FC KOBENHAVN v WEST HAM UNITED
PRE-SEASON MATCH
WEDNESDAY 20 JULY 2011
KICK-OFF: 7PM (8PM DENMARK)
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FULL TIME - FC Kobenhavn 0-1 West Ham United
There goes the final whistle of what has been a tremendous display from the Hammers against a strong FCK side. Freddie Sears' late winner was the icing on the cake on what was a thoroughly professional display.
93 mins - Nouble blasts over to waste a few more seconds. Well done Tomkins at the other end to block Absalonsen's effort. Then Spence shows poise to clear under pressure.
92 mins - Allardyce is out of his dug-out and urging his men to show discipline. They need to stay strong as FCK are searching for an equaliser.
91 mins - We are into added time now and West Ham are keeping the ball well.
90 mins - If the Hammers can hang on this is a great result, albeit that the manager has said it is performances not results that matter at the moment. To that end, he will be delighted on both counts.
89 mins - GOAL! - Sears! Wonderful feet from Montano feeds Sears and the youngster shows great poise to slot the ball into the net. Superb stuff.
88 mins - Noble's long ball forward drops back for Montano again. The Colombian attacker cannot direct his shot on target as the announcer tells us there are 8,907 supporters here.
86 mins - Montano shoots for goal but the shot is deflected and the sting is taken out of the ball. In the end it was comfortable for the keeper.
85 mins - Nordstrand misses again after being played in with a lovely ball. Kenneth Zohore, at only 16, is on for Diouf in the home side's attack.
84 mins - Noble puts his foot on the ball and tries to get the Hammers going again. It is a little bit scrappy in midfield.
83 mins - FCK are probing but the Hammers are holding a good line. There's no doubt that the home side want to win this and Oviedo nearly gets in round the back but for some alert thinking by Sears.
82 mins - That was a great chance for Absalonsen but, under pressure from Spence, he fires high and wide from an acute angle.
82 mins - Bubbles rings out from behind the goal again. Will the Hammers faithful get to cheer a goal tonight?
80 mins - Nouble shows some good footwork before losing the ball. Spence tries to recover but eventually loses out.
78 mins - Oviedo and Absalonsen combine on the FCK left before the play switches to the right. Delaney eventually gets a shot away but is fouled in the process. Before the free-kick is taken, Bolanos is replaced by Youssef Toutouh.
77 mins - Noble has the captain's armband, by the way. He has looked full of running this evening.
76 mins - Cristian Montano is coming on for the bloodied Boa Morte.
75 mins - Sears whips it in and only a last-gasp header from a Danish defender avoids a certain Hammers goal for either O'Brien or Nouble. Boa Morte then does brilliantly before shooting just wide.
75 mins - Noble tries to find Nouble over the top but the ball is cut out. The long-serving Hammers midfielder has been tireless tonight. As has Boa Morte, who is fouled again.
74 mins - Can either side find a winner here as we move into the closing stages? The manager will be very pleased with the attitude and application of his players against tricky opposition who look set to be playing with the elite again in Europe this season.
72 mins - Grindheim wins the ball in midfield. FCK break quickly and eventually the ball is slid across the box for the waiting Nordstrand. Not for the first time, the substitute cannot direct his shot on target. Thomas Delaney is coming on for Grindheim.
71 mins - Outstanding play involving Spence, O'Brien and Sears to work the ball up the right wing. The move breaks down in the final third.
70 mins - Here come two more changes. Jordan Spence and Frank Nouble are coming on for Faubert and Piquionne. That will be like for like.
69 mins - Apologies for the technical issues here in the FCK press box.
68 mins - FCK have the ball in the net but the referee rules it out after a challenge on Boffin saw the ball forced over the line.
65 mins - Boa Morte and Sears then combine and force a corner. The Hammers fans are singing Come on you Irons.
64 mins - The game has lost some of its momentum with all the changes. Boa Morte is upended though and the Hammers have a free-kick in a dangerous position. It comes to nothing.
60 mins - Freddie Sears, Joey O'Brien and Jordan Brown are on for Kevin Nolan, Jack Collison and Scott Parker.
