Daily WHUFC News - 5th August 2016

Cheik double crowns historic night
WHUFC.com

West Ham United 3-0 NK Domzale

A Cheikhou Kouyate double and a maiden strike for Sofiane Feghouli crowned a
historic night for West Ham United at the new Stadium after the side secured
progression to the play-off stages of the Europa League.

Slovenian side NK Domzale were downed by Senegal midfielder Kouyate's first
half brace before Feghouli struck in the final ten minutes to record a 4-2
aggregate victory over two legs in east London.

In a first half the Hammers dominated, the opener came as a result of a
slick move. Skipper Mark Noble released Enner Valencia who, twisting and
turning, laid back to full-back Sam Byram.

First time, Byram slid the ball across goal for Kouyate to push past the
goalkeeper and give the hosts a lead seven minutes into the tie.

And he was at the double 17 minutes later, prodding home to extend Slaven
Bilic's side's lead. Andy Carroll started the move, feeding Michail Antonio
who came racing down the right-hand-side.

The full-back, standing up a cross to the back stick, found Carroll again,
who cleverly knocked down for the Senegal international to finish.

The visitors were limited to half-chances and pot shots, their best coming
after half an hour. Zan Majer struck well from 20 yards but saw his effort
clear the crossbar.

Having never even scored a brace before, it was so nearly a hat-trick for
Kouyate moments later. Antonio again was quick out the blocks, but his
square pass across the six-yard-box – on a plate for Kouyate – was
excellently cut out by right-back Alvaro Brachi.

From the resulting corner, Valencia didn't connect properly with a volley as
it sailed well over, but a minute before the break, it was a different story
for Antonio. His first time volley flew inches wide before the referee
brought things to a halt.

Despite seeing little of the ball in the first half, the Slovenians started
the second period brightly, and tested Darren Randolph early on. Matic Crnic
broke away down the left-hand-side and, cutting in, struck a fierce drive
straight at the Republic of Ireland stopper.

Another opportunity for a third came the Hammers' way halfway through the
second period, as the lively Feghouli connected with an Antonio cross, only
to nod just wide of Axel Maraval's right-hand post.

And moments later, the Algerian was at it again, finding some space
following Valencia's pass but driving just wide.

There was joy for the winger late on however, as he opened his Hammers
account to secure the team's Europa League progression.

Mark Noble released the Algerian and, racing beyond the Domzale defence, he
fired fiercely past the goalkeeper to put the result beyond doubt.

The Slovenians had little left, and the Hammers played out the final ten
minutes comfortably to seal their place in the next round of the
competition.

West Ham United: Randolph, Antonion, Reid, Oxford, Byram, Feghouli (Quina
88), Nordtveit, Noble, Kouyate (Obiang 78), Valencia, Carroll (Fletcher 90).

Subs not used: Adrian, Burke, Page, Cullen.

Goals: Kouyate 8, 25, Feghouli 81

Bookings: Antonio 42, Feghouli 82

NK Domzale: Maraval, Brachi, Horic, Crnic, Horvat (Husmani 62), Dobrovoljic,
Balkovec, Majer (Juninho 77), Alvir, Morel, Mance (Bratanovic 68).

Subs not used: Milic, Vetrih, Repas, Blazic.

Bookings: Crnic 3, Horic 47

Referee: Freddie Fautrel

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A message from the Vice-Chairman
WHUFC.com

For the very first time in this Stadium's glorious history, our magnificent
new home will play host to European football. Tonight, West Ham United will
run out at London Stadium in front of a sell-out 54,000 crowd. What an
extraordinary moment it will be for all connected with this famous football
club.

Everyone has worked around the clock to prepare for this evening. And
despite the match being played sooner in the season that expected, I'm
delighted that you will see London Stadium in full football mode from day
one and, I assure you, no matter where you sit, the sightlines are
fantastic.

Thanks to a great deal of hard work, the retractable seating on all sides is
in its forward position and so you will get a true taste of all that awaits
at our new home. But, as a result of our commitment to reposition the
seating in time, there is of course still even more West Ham branding to
follow. The void between the two tiers of retractable seating will be filled
with West Ham branding and, of course, Europe's largest digital screens will
be installed

As you will already have seen, we're asking you to arrive as early as you
can this evening. This is a learning curve for us all and it's naturally
going to take a little bit of time to get used to our new surroundings and
our journey's to the ground .

The earlier you arrive, the easier it will be, and rest assured we are doing
everything in our power to create the very best match day experience
possible and turnstiles will be open two hours prior to kick-off and all the
food kiosks and bars will be open. Please keep an eye out for the matchday
volunteers this evening, who will be on hand to point you in the right
direction and to help in any way they can.

