'Harsh' call hurts West Ham in Freiburg defeat

Michael Gregoritsch has achieved an outstanding performance this season in the Europa League, by securing five goals. This notable achievement by the Freiburg player is notably the highest number of goals by any team member during a single European campaign.

West Ham lost against Freiburg in the initial match of their round of 16 battle in Europa League.

The Hammers defeated their counterparts from the German Bundesliga twice during the initial group stage and were doing quite well until Michael Gregoritsch unexpectedly scored shortly after he was substituted in.

Nine minutes before the end of the game, Roland Sallai took a shot that wasn't quite on target, but managed to score as the Austrian team had lost some defenders who were unable to prevent the ball from crossing the penalty area.

The Hammers believed that they would be awarded a penalty in the added time, but instead, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) took a long time investigating Noah Weisshaupt's possible handball, and the penalty was not granted.

After the game, West Ham manager David Moyes expressed his belief that the call was for a penalty. He also noted that in European football, handballs are often penalized. While he disagreed with this approach, he acknowledged that it is the way Uefa operates.

I don't understand why not. We received unfair treatment.

His team should have been leading well before Freiburg scored.

Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta both failed to hit the target when they received excellent crosses from Mohammed Kudus, while Bowen's attempt to curl the ball from the corner of the box was expertly blocked by Noah Atubolu.

Freiburg has only managed to win twice within a standard 90-minute time frame across all competitions this year in 2024.

In order to continue with their recent success in European competition, West Ham needs to emerge victorious in their upcoming match in London on Thursday.

Late VAR Call Sparks Hammers' Fury

The members of the West Ham team and their manager David Moyes were extremely upset with the referees towards the conclusion of the game. They believed that they ought to have been awarded a penalty.

Referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez conducted a VAR check for multiple minutes. During this process, he looked at a monitor to see whether Weisshaupt had touched the ball with his hand while inside the penalty area.

The German raised his hands up in the air when Tomas Soucek, who was positioned at the back, hit the ball onto his arms.

However, the referee upheld his initial verdict of no penalty and promptly concluded the game.

Moyes added: "Soucek strikes the ball onto his hands. When both arms are raised above the head, it's generally awarded as a foul because the arms aren't in a relaxed stance."

An individual is attempting to argue that there was a shove, but the game ought to resume with a free-kick, which did not occur. In reality, the participant who attempted to clear the ball possibly botched the clearance. If he inadvertently kicked the ball onto his own arm, he should face punishment.

Improve Finish In Homecoming Matches

In 2022, West Ham made it to the semi-finals of the Europa League, and last season, they emerged victorious in the Europa Conference League. Additionally, this season they managed to come out on top of a group that featured Freiburg, which qualified them automatically for the last 16.

The football team won all the matches in Europe during the previous season, hence never faced a situation where they had to reverse a losing score in the first leg. However, two years ago, they did encounter such an experience when they lost the first game against Sevilla with a score of 1-0. But they ultimately qualified for the next round after playing extra time at the London Stadium.

The team from Sevilla appeared to be a more challenging rival compared to Freiburg, who are in a mediocre position in the Bundesliga rankings. Therefore, West Ham doesn't need to feel anxious as they have a great record of winning their previous ten European home games.

However, they need to enhance their final touches by Thursday.

Their leading goal-scorer this season is Bowen with a total of 17 goals. However, he has not been able to score in any of the European matches played so far. Despite having several opportunities to break this jinx during their game in Germany, he was unable to do so.

He attempted to score by shooting from a close position but the goalkeeper prevented it. Additionally, he made an unsuccessful attempt to hit the ball with his foot after Kudus passed it.

Paqueta missed the chance to score when he headed the ball wide from a cross by Kudus, and Konstantinos Mavropanos also missed the target from a corner kick taken by James Ward-Prowse. Kudus was putting the home defence under pressure and also had a shot that was saved by the goalkeeper.

Today, we witnessed an outstanding performance from the player of the match. They were able to turn the game around and lead their team to victory. Their skills on the field were unmatched as they made crucial tackles and scored important goals. It was clear that this player has a natural talent for the sport and they are an asset to their team. Congratulations to the player of the match on a well-deserved win and an incredible performance.

On average, the number is 7.23.

In football, the number 10 on a player's jersey is a symbol of creativity and skill, and Lucas Paquetá is no exception. This talented player is currently assigned the number 10 jersey for his team. The number also indicates the player's offensive capabilities. Lucas Paquetá has been performing exceptionally well, making strategic moves and contributing to his team's goals. It is an honor to wear such a revered number, and Paquetá certainly does it justice. His skills and dedication to the game make him a force to be reckoned with on the field.

The match official for this game is Alejandro José Hernández Hernández.

The game has concluded with a score of one point for SC Freiburg and zero points for West Ham United.

The match concludes with SC Freiburg leading, scoring one goal, while West Ham United didn't manage to score any.

The VAR system has been used to evaluate a decision made during the match involving West Ham United. The outcome of the review is that no penalty will be awarded to the team.

The shot by Konstantinos Mavropanos from the center of the box for West Ham United was not on target, as it went too high over the goal.

Shot hindered. Kalvin Phillips (West Ham United) tried to kick the ball with his right foot from beyond the box, but it was prevented from going forward.

The try by Jarrod Bowen from the middle of the penalty area was hindered as the opposition was able to block his left footed shot. Michail Antonio provided the assist for the attempt.

The try was unsuccessful. Konstantinos Mavropanos of West Ham United tried to score a goal through a header from the center of the box. However, his attempt went towards the right and didn't score. The ball was assisted by Mohammed Kudus who gave a cross from a corner.

The ball has been kicked towards the corner area by West Ham United, and it was Lukas Kübler who caused the opposition to do so.

Change has been made in the West Ham United team. Michail Antonio is coming on to replace Lucas Paquetá.

In the SC Freiburg match, Roland Sallai has been replaced by Merlin Röhl.

Florent Muslija from SC Freiburg was awarded a free kick in the half of the pitch where the team defends.

Jarrod Bowen from West Ham United has committed a foul.

The wait is over. They are prepared to proceed.

The game has been put on hold due to an injury sustained by Kurt Zouma of West Ham United.

Nicolas Höfler (SC Freiburg) committed a foul.

On the right side of the field, Tomás Soucek from West Ham United has successfully earned a free kick.

Maximilian Eggestein from SC Freiburg missed a chance to score as his left footed shot from beyond the penalty area was too high up, even with an assist from Christian Günter.

Muslija takes the place of Doan on the field for SC Freiburg.

The player substitution has occurred for SC Freiburg. Lukas Kübler has stepped in to replace Kiliann Sildillia.

A change has been made to the West Ham United team. James Ward-Prowse is being replaced by Kalvin Phillips.