Young Boys 2-1 West Ham United FT

BSC YOUNG BOYS v WEST HAM UNITED
UHREN CUP
MONDAY 11 JULY 2011
KICK-OFF: 6PM  

iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST

Final score - BSC Young Boys 2-1 West Ham United

West Ham TV will have exclusive highlights and reaction from tonight's game soon, as well as all the latest from the pre-season training camp in Switzerland.

91 mins - Into added time and Young Boys have possession. It looks like being a narrow defeat, but like I said earlier, the result is not important. The players have looked sharp and fit despite being in pre-season training for just ten days. The final whistle goes and the two sets of players shake hands.

90 mins - Piquionne wins the header from Spence's set piece and when Moncur's shot is charged down, Lee acrobatically volleys it towards goal, but the effort does not have the power to beat Benito. It's a shot on target, though.

89 mins - Boffin has been good tonight and he does really well again to race from his goal and dive at the feet of Mayuka. Great stuff. West Ham win a free-kick and have a chance to get the ball into the penalty area here.

88 mins - The sun is starting to set here in Grenchen, but there are certainly signs that West Ham have a bright future. A number of first-team regulars were not on duty tonight, but the Hammers have more than held their own against a side that regularly turns out in Europe and is littered with full internationals.

87 mins - Piquionne again, racing past left-back Alioski and pulling the ball back, but Sears cannot get there before a defender.

85 mins - Piquionne springs the offside trap and crosses low. Lee picks up possession and lays the ball back to Ilunga. He finds Hall, who lets fly with a rasping shot that has Benito flying to his right. The ball looks destined for the top left-hand corner, but flies inches wide of the upright. So close to an equaliser. West Ham are finishing strongly.

83 mins - As the game comes towards its conclusion, I can tell you about some exciting features to come on whufc.com and West Ham TV over the next few days. There will be all the latest news and photographs from Switzerland, including a full round-up of Monday's training and match, as well as post-match reaction from players and management alike. Meanwhile, West Ham TV will have video coverage of tonight's game, as well as the water polo and indoor hockey tournaments that have formed part of the players' training.

81 mins - Argh! Hall sprints away down the left before lifting a fantastic pass that Vuskovac can only flick on to Piquionne. The striker tries to control and find Sears, but his pass is blocked behind for a corner. Hall takes and Benito punches unconvincingly clear, but Young Boys scramble a goal kick off a West Ham player. Unlucky.

78 mins - The impressive Degen is replaced by Tosetti. The Switzerland international gets a rousing reception as he makes his way off. He has been very impressive. In fact, he got my vote for Young Boys' Man of the Match!

78 mins - We're in the capital of the Swiss watch-making industry, but West Ham are running out of time to score an equaliser. However, tonight's game is not about the result, it is about fitness and preparation.

77 mins - West Ham are giving their all. Montano commits a foul before he and Ilunga get involved in some 'handbags' with the home side. Nothing much happens and Tomkins heads the free-kick clear.

76 mins - Trialist Hernani gets a foot in to divert the ball out for a throw. He looks very fit and has slotted in well at training. While it remains to be seen if he is offered a move to the Boleyn Ground, the Brazil-born Pole has got some good miles in his legs this evening.

73 mins - Take a bow Ruud Boffin! The Belgian makes a miraculous save from Mayuka. Degen raced into the box and cut the ball back for the striker, who surely only has to hit the target from six yards. However, Boffin was there to block the ball with his feet before Lee could bring it away. Amazing save!

72 mins - Spence races clear down the right and delivers a dangerous cross, but unfortunately nobody is there to attack it and the ball bounces behind. Young Boys replace Silberbauer with Alexander Farnerud during the break in play.

70 mins - I have just been asked to vote for my Man of the Match by the Uhren Cup organisers, along with all the other journalists. I think a number of West Ham players have done well in the circumstances. They have worked very hard and, considering this is what amounts to their ninth training session in three days, are looking fit.

68 mins - Both players are up on their feet and led to the sidelines. The Hammers players take on some welcome water on the touchline. When play restarts, the ball is hoofed back to Wolfi, much to the appreciation of the home fans. Good sportsmanship.

