West Ham conquer the Conference League with a goal in the 90th minute

Jarrod Bowen scores in the final stretch to beat Fiorentina (1-2)

MADRID, 7 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –

West Ham United conquered the Conference League this Wednesday thanks to their tight 1-2 victory in the final against ACF Fiorentina, with a decisive goal scored by Jarrod Bowen in the 90th minute of a match played at the Eden Arena in Prague (Czech Republic).

The club’s windows in east London only included, of international status, a European Cup Winners’ Cup won in 1965 and an Intertoto Cup won in 1999. Since then, always eclipsed by the most important teams in the English capital, West Ham had not experienced such joy as this Conference League title.

Until they reached that goal, the team coached by David Moyes knew how to suffer in a stuck first half, with stoppages due to the throwing of plastic cups by their fans every time Fiorentina took a corner. Even Cristiano Biraghi, ‘viola’ captain, was treated for bleeding after being hit by a glass.

With almost no chances of danger, the clearest of the Florentine team came just before the break. In added time, a good header from Cristian Kouamé was repelled by the rival goalkeeper, and Luka Jovic also headed the rebound; although he put the ball in, with suspense, everything was canceled for being offside.

Upon returning from the locker room, both teams already showed a better version. West Ham took the lead with a penalty converted by Mohamed Said Benrahma on 62′, after Biraghi had committed the penalty with a clumsy handball on an opponent’s control from the side of the box.

Despite the insistent protests of the ‘Fiore’, the Spanish referee Carlos del Cerro Grande ordered the penalty after consulting the VAR. Benrahma marked it, deceiving the goalkeeper, but the ‘viola’ team quickly equalized the contest. As a result of a pumped center to the side of the area, Nico González rose more than his marking and extended with his head.

QUALITY OF LUCAS PAQUETÁ IN ASSISTANCE

Giacomo Bonaventura then appeared to control with his left foot, at medium height, and immediately hit the cross with his right foot. The ball hit the post, unstoppable for goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. The two coaches moved chips from their benches, sensing that the match was going to need extra time to settle the champion.

However, the talented Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paquetá found the opening he needed in the ‘Fiore’ defensive line to put a long pass into Jarrod Bowen’s run. And thanks to his powerful sprint, despite being overtaken by a defender, the ‘hammer’ striker was planted in front of Pietro Terracciano.

The ‘Fiore’ goalkeeper managed to touch the ball, but could not prevent it from lodging in the back of the net when the stopwatch touched minute 90. In this way, Moyes’ men held on to their advantage in long added time and they smiled on the grass of the Eden Arena, raising the trophy to the sky of Prague.

DATASHEET.

–RESULT: FIORENTINA, 1 – WEST HAM, 2. (0-0, at halftime).

–LINEUPS:

FLORENTINE: Terracciano; Dodô, Milenkovic, Ranieri (Igor, min.84), Biraghi; Amrabat, Mandragora (Barak, min.90+3), Bonaventure; Nico González, Kouamé (Saponara, min.62) and Jovic (Cabral, min.46).

WEST HAM: Areola; Coufal, Zouma (Kehrer, min.61), Aguerd, Emerson; Soucek, Rice; Paquetá, Bowen, Benrahma (Fornals, min.76); y Antonio (Ogbonna, min. 90+4).

–GOALS:

0-1, min.62: Benrahma (p).

1-1, min.67: Bonaventura.

1-2, min. 90: Bowen.

–REFEREE: Carlos del Cerro Grande (ESP). He yellow carded Mandragora (min.66), Duncan (min.67), Milenkovic (min.75) and Amrabat (min.85) at Fiorentina, and also Benrahma (min.31), Aguerd (min. 53), Cresswell (min.90+1) and Bowen (min.90+7) at West Ham.

–STADIUM: Eden Arena, 17,363 spectators.