57 mins - Great effort there from Nordstrand that had Boffin sprawling. It just fizzed wide of the post.
55 mins - Boa Morte is back on but his head is bandaged. Looks a nasty cut.
54 mins - Reid has to be alert to deny Diouf but FCK win a corner. It comes to nothing. They get the ball back in, but Piquionne is on hand to clear.
53 mins - FCK have kept possession for the last 60 seconds and the ball ends up in the Hammers net. Diouf was offside though as he applied the final touch to a flowing move.
50 mins - Boa Morte is off getting treatment. The Hammers are down to ten men at the moment.
49 mins - FCK are on the attack now but the referee brings a halt to proceedings as Boa Morte has a cut.
48 mins - Piquionne just had a good chance only for FCK to clear at the last minute. Collison then played a ball into a dangerous area but it was hacked away.
47 mins - Ruud Boffin is on now for Green. That's the only change while FCK have brought on Johan Absalonsen for De Souza.Johnny Thomsen, Bengtsson, 'Doye and Santin are also off with Morten Nordstand, Thomas Kristensen, Bryan Oviedo and Saban Ozdogan are on.
46 mins - Nolan and Parker get us under way
HALF-TIME
46 mins - That was great play from Noble and Parker but the final ball was just not there. The ball comes back into the box but comes to nothing. FCK counter quickly and get a chance to fire a ball across the box from Santin. It comes to nothing and that was the last notable contribution as the half-time whistle blows.
45 mins - That led to a corner but FCK fail to make it count and Green claims well from Bolanos' cross into the area.
44 mins - Can either side break the deadlock before the interval? I guess we will have a couple of minutes added time. Just as I write that, Faubert executes a perfectly-timed tackle to deny Santin as he burst into the box.
42 mins - Green looks OK to continue and so does 'Doye. Ruud Boffin may well play the second half anyway and the Belgian has been out warming up.
40 mins - Well done Green. He came out bravely to catch from Pierre Bengtsson's terrific cross. That confident claim left 'Doye in a heap as he collided with Green and both men are now getting treatment.
39 mins - A smart header from Nolan kills any danger as he finds Green. That took a bit of guts though as there were about three FCK players between the skipper and the goalkeeper.
38 mins - Noble tidies up in midfield and the Hammers look to go again. Boa Morte gets the ball wide left and crosses. The ball falls to Nolan on the edge of the area but he cannot bring it under control and the home side clear.
36 mins - Bolanos shoots over from a central position and only 12 yards out. Green had wanted the ball earlier in the move but instead the Hammers tried to clear. That tactic failed and Bolanos should really have done better.
36 mins - That was close. Piquionne is flagged for offside from Noble's delightful ball over the top but it was a debatable one. The Frenchman was in there.
35 mins - Nolan just had his first shot of the contest. It was a long-ranger after Ilunga had found him in a central position. Wiland was not troubled in the home goal but perhaps that was just a sighter for later on.
34 mins - Reid does well to head away an FCK cross and then is on hand 20 seconds later to clear after some neat inter-passing inside the Hammers box briefly caused some alarm.
33 mins - FCK have the Hammers pinned back and are flooding men forward. They are a strong side and want to win this.
31 mins - Outstanding from Noble with two great tackles while helping Ilunga out at left-back. The Congolese did well as well to stop what was a decent FCK surge.
30 mins - Parker is beginning to boss this. He is everywhere in midfield.
29 mins - Bubbles breaks down in the away end just as Boa Morte mis-places a pass to Ilunga. The Portuguese makes up for his error though with a strong run back to win the ball again.
28 mins - Ilunga does well and then feeds Faubert. Parker joins the fray and then Nolan. Parker picks it up again and lofts a delightful ball to Piquionne who nods down for Collison. Only then does the move break down but it was good stuff until then.
27 mins - Santin shoots wide after a snappy FCK move. Neil McDonald is out of the dug-out to pass on some words to the team.
26 mins - Tomkins forces Santin to run offside and plays the trap perfectly. Nice play there on the left wing from Collison and Ilunga. The play switches to the other wing and then back again.