66 mins - Montano is brave and wins a header inside the Young Boys box. As he does, he clashes heads with Veskovac and both go down clutching their heads. Meanwhile, Piquionne tries to beat his man and shoots, but it flicks off a heel and safely into the hands of Benito.

64 mins - For those supporters interested in what colours West Ham are wearing - claret and blue shirts, white shorts and white socks.

62 mins - A change from the Hammers as Herita Ilunga replaces Jordan Brown. The DR Congo man has looked very strong in training during the tour.

61 mins - That's the future of West Ham right there. Brown heads clear to Lee, who neatly turns and finds Hall. He completely outfoxes Affolter, who can only trip the teenager to prevent him racing clear into the Young Boys half. Quality stuff.

59 mins - A deep cross from Zverotic picks out Mayuka inside the box and he should control and test Boffin, but his touch lets him down badly and the big Belgian collects with ease.

58 mins - Moncur is penalised for a foul about 30 yards from goal. Costanzo stands over the set piece.

55 mins - Young Boys have the ball in the net for a third time, but it won't count. Degen was offside.

54 mins - Hall skips past one challenge before the ball breaks to Lee 30 yards from goal. He smashes a first-time shot, but it's always too high and flies over the crossbar. Good effort, though, from the young midfield player.

52 mins - Spence picks out Sears' run with a looping ball down the right channel. Sears gets there and cuts the ball into the box, but Hall is beaten to it by Vuskovac.

51 mins - That's really good tracking from Montano, who streaks back 30 yards before out-muscling Zverotic and winning a free-kick inside his own half. He is another with plenty of skill and flair and an eye for goal.

49 mins - This will be a big test for England U18 forward Hall, but the diminutive forward is a livewire and has pace to burn and a lethal left foot. He could really catch the eye tonight.

47 mins - Piquionne is playing up front with Hall, with Lee joining Moncur in central midfield and Tomkins partnering Hernani at the back. Spence is playing at right-back. Substitute Alioski crosses and Brown clears at the second attempt.

46 mins - We're back underway again.

Some half-time changes from both sides. The Hammers make five changes, with Spence, Tomkins, Lee, Hall and Piquionne replacing Faubert, Faye, O'Brien, Boa Morte and Nouble. Young Boys replace Wolfi, Ben Khalifa, Doubai, and Spycher with goalkeeper Ivan Benito, Mario Raimondi, Emanuel Mayuka and Ezgjan Alioski.

Half-time score - BSC Young Boys 2-1 West Ham United

45 mins - Into the final seconds of the half and Montano concedes a free-kick near his own corner flag. The set piece is delivered and Faubert heads clear. Seconds later, the half-time whistle is blown and the crowd erupts in polite applause. Well, Nouble's goal was obviously the highlight, but there are plenty of reasons for Allardyce to be happy with the application shown by his players just ten days into pre-season training.

43 mins - That was a let-off. Schneuwly's cross is allowed to bounce by Faye, who tries to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick. Ben Khalifa doesn't give it up, though, and pokes the ball past Faye and Boffin. It rolls across the face of goal to safety. Degen picks up the loose ball and crosses and two Young Boys throw themselves to the ground. No penalty is given by Herr Hanni.

42 mins - Nouble shows good strength to hold off Zverotic before finding Moncur. He shoots, but his effort is blocked on the edge of the penalty area and Young Boys clear their lines.

41 mins - West Ham's players are giving their all. They have had a busy day today. The squad were up for a swim at 7am and held a training session at 10.30am ahead of travelling to Grenchen. Manager Sam Allardyce is determined to get his players 'super fit' for the new season.

39 mins - GOAL! For the second time, a spell of Young Boys pressure brings a goal. Degen takes the corner and Affolter sends a powerful header into the net from about six yards.

38 mins - Schneuwly does well, bringing the ball forward 40 yards before slipping in Degen. Brown challenges and the right winger can only stab the ball near enough to Boffin for the goalkeeper to divert it behind for a corner.

38 mins - O'Brien collects a pass from Brown and skips past two challenges before being crudely brought down. That's a foul, if ever I saw one. Neat feet from the Irishman.

