clearest chance of the game.
It was the last incident of the first half, too, although West Ham were lucky not to be punished when Zouma, under no pressure, tried to pass out from deep in his own half and played straight to Doan. Fortunately, he was quickly dispossessed.
The half-time stalemate was what the game deserved, with neither side playing well in the final third. Moyes had fumed at his side?EUR(TM)s passing in the first half, but his side started the second 45 with improved intent. Kudus tested Atubolu in the Freiburg goal two minutes in, although his effort was straight at the goalkeeper.
The Hammers looked to be turning up the temperature, but with every step forward, they were held back by something else. Mostly, it was just a lack of individual consistency that took the good moments and ensured they ended with disappointment. Poor execution in crucial moments again costing The Hammers.
Freiburg are also a decent side, much better than many will give them credit for, the typically naive fans who think any foreign side outside the elite is immediately far too weak to threaten a mighty Premier League side.
A mixture of West Ham?EUR(TM)s inability to finish and some great last-ditch defending kept the score level. It was Doan to the rescue after Kudus and Bowen combined well down the right, setting up Bowen to cross for Paqueta in the box. He had freed himself from the defenders, but as the ball bounced to him, Doan was back just in time to flick it behind for a corner.
That clearance should have just delayed the opening of the scoring, but Mavropanos missed the simplest of chances as Ward-Prowse?EUR(TM)s corner curled to the far post, deep into the six-yard box.
The goalkeeper flapped and failed to meet it, but the big Greek defender could only nod wide having risen perfectly to meet it. Only a few yards out, he should have scored. It is chances like these that teams look back on in defeat.
In a stark contrast to the usual West Ham performance, The Hammers were at their best in the 20 minutes following the half-time break. Two more chances went begging before Moyes?EUR(TM)s side lost their control of the game.
First was Paquet???EUR(TM)s big moment, a good move from the front three ending with another good cross from Kudus to the far post from the right. Paquet?? rose to meet it, but never got over the header and powered it over the bar from close range.
When they finally did get a good one on target, Atubolu was a match to it. This was Bowen at his best, attacking the full back from the right and angling himself in at goal. Getting into the area, he looked to curl one across goal, and his shot looked set to nestle into the back of the net before a fingertip save from Atubolu diverted it just wide of goal.
With 25 minutes to play, the Hammers couldn?EUR(TM)t maintain the pressure and either dropped or were forced back. Emerson left the field injured, and the hosts made attacking changes. Their top scorer left the field, but on came Gregoritsch to press for a winner. He nearly made an instant impact, but could only head right at Fabianski when meeting a long ball to the back post.
The game looked to be drifting to a hard-fought draw, but a simple error can be costly. With plenty of time and space on the ball just inside his own half, Alvarez looked for the right pass. He seemed desperate to go forward, maybe worrying that time in the game was running out with only 10 minutes to play.
Unfortunately, he looked to force it and tried a difficult pass through the lines of the Freiburg midfield. It was intercepted and Freiburg pounced, flying forward in numbers as West Ham scrambled to recover. The ball was quickly down their left wing, and then cut back to Sallai on the edge of the box.
He had space, but his a poor shot. Luckily for him, a poor shot driven into the box can be become a good cross. That is exactly what happened as Gregoritsch reacted to the ball drilled into the area, whilst Zouma stayed still.
The Austrian had the sinple task of guiding the ball into the net from six yards out, and with under 10 minutes to play, the home side had a vital lead in the tie.
Moyes reacted, withdrawing Ward-Prowse and pushing Soucek forward to get closer to Paquet?? up front. By the 90th-minute, that plan had failed to yield a chance, so Antonio was thrown on for Paquet??.
West Ham huffed and puffed, throwing balls into the box, and it looked to be earning them nothing until a long outstretched arm struck the ball in the box. The appeals went up, but ignored by the referee. When the ball went out of play, he stopped, and we waited.
Over three minutes later, he was finally sent to his screen, where another minute or two was wasted. The replays showed a clear handball, it was just whether the laws would deem it an acceptable one or not.
With the long ball in, Soucek got a leg around the defender as he tried to clear. The ball bounced up, smashing into the outstretched arm of Weisshaupt. But it was deemed to have been a deflection off the defender before hitting his arm, which makes it accidental. That he had badly cleared into his own arm, that his arm was far enough and out enough to negate the accident, that Soucek himself gets a touch, all were ignored. West Ham were denied what should have been a penalty.
The game ended with players and staff furious. They should have been more furious at their finishing, which cost them the game, and had given them a much harder task going into the second leg.
Manager?EUR(TM)s Rating
David Moyes 6/10: Whilst his side were a little flat and a touch cautious, they also created the chances to win the game. Sometimes, it?EUR(TM)s just about the last touches, and it can?EUR(TM)t just be a good gameplan if they score and a bad one if they don?EUR(TM)t. But they lost, so he has to take some criticism.
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Click to view all West Ham United vs SC Freiburg match reports Click to view all match reports by Chris Wilkerson Like to share your thoughts on this article? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.Player Ratings
Lukasz FabianskiBarely tested and then beaten without a chance of saving.
Vladimir Coufal
Defended reasonably well, but didn?EUR(TM)t get forward to an effective degree.
Emerson Palmieri
Not an effective attacking force, which (like Coufal) was probably tactical but limited his game and his performance.
Kurt Zouma
Physical deterioration or just form, whatever it is, Zouma isn?EUR(TM)t producing.
Konstantinos Mavropanos
Has his shaky moments, but was a magnet to their crosses in the first half. Has great attributes to suit a Moyes defence, but makes rash decisions at least once a game.
Edson Alvarez
Not a great game and then a silly error trying to force a pass that wasn?EUR(TM)t on.
Tomas Soucek
Quietly went about his defensive work but didn?EUR(TM)t really make an impact on the game, at least not until late on.
James Ward-Prowse
Not a strong performance, although he should have had an assist when Mavropanos wasted a golden opportunity.
Mohamed Kudus
Not quite as explosive as his best, but created good chances and was involved in almost everything positive.
Jarrod Bowen
Blew his big moment, and then thwarted by an excellent save when he made another one for himself.
Lucas Paqueta
The more frustrated he got, the more flicks and tricks he seemed to try that didn?EUR(TM)t come off. A poor game, he?EUR(TM)ll need to produce much more to get his club through.
Substitutes
Kalvin Phillips(Replaced Ward-Prowse, 82) Looks suited to playing deeper and has made positive contributions off the bench in the last two games.
Michail Antonio
(Replaced (Paqueta, 90) n/a
Tomas Soucek
(Replaced Emerson, 83) After coming on in the 82nd minute, he had four touches of the ball.
Danny Ings
(Replaced Zouma, 90+3) Thrown on with moments remaining and is not to blame.
Lukasz Fabianski
Did not play.
Aaron Cresswell
Did not play.
Angelo Ogbonna
Did not play.
Konstantinos Mavropanos
Did not play.
Divin Mubama
Did not play.
Match Facts
West Ham United: Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Emerson Palmieri, Kurt Zouma, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Edson Alvarez, Tomas Soucek, James Ward-Prowse, Mohamed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta.Goals: None.
Booked: Mohammed Kudus 0 Michail Antonio 0 Kurt Zouma 0 Vladimir Coufal 0 Kalvin Phillips 0 .
Sent Off: Kalvin Phillips 0 .
SC Freiburg: .
Subs not used: .
Goals: .
Booked: .
Sent off: None.
Referee: .
Attendance: 29,990.
Man of the Match: .