25 mins - Parker does brilliantly to beat Cesar Santin to the ball. The No11 is frustrated and kicks out at the England man. Class there from the No8.
24 mins - The FCK crowd have sparked into life. Three-corners of the ground are singing now.
22 mins - Noble is penalised for a push on Johnny Thomson in the right-back position.
21 mins - Collison was nearly in there after latching on to a Piquionne flick-on. The Hammers midfield are still buzzing about. The manager wants them all to get at least 60 minutes but it will be tough on them at this pace.
20 mins - Claudemir de Souza shoots over from 25 yards after more neat build-up play from the hosts.
19 mins - Tomkins gives the ball away with a loose pass. 'Doye picks it up in midfield and promptly shoots from more than 45 yards. The ball flies over Green's crossbar.
18 mins - Piquionne is dropping deep and proving a handful. It is a very fluid formation in the final third but so far the killer pass has eluded the Hammers.
16 mins - Reid finds Piquionne, who brings in Parker. The England man spins away from his marker and feeds Boa Morte out wide. The cross from the left is not the best though and the ball is cleared. That was good stuff.
15 mins - Noble tracks back and tidies up after an FCK break. The play switches to the other end but Faubert's cross is over-hit and goes straight into the arms of Wiland.
14 mins - The match is settling down into a fairly even contest. We are seeing a few fouls committed. The Hammers know they are in a game against strong opposition, who will hope to play in this year's Champions League group stage.
13 mins - West Ham try to respond after a spell of home pressure. Scott Parker is upended but quickly on his feet. Boa Morte has a chance to shoot but just over-runs the ball.
11 mins - That was close. FCK play some good stuff before a teasing ball across the box from their playmaker Grindheim. Herita Ilunga is alert, though, and gets there just in front of 'Doye.
10 mins - Nolan tries to chip one through for Piquionne. He just over-hits it. FCK counter but the Hammers are trying to press them high. This is a good game.
9 mins - Bolanos is getting a lot of room on the right flank for FCK. He gets a chance to cross but Rob Green comes and claims comfortably.
8 mins - 'Doye clears the corner but the Hammers keep the pressure on. Reid gets free in the box and chips for Tomkins but the homegrown Hammer cannot direct his header on target.
7 mins - Noble is dispossessed in midfield by Dame 'Doye. The No14 races forward and feeds Bolanos, but the resulting shot is wayward. Up the other end, Faubert finds Nolan and his cross is knocked behind for a corner.
7 mins - Collison and Boa Morte are switching wings all the time. This is lively stuff up top.
6 mins - FCK win a corner. Christian Bolanos whips it in but Julien Faubert heads clear at the near post.
4 mins - Lovely play from Collison there to hold up the play. Piquionne and then Parker get involved before Boa Morte tries his luck from 25 yards. It was comfortable for Wiland.
3 mins - Both teams have had a bit of the ball now. Suddenly the Hammers break down the left through Jack Collison. He crosses deep to Freddie Piquionne who nods back towards goal only for Johan Wiland to clear in goal just before Luis Boa Morte could get there. Collison has started on the left, with Boa Morte on the right.
1 min - A chance after just 44 seconds for Pape Pate Diouf. The ball in was a good one but the No13, usually so deadly in those positions, cannot direct the header on target. Robert Green gets a chance to clear from a goal-kick.
1 min - FCK get us under way. A long ball forward is dealt with by James Tomkins, wearing the No6 shirt.
KICK-OFF
6.57pm (7.57pm local) - Here they come. Nolan leads the way and the fans are on their feet. Here we go....
6.52pm (7.52pm local) - There is a really good atmosphere building. It won't be long now until the club's new No4 Kevin Nolan leads the side out.
6.50pm (7.50pm local) - Remember the match is live on West Ham TV and it will be the only place for exclusive post-match reaction from the men that matter. FCK are heading back to the dressing room now and this stadium is filling up. I was told to expect 10,000 but we may top that.