But in essence, tonight is about two things. The football and you, our loyal
fans. I hope you're going to be so immensely proud when you step foot inside
our new home for the first time tonight.

It is the home you deserve. You shared our vision, your input helped us to
design this stunning arena and, together, we have filled it full of West Ham
fans. Enjoy the occasion and please share your feedback directly with us so
that we can continue to work together and make any necessary adjustments to
get it absolutely right over the coming weeks.

I've said it before and I shall say it again. This is a game changer for our
football club. An exciting new dawn.

The stage is set. It's time to let the football do the talking.

Enjoy it!
Karren Brady

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Hammers await play-off round draw
WHUFC.com

West Ham United will discover the identity of their UEFA Europa League
play-off round opponents in Friday's draw.

Following the Hammers' 4-2 aggregate victory over NK Domzale, the draw will
take place at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, with West Ham
entering as one of the seeded teams.

In total there will be 44 teams attempting to join the 26 sides who gain
direct entry to the Europa League group phase.

Fifteen of the teams in the play-off round are those who were defeated in
the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, with the other 29 coming
through the Europa League's qualifying process.

Among the opponents the Hammers could face are the likes of Swiss side
Grasshopper, Danish outfit Brondby and Astra Giurgiu, the Romanian team who
took on the Hammers in last season's Europa League.

The play-off round ties will be played on 18 and 25 August.

UEFA Europa League play-off round line-up

Seeded teams Unseeded teams
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) Rosenborg (NOR)
Olympiacos (GRE) Astana (KAZ)
Anderlecht (BEL) Astra Giurgiu (ROU)
AZ (NED) Hajduk Split (CRO)
Fenerbahce (TUR) Arouca (POR)
Sparta Prague (CZE) Grasshopper (SUI)
PAOK (GRE) AEK Larnaca (CYP)
Genk (BEL) Vojvodina (SRB)
BATE Borisov (BLR) Istanbul Basaksehir (TUR)
Saint-Etienne (FRA) Brondby (DEN)
Gent (BEL) Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Krasnodar (RUS) Osmanlispor (TUR)
Rapid Wien (AUT) Slavia Prague (CZE)
Slovan Liberec (CZE) IFK Goteborg (SWE)
Maribor (SLO) Dinamo Tiblisi (GEO)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO)
Austria Wien (AUT) AS Trencin (SRB)
West Ham United (ENG) Gabala (AZE)
Panathinaikos (GRE) Beitar Jerusalem (ISR)
Midtjylland (DEN) SonderjyskE (DEN)
Sassuolo (ITA) Shkendija Tetovo (MAC)
Qarabag (AZE) Partizani Tirana (ALB)

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Bilic – It was a special night
WHUFC.com

Hammers boss Slaven Bilic was delighted as his side progressed to the Europa
League play-off stages
Cheikhou Kouyate and Sofiane Feghouli were on the scoresheet in the 3-0 win
over NK Domzale
Bilic said it was special to step out in front of 54,000

It was a special night according to West Ham boss Slaven Bilic, after his
side progressed to the Europa League play-off stages with a 3-0 victory in
the Club's new home.

A super strike from Sofiane Feghouli came after a Cheikhou Kouyate first
half double to down NK Domzale and record a 4-2 aggregate victory over their
Slovenian opponents.

And in front of a 54,000-strong crowd in the London Stadium, Bilic said his
team deserved the convincing result.

He said: "It was a special kind of game for us, the first game at the new
Stadium. We played good football. It was totally different to the game in
Slovenia.

"The early goal helped, but we deserved it. We pushed and concentrated for
the whole 90 minutes but 3-0 is a good result for us. We are through and
it's important because it is in front of the crowd in the new Stadium. It
was a good night for West Ham.

"We deserved it, played some good stuff and the crowd could enjoy some of
our beautiful moves from the whole team. I like the way we defended and
attacked."

Domzale, three games into their domestic season, were better prepared for
the clash, according to Bilic, but the Hammers fought to comfortably reduce
their opponents to few chances on goal.

And the Croatian moved to praise his goalscorers who, to the delight of the
packed crowd, sealed the victory for the east Londoners.

"Cheikhou has a great engine and determination and quality and those large,
long strides make the pitch look small when he's covering it," Bilic
continued. "He's a great asset.

"Sometimes when he plays deeper it limits his movement up front. He's a top
player and he's getting in good shape.

"Sofiane Feghouli is a special kind of player and that's why we're happy to
get him. He scored a great goal and could have got more. He works hard for
the team.

"He still isn't in his best shape, which is normal for this stage, and when
he does, we're expecting great things from him.

