West Ham denied late penalty in Europa League defeat by Freiburg

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West Ham’s team hotel was targeted by loud pyrotechnics on the night before this clash, then on the pitch there were VAR fireworks that left David Moyes fuming with referee Alejandro Hernandez. 
Moyes insisted that Uefa referees would normally give a spot-kick when Noah Weißhaupt handled in the area as he challenged Tomas Soucek, but Hernandez ruled no penalty after taking several minutes to decide. It meant Michael Gregoritsch’s goal put West Ham’s European adventure under severe threat. 
“I’ve had a chance to look at it and I think it is a penalty kick. Nowadays if you have two hands above your heads, it is a penalty,” said Moyes. “If it was a free-kick for a push, he never restarted the game with that. If he kicked it on to the arm, it is a really poor clearance. For those reasons, I think it was a penalty.  
“It would be harsh if it was against my team but if my arms are above my head I would think it was a penalty. With Uefa, if anything hits your arms they tend to give penalty kicks whether you think that is right or wrong. You are putting yourself at risk.” 
West Ham are denied a penalty in injury time ❌ Should VAR have given the handball?#UEL pic.twitter.com/aKYDC6oWZj
Moyes must now summon the spirit of 2022 when his team overturned a deficit against Europa League greats Sevilla. But he admits there will need to be a marked improvement against their mid-table Bundesliga opponents in next week’s return leg. In the Black Forest, they struggled to put moves together in the first half and wasted their best chances after the interval. 
In the end, the decisive move came from Freiburg coach Christian Streich, who brought on Gregoritsch as a substitute and saw the Austrian striker tap home from Roland Sallai’s cross. 
“We didn’t have our shooting boots on and we didn’t play well in the first half,” said Moyes. “Freiburg were good from the first minute when they had a chance. It was a terrible goal to concede and too easy for their goal and our top players gave the ball away far too much and we need them to perform to get the results.” 
“It’s not a terrible performance because this is what two-legged European ties are. We have to turn it around and will do everything we can. Sevilla was one of the best nights we have had in the stadium so lets hope we can build another night up to that on Thursday.”
“In some situations, they got a bit lucky… but it is what it is and we move on to next week.”The immediate reaction of Kurt Zouma following West Ham’s narrow defeat in Germany…🎙️ @archiert1 | #UEL pic.twitter.com/VVCIKUblpc
Here are some still images of the incident:
What do you think? You can have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.
🏁 FT: Freiburg 1-0 West HamLate drama but it’s Freiburg who prevail victorious as the tie heads to the London Stadium next week…🖥️ @julesbreach and @sjsidwell review the late VAR decision against West Ham… #UEL pic.twitter.com/ZMmXnGOACm
Qarabag 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Roma 4-0 Brighton
Sparta Prague 1-5 Liverpool 
Benfica 2-2 Rangers
Marseille 4-0 Villareal
AC Milan 4-2 Slavia Prague
Freiburg 1-0 West Ham
It has finished 2-2 between Benfica and Rangers, with the return leg at Ibrox next Thursday.
It is safe to say that will create some debate. You also do not often see a referee go to the monitor but stick with his on-field decision.
That is the final act and Freiburg win 1-0. No penalty for West Ham right at the death. The second leg is at the London Stadium next Thursday.
#SCFWHU 1:0 (90.)DAS HINSPIEL GEHT AN UNS! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mGblIMMGTB
Everyone thought after the referee went over to the monitor that he would give a penalty but he sticks with his original decision. That review in total took four minutes. Weisshaupt’s arms were quite high but it would be difficult to say it was deliberate and maybe the referee also felt there was a nudge in the back by Soucek.
West Ham are denied a penalty in injury time ❌ Should VAR have given the handball?#UEL pic.twitter.com/aKYDC6oWZj
There is a long, long VAR check for handball in the dying seconds. Weisshaupt is the man at the centre of it.
A corner for West Ham deep into stoppage time. Creswell takes. it is headed away but West Ham keep it alive. They send it back in but Mavropanos’ header goes wide. Last chance gone for West Ham?
