Pre-season friendly
VfL Borussia Monchengladbach v West Ham United
Waldstadion, Ruhpolding, Germany
Saturday 17 July 2010
Kick-off: 6.30pm (5.30pm London time)

VfL Borussia Monchengladbach 0-2 West Ham United FT

90min - There goes the full-time whistle after a smart stop from Stech.

89min - Time ticking away here. It looks like we have seen the end of the scoring.

86min - Crunching challenge from Daprela sets the Hammers away. Diamanti races on to Edgar's ball but no one can get on the end of his chipped cross.

85min - Another Monchengladbach chance. This time, Reus drifted inside and sent in a low shot that Stech watched past his post with ease.

83min - A good save from Stech after Kachunga had found space to the left of the area and fizzed in a low shot. Filip Daems then shot over with a wayward effort.

81min - Another change. Jordan Spence is coming on at right-back for my man of the match James Tomkins.

80min - Da Costa reads a dangerous cross well and hooks it away. It is absolutely bucketing it down now. The sky is looking ominous but everything on the pitch has been very encouraging today.

78min - Diamanti cuts in from the left, jinks past two but his shot is off target. And we are playing with the Premier League ball this half, so no complaints.

77min - Edgar frees Montano but the Colombian youngster's cross finds no one in the box.

76min - Danger from the German side again. They are pushing hard for a way back into the match.

74min - Here comes the rain again. Good effort out there from a youthful Hammers side. Fry has been particularly vocal at the back, despite his lack of first-team experience.

72min - Unlucky for Kachunga. His shot on the turn is a good one but Stech is equal to it and palms away.

70min - Hitzlsperger, Kovac and Diamanti do well to make space in the centre with the Czech midfielder shouting 'bravo' about the attacking play. The ball eventually finds its way to Stanislas but his shot is closed down. Hitzlsperger makes way for Wednesday's match-winner against Peterborough United, Anthony Edgar. 

69min - Hitzlsperger is fouled after another neat interchange between the Hammers midfield.

67min - Yellow card for a smiling Da Costa after a challenge that left Kachunga on the floor. Tomkins steps in when things get a little heated. Free-kick to Monchengladbach but McCarthy clears at the near post.

65min - Good close passing from the Hammers. Offside against Monchengladbach when they next get the ball. Grant will want to keep a clean-sheet, with Stech yet to be tested. 

64min - Da Costa wins it, then holds off his man before setting the attack going. Monchengladbach are on the back-foot.

63min - Good play from Fry keeps an attacking move alive. Diamanti then jinks into the box past two but the third nicks the ball.

62min - That was all a bit confusing but the teams have settled down now. Stanislas tries a long-ranger and promptly wins a corner.

59min - Fry is on for Faubert while Noble makes way for Cristian Montano. Da Costa is also on with Boa Morte departing and immediately wins a header while leaving Kachunga on the floor. Firm but fair from the giant Portuguese. Da Costa is partnering Fry, while Tomkins has gone to right-back. Further forward, Stanislas and Montano are flanking McCarthy with Diamanti slightly withdrawn.

59min - Sears is off for Junior Stanislas while Hitzlsperger makes way for Diamanti. Matty Fry is coming on soon as well.

57min - Alessandro Diamanti, who has just become a father again, is about to come on. Not before Sears can do very well on the right wing. He tricks his opponent with a back-heel into the path of Hitzlsperger. The German then picks out McCarthy who only just misses out on a chance for a second.

56min - If you get a chance, log on later to WHUTV. You will see two great goals. There could be more though as the match is end to end. McCarthy comes back well to clear from a Monchengladbach free-kick.

55min - An acrobatic clearance from Hitzlsperger in midfield. The midfielder has been energetic again and not stopped running.

54min - It has been a little bit scrappy since that sublime second. Tomkins was clattered and Daprela commited a foul.

51min - If the first goal was good, that was fantastic. Noble picked out Faubert on the right. The full-back raced on to it, while holding off an opponent. As the ball bounced up, he struck it on the half-volley to the edge of the area. McCarthy had found space and without a moment's hesitation rifled an unstoppable volley into the corner of the goal.

51min - GOAL! - Benni McCarthy scores a stunner...

50min - Marco Reus lofts one to the back post but it just evades any team-mates.

48min - Noble, who has taken the captain's armband, strides forward to a shooting position and lets fly in a central spot. It goes straight at the keeper, who claims it well.

47min - I think this is the Monchengladback lineup. The rain is making it a little tricky to see, though. Boa Morte tries his luck but Christopher Heimeroth saves at his near post.

Borussia Monchengladbach: Heimeroth, Daems, Anderson, Meewis, Reus, Marx, Jaures, Kachunga, Korb, Jantschke, Idrissou.

46min - The whole Monchengladbach team appears to have changed. One of them Mohamadou Idrissou rushes Stech into a clearance but the danger is averted.