37 mins - Degen gets clear down the right and crosses low, but Hernani does well to put off Schneuwly and the No9 can only divert his shot wide of the target.

36 mins - A chance for Young Boys to get the ball into the danger zone as Faye knocks the ball behind. The corner comes in, but the big Senegal international is there again to smash the ball upfield. He is a real physical specimen, is Faye.

35 mins - Left-back Spycher escapes down the flank, but Sears tracks back well and blocks his attempted cross.

34 mins - The youngsters are really impressing against what I am told is a near full-strength Young Boys team. Don't forget that Young Boys went 3-0 up against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League this time last year. They are a force to be reckoned with, and the Hammers are coping admirably. In fact, they could easily be ahead.

32 mins - A break in play as Montano receives treatment. He'll be OK, I think as it was just a heavy challenge that left him on the turf. Sure enough, after a quick pit-stop, he is back in thick of it.

30 mins - There is a real competitive edge to this game, with plenty of hard challenges going in from both sets of players. Young Boys threaten again as Degen cuts inside Brown, but he drags his shot well wide of the near post.

29 mins - Faye is wrong-footed and for a moment it looks as if Ben Khalifa is clean through down the middle. Faubert shows great pace to romp across and thwart the Young Boys attacker. West Ham break and Nouble tries to find Boa Morte inside the box. The skipper goes down, but referee Nikolaj Hanni waves play-on.

27 mins - Young Boys break and Costanzo cuts in from the left and hits a right-foot shot. Boffin jumps, but it flies safely over the top.

26 mins - A ripple of applause as Montano comes within a couple of yards of putting his side in front. Faubert's hopeful free-kick from near halfway hung in the air and Montano outjumped Zverotic with ease, but could only head the ball high and wide of the left-hand post. Good effort from long-range, though.

25 mins - I should have mentioned that the goal was followed by the playing of 'Bubbles' over the stadium PA system and a loud cheer from the many West Ham fans who have made the trip. In the car park before the game, we spoke to many Swiss Hammers who are delighted to see their club play in their home country.

22 mins - That will be a real confidence-booster for Nouble, who has a big chance to impress Sam Allardyce this evening against a club which will play in the UEFA Europa League this season. He took that goal really well and showed real intent to get on the end of the cross.

21 mins - GOAL! Nouble! Boa Morte takes the corner quickly and Nouble gets in front of his marker to glance a fine header inside the far post. He wheels away in celebration and high-fives Boa Morte. That didn't take long!

20 mins - Better from the Hammers. Brown and Nouble combine before the big man finds Faubert with a crossfield pass. Faubert crosses and the ball is headed behind for a corner.

19 mins - The goal has given Young Boys a further boost, as you might expect. Degen comes forward and tries to play a one-two inside the box, but Faye is there to stab the ball into the stand. West Ham have it all to do, as the Swiss look confident in possession. There is a long way to go, though, of course.

17 mins - GOAL! The home side lead. A cross from the left is headed down by Ben Khalifa and is slammed home by that man Schneuwly from about eight yards. Faye and Hernani look to the assistant referee for a flag, but he is unmoved.

16 mins - Young Boys are coming into the game here. First, Ben Khalifa shoots low but straight at Boffin. The ball is quickly won back by the Swiss, who work it to Silberbauer, but he blazes his shot out of the stadium and on to the roof of the VIP tent outside.

15 mins - Hernani shows why West Ham are interested in signing him. Ben Khalifa looks to have a yard on the Polish defender, but he streaks back and makes a perfectly-timed sliding challenge about ten yards outside the Hammers box. If he'd got that wrong, he might have been sent-off, but he didn't.

14 mins - There is a good-sized crown in the stadium, with the organisers expecting around 8,000 fans to turn out tonight. They certainly won't have been put off by the weather. It is simply gorgeous here in Grenchen.

12 mins - West Ham are playing with a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Boa Morte supporting Nouble in attack. In midfield, Sears and Montano are out wide, with O'Brien anchoring behind Moncur. Faubert and Brown fill the full-back berths, with Hernani playing to the right of Faye at centre-back.

