WHUFC.com
West Ham United winger Pablo Barrera was the star man in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final
26.06.2011
Pablo Barrera was the hero for Mexico as they won the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 4-2 defeat of the United States. The West Ham United winger put his side back in a thrilling contest in Pasadena, California overnight with their opening goal, having seen the US race into a two-goal lead through Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan.
Mexico's equaliser came via Andres Guardado and, with the score at 2-2, Barrera then got his second - and the game's decisive goal - five minutes after the interval. Mexico never looked back from there and added a fourth via Giovani Dos Santos to claim a memorable victory.
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Turgott helps England progress
WHUFC.com
West Ham United representation will continue into the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-17 World Cup
25.06.2011
Academy ace Blair Turgott played a full 90 minutes as England reached the knockout stage of the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico with an impressive defeat of Uruguay. The South American side had already made sure of qualification from Group C before Saturday's match in Torreon while England needed a point to progress. In the end, the Young Lions pipped their opponents to first place with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Nathaniel Chalobah and Max Clayton. Turgott, who had scored in last Wednesday's 2-2 draw against Canada, played on the right-hand side of a front three and was a lively presence again. The Hammers youngster will hope to keep his place for the last-16 tie against yet to be determined opposition in Pachuca on Thursday.
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Kovac hails Hammers career
Former player says spell provided "the best years in my career"
By Vasek Kadlec. Last Updated: June 25, 2011 4:55pm
SSN
Radoslav Kovac has hailed his days at West Ham as the best of his career, but is disappointed to have ended his stint on a sour note. Former Czech Republic international Kovac completed a move to Basel on Friday after spending two years with the Hammers following a 2009 move from Spartak Moscow. The midfielder revealed his fond memories under the guidance of former boss Gianfranco Zola, but admits he and the Italian's successor Avram Grant did not see eye to eye. "The first two years were fantastic and were the best years in my career," he told isport.blesk.cz. "Those were great times under Gianfranco Zola. "We had a good team and had good company. Then Grant came in and everything changed. I don't like to recall the final days and weeks but I was taking it as it was coming. "Otherwise, life in London was great and my family was happy there. We learned a little bit of the language too."
Allardyce
Kovac claims current boss Sam Allardyce, who replaced Grant following the Israeli's sacking, wanted the 31-year-old to stay at Upton Park, but he found the lure of UEFA Champions League football too difficult to turn down. "Sam Allardyce came in and said he would like to co-operate with me," Kovac said. "They asked for €500,000 and Basel were willing to pay €250,000, but then they upped it and the deal was done. "I felt how much they wanted to capture me. The talks with them were correct and very swift and, moreover, they are in the Champions League."
Despite his affection for West Ham, Kovac was fully intent on leaving the club this summer, although he would have foreseen no problem in seeing out the final year of his contract had Basel failed to negotiate a transfer. He added: "Even though there was a managerial change, I still wanted to leave as I was not playing often. Naturally, if the deal had fallen through I would have stayed, it would not have been the end of the world."
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Reid wants Hammers stay
Hammers defender keen on staying at Upton Park
Last Updated: June 25, 2011 1:38pm
SSN
West Ham defender Winston Reid has pleaded with manager Sam Allardyce to allow him to remain with the club next season. The 22-year-old is keen to stay at Upton Park, despite suffering relegation with the club last season, following a £3million move from Midtjylland. Reid, a New Zealand international, signed for the Hammers after impressing during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The new West Ham boss is understood to be keen on shipping the player out of the club or sending him out on loan. However, Reid told the Daily Mirror: "I want to stay. We have a job to do getting West Ham back into the Premier League. "I have not spoken to the new manager but I don't think I will be loaned out or sold." The player failed to cement a regular first-team place and only made three appearances under Avram Grant after suffering an injury early on last season. He scored his only goal of the campaign in the club's 5-1 FA Cup victory over Burnley in the fifth round.
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West Ham owner installs panic room after learning he is on gang's hit list
Published 23:00 25/06/11 By Gary Anderson
The Mirror
Terrified football tycoon David Gold has turned his home into a fortress after learning he is on the hit list of Britain's most wanted armed robbers. The West Ham co-owner has spent £250,000 installing CCTV, a direct phone line to the police... and even a PANIC ROOM. Mr Gold, 74, says he's been living in fear since being told by police that he was a target of the gang, who have carried out a series of violent raids on rich businessmen. He was given the warning after a crowbar attack which almost killed Phones4u founder John Caudwell. Police believe the gang, made up of a hardcore of 20 thugs led by a "Mr Big", research every aspect of their victims' lives and movements before striking. Mr Gold, who is worth £360million, said his friend Mr Caudwell had spoken to him and left him in little doubt about the threat he faced. He told the Sunday Mirror: "From the information the police gave me, it was a question of when, not if, the gang would try something. "When I spoke to John Caudwell he told me, 'you've got to take this seriously because this gang is going to kill someone'. I have been terrified."
Mr Gold, who also owns the Ann Summers lingerie firm, has turned a suite of his 30-room Surrey mansion into "panic rooms". In the event of a robbery, he will lock himself and fiancee Lesley Manning behind heavy triple-bolted steel doors. Once inside, he has a direct line to the police and can watch any raiders on a TV screen linked to more than a dozen CCTV cameras. Guards patrol the 55-acre estate 24 hours a day. Mr Gold said he improved security after a near-fatal bout of septicaemia in February. "It made me realise how vulnerable I am," he said. "I wanted to take whatever measures I could to defend myself and Lesley. "I've done everything I can and I feel much safer now. But I'm still on red alert until this gang is caught."
Police have been following up new leads on last November's raid on Mr Caudwell's Staffordshire home after it featured on Crimewatch. Three men from Liverpool were arrested but later released on bail.
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Parker told he can leave for £7m as wage bill forces West Ham's hand
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:37 PM on 25th June 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham are ready to listen to offers for Footballer of the Year Scott Parker. The midfielder, 30, has been linked with Tottenham, but so far neither they nor any other Premier League club have made a positive attempt to sign the £7m-rated England man. New Upton Park boss Sam Allardyce has still to discuss Parker's future with him, but sources close to the club have indicated that the player's wages, believed to be about £60,000 a week, would force them to let the skipper move on, especially now they have signed a ready-made replacement in Newcastle's Kevin Nolan. Allardyce has experienced the disappointment of losing Parker before.
Despite being successful enough at previous club Newcastle to earn an England recall after a two-year absence, Parker did not enjoy on Tyneside the kind of popularity he later experienced at Upton Park and was sold By Allardyce to West Ham.
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Pablo Barrera leads Mexico past United States in Gold Cup final
Published: Saturday, June 25, 2011, 11:30 PM
Updated: Saturday, June 25, 2011, 11:37 PM
By JAMES PHILLIPS, The Patriot-News
PASADENA, Calif. — Pablo Barrera scored two goals and Mexico rallied to beat the United States 4-2 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. Andres Guardado and Giovani Dos Santos also scored for Mexico, which has won two consecutive Gold Cup titles and six overall. The victory qualifies Mexico for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, a preview of the 2014 World Cup. Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan scored to help the United States build a 2-0 lead. Donovan became the Gold Cup's all-time leading scorer with 13 goals. Barrera put Mexico ahead to stay in the 50th minute, slipping a 10-yard shot underneath the right hand of diving goalkeeper Tim Howard and inside the left post.
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