6.48pm (7.48pm local) - I am informed by our friends at Danish TV that this is the strongest FCK lineup. They have several new faces and the one to watch is Christian Grindheim, newly arrived from SC Heerenveen. Pape Pate Diouf is also a fresh face from Norwegian football and will look to impose himself on the contest.
6.45pm (7.45pm local) - The Hammers clap the travelling fans as they return to the dressing room. It looks likely to be a 4-3-3 tonight with Mark Noble sitting in a deep-lying role behind Kevin Nolan and Scott Parker. Jack Collison will start wide right with Luis Boa Morte wide left. Frederic Piquionne will lead the attack.
6.30pm (7.30pm local) - This is the first match here since Take That performed last Friday. They were supposed to play on Saturday as well before Robbie Williams was laid low by a bug. The concert was called off at the last minute. There should be no such problems tonight for what is an important match for FCK. They have a big league game here at the weekend against Odense BK before a vital UEFA Champions League qualifier next week against Shamrock Rovers.
6.25pm (7.25pm local) - The Hammers are out warming up. Rob Green is getting a few good cheers, in particular
6.20pm (7.20pm local) - FCK are now managed by former Sheffield Wednesday and Sweden defender Roland Nilsson. The home side is as follows....
FCK: Johan Wiland, Johnny Thomsen, Mathias Zanka (c), Ragnar Sigurdsson, Pierre Bengtsson, Christian Bolanos, Claudemir de Souza, Christian Grindheim, Pape Pate Diouf, Cesar Santin, Dame 'Doye
Subs: Kim Christensen, Martin Bergvold, Morten Nordstrand, Thomas Kristensen, Kenneth Zohore, Bryan Oviedo, Johan Absalonsen, Youssef Toutouh, Thomas Delaney, Saban Ozdogan, Lass Lindbjerg
6.10pm (7.10pm local) - The pitch is being heavily watered now. The players are yet to take the field for the warm-up but had a close inspection when they first arrived about 45 minutes ago. Winston Reid was straight into Danish duties, doing an interview with the local broadcaster.
6.05pm (7.05pm local) - Still no sign of the FCK team. Will bring that to you as soon as we get it. Away to the right of the main stand, the first Hammers fans are arriving into the stadium behind the goal. The PA has fired up and the first song of the evening is Elton John's Rocket Man. It is a warm, sunny evening here in Copenhagen and the pitch - laid just yesterday - looks the part in what is an impressive setting. The Parken Stadium is home to the Danish national team and the facilities are first-class.
6pm (7pm local) - The Hammers lineup is in. Sam Allardyce has named the following side.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Reid, Tomkins, Ilunga, Noble, Nolan, Parker, Collison, Boa Morte, Piquionne
Subs: Boffin, Spence, Brown, Sears, Montano, O'Brien, Nouble
Welcome to the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen for tonight's friendly against FC Kobenhavn, the Danish title-holders and UEFA Champions League holders.
Sam Allardyce has an 18-strong squad to choose from and is expected to name an experienced first eleven before introducing some of the club's talented youngsters off the bench in the second half. An exclusive pre-match interview with the manager is also available to view now on West Ham TV.
Definitely absent will be Abdoulaye Faye, Junior Stanislas and Carlton Cole with that trio left behind in London to work on their fitness, while Pablo Barrera also did not travel after reporting for the first time this summer on Monday. Triallist Joey O'Brien is with the squad, however.
The Hammers are on something of a flying visit to the Danish capital, having landed on Tuesday afternoon and then taking part in a light training session at FCK's Nummer Ten base in Fredriksberg on Wednesday morning.
The team, who will be wearing their all new sky blue away kit this evening, will head home on Thursday with their next pre-season game away to Wycombe Wanderers to come on Saturday.
Allardyce's men have played three matches to date, with first-team friendlies against BSC Young Boys and FC Basel ending in 2-1 defeats last week in Switzerland before a Hammers XI won 3-0 at Bishop's Stortford last Saturday.
The pre-season campaign will also see matches next Tuesday away to Dagenham & Redbridge and then on Saturday week with the home game against Real Zaragoza at the Boleyn Ground