46min - We are back under way. Marek Stech is in goal for Peter Kurucz. It looks like the only other changes are Fabio Daprela for Ilunga, Radoslav Kovac for Dyer, Manuel da Costa for Gabbidon and Benni McCarthy for Cole.

The dancing girls are showing a lot of stocking-clad legs as they do the Can-Can. They would not be out of place in Paris. The fans are taking a keen interest.

It is not long now for fans wanting to see the Hammers back at the Boleyn, with just three weeks until RC Deportivo La Coruna arrive on Saturday 7 August. It promises to be the first taste of the famous stadium in Hammers colours for Pablo Barrera, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Frederic Piquionne - but the signs are that there may be one or two other new faces by then as well.

For those interested, I am told here by a local colleague to my right that Monchengladbach are regarded as one of the three best supported clubs in Germany behind Bayern Munich and Hamburg, especially from their domestic dominance and European experience in the 1970s. It has been a proper contest and one to savour for the crowd. There must be at least 1,500 fans here and it is a great atmosphere. The German 'Hammerettes' are back too, this time with coloured feathers in their air and eye-catching outfits.

The referee brings the half to an end ten seconds early. A solid display from the Hammers that would have given manager Avram Grant plenty of food for thought. Watch out for that goal later on WHUTV as well. Cole now has two goals from two 45-minute displays and played a captain's role at the back whenever Monchengladbach got a chance from a set-piece. With Scott Parker and Frederic Piquionne watching on, it was a positive half all round.

Half-time

45min - Kurucz comes out to clear after the ball held up in the sodden turf. This Jabulani hasn't caused too many problems.

44min - Someone in the crowd is singing 'Twist and Shout' and making a good job of it. Great support from the travelling Hammers.

42min - Sorry it was Bobadilla who was injured. He has gone off. Dyer, meanwhile, has just accelerated with real pace over 40 yards and only just missed out on a clear run at goal. At the other end, Noble makes a saving tackle before Faubert deflects a shot wide.

41min - Captain Cole clears the corner and only just misses out on setting Sears away on the counter.

40min - Arango whips in a delightful free-kick. No matter, Tomkins jumps in between two and heads behind. Korb is still getting treatment.

39min - That looked harsh. Ilunga times a perfect tackle that leaves Korb on the floor out on the wing. The linesman saw nothing wrong but the referee races 40 yards to pull up the play. A yellow card is shown but it might have been to Gabbidon for his complaints.

38min - Sears is taking up some good positions and only just fails to connect with Boa Morte's through-ball. The Hammers are bossing this now.

37min - Dyer is looking strong and gets up without a complaint after Dante's heavy challenge.

36min - Faubert tidies up. He has had a quiet half with the German side doing most of their  attacking on their right wing.

35min - Monchengladbach try and strike back with a corner from Arango. This time Ilunga heads away. It is solid defending from the Hammers.

33min - Hitzlsperger hit a sublime crossfield pass into the feet of Sears on the right wing. The youngster beat his man with a trick, moved forward ten yards before picking out Cole in the centre of the goal. The England striker rose well and then cushioned a lovely header beyond Bailly. Well done all round.

33min - GOAL! - And what a goal it was...

32min - Simply brilliant defending from Tomkins. Bobadilla races on to one over the top but the young defender faces up and then times a perfect tackle. A foul is conceded out by the corner flag though and Arango steps up again. Tomkins rises majestically to head clear. He's having a great game.

31min - A lovely period of Hammers passing ends only when the turf gives way under Hitzlsperger. He and Noble are trying to get things going.

30min - A clap of thunder sounds away to our right. It is getting quite dark here and the top of the mountain behind is disappearing behind the cloud.

29min - Arango takes but Boa Morte heads away the danger. Perhaps the German side are slightly taking the upper hand but it is pretty even still.

28min - Kurucz clears after a surge forward by the German side. Ilunga weighs in with a hefty challenge but the referee waves play on. Dyer then has to concede a corner after Monchengladbach made progress down the right wing.

27min - Dyer is pushing forward quite a bit. It almost looks like a 4-4-2 at times with him just off Cole. Sears and Boa Morte have dropped back into wing positions.

25min - This is a pretty even contest. Levels crosses but Tomkins shields the ball well from Backer.

24min - The first sign of Der Hammer. Hitzlsperger lets fly from 35 yards and it is deflected wide for a corner. Noble takes and Tomkins is punished for a supposed push on Dante at the back-post.

23min - Great save Kurucz. Arango fizzes it around the world but the keeper punches it away for a corner to be taken by the same man. Cole does his job at the near post and heads away the danger.

22min - Ilunga fouls Korb on the edge of the area. Another decent shooting chance for Arango.

21min - Well done Tomkins. A great tackle on Bobadalla right on the edge of the area.

