West Ham United made more European history Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina at the Europa Conference League Final. West Ham won their first major trophy for 43 years. Declan Rice, the club’s captain, could be a hero when he leaves this summer.
Both teams were hoping to redeem themselves after decades of not winning a championship. The first half was very quiet, and the fans were only able to get attention when empty beer cans were thrown onto the pitch injuring Fiorentina Cristiano Biraghi. The captain’s skull was heavily bleeding and cracked. He was still able to play.
Fiorentina’s situation was made worse when they thought that they had scored the first goal. Lukajovic forced a ball past Alphonse Areola, the goalkeeper. It was later ruled out for offside. Vincenzo Italiano gambled later by removing the Serbian striker in favor of Arthur Cabral. Jovic has yet to deliver a good performance. Jovic missed several chances during the Coppa italia final defeat to Inter.
David Moyes needed to also step up without the injured Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antono completing zero passes in the first 30 minutes. The breakthrough was then made by a second VAR intervention. Biraghi was handcuffed by Jarrod Bowen after his movement in the box. Said Benrahma scored a 1-0 goal in the 62nd minutes after a penalty had been initially disallowed.
The lead did not last long. La Viola retaliated in a flash, as the match exploded into life just 20 minutes before the end. Giacomo Bonaventura’s brilliant close-control techniques caught West Ham napping and he equalized the match in the 67th to keep it interesting.
As extra time continued, the chances of a late winner became increasingly rare. bowen changed the game once again. The Englishman was on a breakaway and looked up briefly before he scored the winning goal in the 90th. This was his 13th goal in the season, and fifth of this competition. He also had nine assists. Fiorentina continues to wait for success after failing in two finals during the same season.
West Ham fans get emotional after lifting a major trophy
West Ham United defeated Fiorentina 2-1 to win the Uefa Europa Conference League Trophy for this year. Jarred Bowen’s heroics at the very last minute gave Hammers their much-deserved European Trophy.
West Ham fans around the globe were moved by the victory of their team in the Conference League. Many fans expressed their joy on social media. One fan wrote As an honest football supporter, I can admit West Ham is bigger than Tottenham Hotspurs or Arsenal. Another fan wrote “They’ve had a better year than Man Utd”. A third wrote “Football”. Won. Today.”.
Next season will be crucial for the Hammers, as fans expect them to continue on their success and climb the European ladder. It will be fascinating to see if they can make this a regular fixture.