A late change for West Ham as Antonio replaces Paqueta, who looked like he was on the verge of being sent off.
There will be four minutes of added time.
Freiburg make another change with just a few minutes left as Rohl is coming for Sallai.
A defensive-minded change from David Moyes as Phillips replaces Ward-Prowse.
Freiburg get the first goal of the night with 10 minutes left. Sallai, from just inside the West Ham box, shoots (or crosses) and finds Gregoritsch at the far post, who has a simple tap-in. I am not sure Sallai can say he meant that.
Michael Gregoritsch delivers a hammer blow to West Ham in the final ten minutes in Freiburg 😯 #UEL pic.twitter.com/7V1OFgSb0G
Benfica have just equalised at home against Rangers and it is now 2-2.
Freiburg coach Christian Streich has a pop at the fourth official for not getting the ball. He’s got a point – the ball was right by his feet but he wouldn’t touch it. Time wasting from the official. West Ham have started to get on top but Jarrod Bowen’s shot was saved for their best chance so far in the second half. 
Ward-Prowse has an effort inside the Freiburg box but his shot has no conviction and is a tame effort.
Gregoritsch has only just come on the pitch but he has a chance as the ball is lofted to him at the far post but his header is straight at Fabianski.
Gregoritsch and Weisshaupt are coming on for Freiburg as part of a double change.
Emerson has gone down and is receiving treatment, potentially on his groin.
He is going to be replaced by Cresswell.
Bowen is the next West Ham player to come close. On the right-hand side of the box Bowen cuts onto his preferred left boot and tries to curl one into the far corner, but Atubolu makes a great save to his right to deny him.
Noah Atubolu produces a wonderful save to deny Jarrod Bowen and keep the scoreline goalless 🧤Fair to say he enjoyed that one ✊#UEL pic.twitter.com/EqIxZ4IWh4
Big chance for Paqueta. Kudus lifts a delightful ball to the back post but Paqueta cannot keep his header down and it goes over. He probably should have scored there.
Freiburg have a corner after Zouma blocks an Holer cross. The corner is headed away.
Paqueta is booked for a foul on Doan.
Bowen nearly finds Paqueta at the far post but Doan intercepts at a crucial moment. Ward-Prowse find Mavropanos at the far post and his header hits the outside of the post.
Freiburg want a penalty for an incident between Sallai and Coufal, but the referee is having none of it and books Sallai for dissent.
Sallai makes good contact on an acrobatic bicycle kick but Soucek gets a half block on it and Fabianski can make the save.
Kudus has the first effort of the second half as he cuts in from the right but his effort is straight at Atubolu.
We are back under way in Germany.
It has not been a thriller, to say the least. The Freiburg crowd lifted the atmosphere when they were enraged by a challenge on Ritsu Doan but there has been little else to cheer about. Moyes has not been happy with the way his team have functioned going forward. Proper first-leg fare at the moment.
Goalless at the break over in Germany.
Freiburg right-back Sildillia is the first man booked tonight.
Freiburg have a corner. They have had control of this first half but not have tested Fabianski that much and they waste that corner.
Chance for the home side. Sallai finds Holer, who hits his effort from just inside the West Ham box straight at Fabianski.
Moments later down the other end Kudus finds Bowen at the back post but Bowen’s effort is a poor one. He should have hit the target there. Chances for both sides.
Sallai plays a ball across the West Ham box from the right but he cannot find any of his teammates.
Nearly 20 minutes into the game and Freiburg have had around 80% possession but not that much to show for it.
Bowen sends in a cross that was probably a shot from the left-hand side of the box which goes straight into the hands of Atubolu.
Media have a great view at Freiburg’s stadium. Right on top of the technical areas. David Moyes has been giving “Vladi” Coufal instructions as the hosts have been good down the left flank through their captain Christian Gunter. The Germans are ninth in Bundesliga and have not won a domestic game since Jan 20 but they look tidy and their first-minute chance was a clear sight of goal. 
Freiburg have dominated possession so far and West Ham are looking to play on the counter attack.