20min - A wayward pass from Tomkins there, his first mis-step in a solid opening 20 minutes. Boa Morte then wins a 50-50 with a brave challenge and only just misses Cole with his left-wing cross.

17min - Driving rain here now is making it hard for the players to keep their footing. Good claim from Kurucz after Levels tried a speculative cross.

15min - Neustadter takes advantage of a Dyer slip to move forward. Boa Morte tracks back and commits a foul but Monchengladbach cannot find a way through.

14min - Unlucky Kieron Dyer. Faubert had stormed down the right from Noble's pass. The full-back then picked out Dyer superbly and the England man took it first time. The shot was hard and low on the turn but Bailly was able to grasp it.

13min - Cole is doing well. Monchengladbach are having to work hard to stop him turning and he looks eager to add to the goal he scored at Peterborough in midweek.

11min - Juan Arango steps up and curls the Jabulani ball just over the crossbar. Kurucz dived well and looked like he had it covered.

10min - Ilunga does well to slide in and clear the cross. Cole then gets brought down, although it took three opponents to deal with him. Gabbidon is then penalised on the edge of the area for an alleged foul on Raul Bobadilla. Shooting chance coming up from 20 yards in a central position.

9min - A first chance for Boa Morte out wide on the left. He cuts inside and lofts one goalwards but Bailly is equal to it. Noble then concedes a foul on a quick counter, bringing down Levels. Dangerous set-piece chance coming for the German side.

8min - Noble is the most deep-lying of the three midfielders. Hitzlsperger and Dyer are pushing on ahead of him with full-backs Faubert and Ilunga given licence to get forward on the wing. Well done Tomkins as he foils Backer.

7min - James Tomkins chips it up to Sears, who controls smartly. He is then fouled and the Hammers get a chance to pump one into the area. Mark Noble takes it but Logan Bailly is out smartly to catch.

6min - Dante tries a long one over the top but Peter Kurucz is out of his area smartly to avert the danger.

5min - The Hammers are wearing their new white away kit by the way. You can pre-order now before it goes on sale next Thursday.

3min - Well played Luis Boa Morte and Freddie Sears as the two forwards combine to clear the danger from the set-piece. A quick break sets the Hammers away through Cole and he is too hot to handle. He covers 30 yards in no time before being unceremoniously dumped on the floor by Dante.

2min - Monchengladbach move forward through Tobias Level's surge down the right flank. He crosses low to the near post but Danny Gabbidon reads the danger and clears it for a corner.

1min - It is very cagey stuff with both teams getting a chance to play it about. Every player has probably had a touch of the ball in the opening minute.

Kick-off - We are under way. With some early neat passing by the Hammers as a hush descends over the stadium.

6.16pm - Carlton Cole is the captain. He hands over a special pennant to his counterpart and we are about to get started.

6.15pm - The lineups:

Borussia Monchengladbach: Bailly, Brouwers, Bobadilla, Neustadter, Korb, Arango, Alberman, Levels, Wissing, Backer, Dante

West Ham United: Kurucz, Faubert, Gabbidon, Tomkins, Ilunga, Dyer, Noble, Hitzlsperger, Boa Morte, Sears, Cole

6.15pm - The teams are coming out. We may have an early start here.

6.12pm - The local version of the Hammerettes are out now. They are wearing green t-shirts with black and white caps. They are dancing to the Black Eyed Peas.

6.05pm - The teams are back in the dressing room. A group of Hammers fans have just moved towards the halfway line with a big flag. The familiar 'Irons, Irons' shout suddenly fills the air as the PA announcer welcomes the visitors from London.

5.50pm - The rain is pelting down now. Physiotherapist Eamonn Swift is putting the starting side through their paces including Carlton Cole.

5.45pm - We may struggle with the Monchengladbach teams as it appears there will be no team-sheet. Also it appears the teams will be playing with the new Bundesliga Jabulani-style ball for the first half before switching to the Premier League version for 2010/11 in the second half. I've had a close-up look at the German ball and it certainly looks and feels like it might prove problematic.

Welcome to Germany for the first match of West Ham United's pre-season training camp. The Hammers have just arrived at the spectacular setting of the Waldstadion in Ruhpolding, just ahead of tonight's opponents VfL Borussia Monchengladbach. We will bring you the team news as soon as we have it but two players who will not be figuring are Scott Parker - just back into full training - and new recruit Frederic Piquionne.

Parker is out on the pitch, though, having an early look around along with Alessandro Diamanti and Radoslav Kovac. There are a good few hundred people here already and a fair few are sampling the beer on offer from the balcony of the bar that overlooks the corner of this intimate stadium. A small running track separates the pitch from the one main stand, with this report coming to you from the roof. It is a humid evening but the hope for everyone - with the clouds rolling in - is that the forecast rain holds off for the next couple of hours.