10 mins - Montano himself takes the corner but it is headed away. Young Boys break quickly from Wolfi's clearance, but Hernani is alert and pokes the ball away for a throw-in.

9 mins - It's been a fairly quiet start from both teams, aside from Degen's early shot. West Ham are doing well and keeping the ball inside the Young Boys half. A free-kick is won and Faye quickly finds Brown. He feeds Montano, who wins another corner.

6 mins - Good from Nouble, who batters his way through a tackle on the edge of the penalty area and shoots. The effort takes a deflection and flies wide for a corner. Boa Morte to take. Zverotic half clears back to Boa Morte, whose cross hits a defender and drops to another Young Boys player. His attempted clearance is blocked by Hernani, but the ball flies harmlessly wide.

5 mins - It should be pointed out that Young Boys are almost at the end of their pre-season. This is the club's final game before their Super League opener against FC Basel this coming weekend.

3 mins - Schneuwly this time, getting in behind Brown and bursting into the box. He cuts the ball back, but Faubert is alert to the danger and hammers the ball away.

2 mins - Young Boys come again through Degen on the right side of the penalty area. The ball breaks for him and he shoots from 16 yards. Boffin flies to his left to parry and dive on the loose ball.

5.59pm - We are underway a minute early. West Ham show first before Young Boys break down their left through Ben Khalifa, but his cross is hacked away by Faye for a throw.

5.58pm - The Hammers lineup for a team photo before Boa Morte swaps pennants with the Young Boys skipper. West Ham will kick-off in bright, warm sunshine. There is a murmur around the ground, which is flanked to my left by some truly beautiful mountains. I'll try to upload a photo so you can see them for yourself. Breathtaking.

5.55pm - Here come the two teams, led by captains Boa Morte and Schneuwly. I hope Schneuwly isn't involved too much as his name is a bit of a pain to type quickly!

5.50pm - Another change from the originally published team! Ruud Boffin starts ahead of Robert Green. There is nothing wrong with Green, as he was warming up on the pitch a few moments ago. He did return to pre-season training only last Thursday, so it is possible he will feature in Wednesday's meeting with FC Basel. So the teams in full are -

West Ham United: Boffin, Faubert, Brown, Hernani, Faye, Sears, O'Brien, Moncur, Montano, Boa Morte, Nouble

BSC Young Boys: Wolfi, Silberbauer, Schneuwly, Costanzo, Ben Khalifa, Zverotic, Spycher, Affolter, Degen, Veskovac, Doubai

5.47pm - This year's competition is the 50th Uhren Cup. The PA announcer welcomes the club and all of the West Ham supporters to Grenchen for the big occasion.

5.45pm - The Young Boys team is in - Wolfi, Silberbauer, Schneuwly, Costanzo, Ben Khalifa, Zverotic, Spycher, Affolter, Degen, Veskovac and Doubai will start. The substitutes for the Swiss club are Benito, Dudar, Farnerud, Raimondi, Mveng, Mayuka, Tosetti, Nuzzolo and Alioski.

5.40pm - There has been a change to West Ham's starting XI, with Luis Boa Morte replacing Piquionne, who is now on the bench. Boa Morte will also captain the side.

5.25pm - Representatives from the club have been welcomed to Grenchen by the Mayor of the town, Boris Banga, Head of Culture and Sport Barbara Pestalozzi and Uhren Cup official Frederic Falbriard at the local airport. There, the Hammers learned that Grenchen is known as the 'Silicon Valley of Switzerland' and also that Lufthansa pilots are trained at the airport, which is the third-largest in Switzerland in terms of plane movements. Let's hope West Ham get their pre-season off to a flying start this evening.

5.15pm - West Ham United's team is in! The starting XI sees Abdoulaye Faye make his debut at centre-back alongside trialist Hernani Da Rosa. Fellow trialist Joey O'Brien starts in midfield. The starting XI in full is Green, Faubert, Brown, Faye, Hernani, Sears, O'Brien, Moncur, Montano, Nouble, Piquionne. The substitutes are Marek Stech, Ruud Boffin, Herita Ilunga, Jordan Spence, Winston Reid, James Tomkins, Luis Boa Morte, Junior Stanislas, Olly Lee and Robert Hall.