Rangers have taken the lead at Benfica inside the opening 10 minutes through Tom Lawrence.
West Ham have their first corner of the night, which Ward-Prowse will take. Soucek commits a foul in the box and Freiburg have an easy exit.
The home side nearly score after just 30 seconds. The ball is played across towards Sallai, who looks like he is going to slot home but Coufal makes a vital block at an essential moment to deny him.
We are under way in Germany.
 . . . and we are just minutes away from kick-off. Some big, big flags in the home end, while the travelling fans are making their presence felt.
“It’s not an easy tie at all”, says former Uefa Cup winner Michael Owen. “But I expect them to go through.”
David Moyes, who led West Ham United to their first serious piece of silverware since the 1980 FA Cup final when Trevor Brooking headed home against Arsenal at Wembley, surveys the Europa-Park Stadion ahead of this evening’s match.
It is fair to say that the Scot has been a divisive figure around east London since he first arrived at West Ham in 2017, but few match-going fans will ever forget last year’s Europa Conference League final when they beat Fiorentina.
Lucas and Emi getting a feel of the pre-match atmosphere 🔊 pic.twitter.com/JuAbky5pFa
 . . . here are the full match-day squads:
Staring XI: Atubolu; Sildillia, Ginter, Gulde, Gunter; Doan, Eggestein, Hofler, Grifo; Sallai, Holer.Substitutes: Muller, Uphoff, Szalai, Weisshaupt, Keitel, Kubler, Adamu, Muslija, Philipp, Makengo, Rohl, Gregortisch.
Staring XI: Fabianski; Coufal, Mavropanos, Zouma, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta; Bowen.Substitutes: Areola, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Ings, Johnson, Phillips, Antonio, Mubama, Earthy, Anang, Orford, Casey.
So startet der #SCF ins Achtelfinal-Hinspiel #SCFWHU 💪 pic.twitter.com/yV2SP0gc6r
Knockout Hammers ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/gIj463gwPA
West Ham fans had to get creative with getting to Stadion am Wolfswinkel in Freiburg tonight. Lufthansa are on strike so flights were cancelled to get to Germany, and national train service workers were also striking. But it is a big one for fans to get to, given they were banned from the fixture in the group stages as punishment for disorder during the Europa Conference League final last season. My journey to the Black Forest has involved the Eurostar to Paris, high-speed train to Strasbourg and a bus to Freiburg. 
It was just a few weeks ago that a ‘Moyes Out’ banner was unfurled by a section of West Ham fans after their 2-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest. That was their third straight defeat, without scoring a goal in those defeats. The pressure on David Moyes was certainly increasing but West Ham have since recorded back-to-back wins, including a come-from-behind victory at Everton on Saturday.
West Ham travel to Freiburg tonight in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie and Moyes wants his side to qualify again for Europe after winning the Conference League last season.
“I want us to have another great run in Europe. I’d also like us to qualify for Europe again in the league,” said Moyes. “We had a period where we weren’t so good but we’re back on form at the moment and I sense we’re getting back to where we should be. Hopefully that continues [against Freiburg].
“I think for West Ham to be a European club is incredible. We’ve now been on that run for three years and we’ve played over 30 games in those three years. We want to keep it going and build on it.”
West Ham will be without Ivory Coast international winger Maxwell Cornet, who picked up an injury in training at the end of February.
Freiburg drew 2-2 with Bayern Munich last weekend to further dent the Bavarian’s title hopes.
These two sides met in the group stages, with West Ham winning both matches as they topped Group A, three points ahead of tonight’s opponents. It meant Freiburg had to come through the knockout round play-offs, where they defeated Lens, who dropped down from the Champions League, 3-2 on aggregate after a dramatic home win in the second leg.
Goals from Lucas and Nayef helped secure victory at the Stadion am Wolfswinkel last October ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/EaHaanHc0d
In the other 8pm kick-offs tonight in the Europa League last 16, Benfica host Rangers, Marseille take on Villarreal and AC Milan are at home against Slavia Prague.
Team news to follow shortly.