"It was brilliant to go out in front of a packed, loud Stadium. We enjoyed
it."

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THU, 04 AUG 2016EUROPA LEAGUE - QUALIFYING THIRD ROUND - 2ND LEG
(Agg 4-2)
West Ham United 3-0 NK Domzale (agg 4-2)
BBC.co.uk

West Ham United are one tie away from joining Manchester United and
Southampton in the Europa League group stage draw
Cheikhou Kouyate scored twice as West Ham marked the first match at their
new home by beating NK Domzale to reach the Europa League play-off round.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, the Hammers drew level on aggregate when
Kouyate scored the first goal at the former Olympic Stadium, now the London
Stadium, in front of a 53,914 crowd.

Kouyate flicked home Sam Byram's cross before firing West Ham 3-2 ahead in
the tie after Andy Carroll's knock down.

Sofiane Feghouli added the third.

The play-off round draw is on Friday.

Having left Upton Park - their home for the past 112 years - in the summer,
West Ham were starting a new era in the stadium that hosted athletics at
London 2012.

Any concerns the unfamiliar surroundings would hamper Slaven Bilic's side
were quickly dispelled, largely thanks to Kouyate's two goals in 17
first-half minutes.

The Hammers were greeted with a rendition of 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles'
from the sell-out crowd as they emerged from the tunnel.

They then stylishly turned a 2-1 first-leg deficit into a 4-2 aggregate win
four years to the day Jessica Ennis-Hill, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all
won Olympic gold at the venue for Great Britain on what has become known as
Super Saturday.

Senegal midfielder Kouyate clearly enjoyed his new surroundings and his
goals dispersed any nerves the home side might have been feeling.

Algeria winger Ferguli, a free transfer after six seasons at Valencia,
rubber-stamped a comprehensive win on his home debut with a neat finish
following Mark Noble's threaded pass.

Who next for the Hammers?

West Ham must clear one more hurdle to secure a place in the Europa League
group stage.

They will join 43 other clubs in Friday's play-off round draw, which
includes 15 losers from the 2016-17 Champions League third qualifying round.

The Hammers enter the draw as one of the seeded teams and could face,
amongst others, Grasshopper Zurich, Danish club Brondby and Astra Giurgiu,
the Romanian team who knocked the Hammers out at the third qualifying round
stage of last season's Europa League.

West Ham United's new ground
West Ham United's first Premier League game at their new ground is against
Bournemouth on 21 August
'Atmosphere more than I expected'

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "It was difficult psychologically for us but
for the stage we are at we played really well. We were fit, aggressive and
played good football.

"We could have scored more goals, but it was a very mature performance. We
played badly in the first leg but a week later we are fresher and closer to
the season.

"I didn't know what the atmosphere would be like. This was the first time we
could judge it and it was more than I expected. It's loud."

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Diafra Sakho: West Brom deal to sign West Ham striker for record fee off
By Pat Murphy
BBC Radio 5 live

West Brom's £15m move for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho is off because the
player has a back problem.

It is understood the Senegalese did not fail his medical but he would not
have been fit for the start of the season.

Sakho, 26, scored 15 league goals in 44 appearances for West Ham, although
he has suffered several injury problems.

His likely arrival had added to speculation that the club would sell striker
Saido Berahino, 23, who is a target for Crystal Palace and Stoke.

The Potters have offered £17m with £3m in add-ons for the England Under-21
international - a fee which is close to West Brom's valuation of the
striker.

However, with the Sakho deal now off, Berahino will be remaining at the
club.

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West Ham 3-0 NK Domzale (agg 4-2): Cheikhou Kouyate nets double
Last Updated: 04/08/16 10:59pm
SSN

West Ham won their first game at the London Stadium, beating NK Domzale 3-0
to progress to the next round of the Europa League. Holding a 2-1 advantage
from the first leg, the Slovenian outfit were in town to crash the
housewarming party at the Olympic Park but two early goals from Cheikhou
Kouyate erased any hopes of a huge shock. The Hammers, who played a strong
side, were never really troubled by the visitors and grabbed a third late on
through new signing Sofiane Feghouli.

Four years to the day since Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford
wowed the nation on Super Saturday at London 2012, the Olympic Stadium - now
known as the London Stadium - finally welcomed its new tenants.

The Hammers will officially open the ground with a glamour friendly against
Juventus on Sunday, but required this dry-run after defeat in the final
match of last season condemned them to a seventh-placed finish and into the
third round of qualifying.

West Ham's new abode was a 54,000 sell-out.

It did not take long for the players to settle into their new surroundings,
with Kouyate grabbing his slice of history with the first goal after just
eight minutes.

A superb lofted pass from skipper Mark Noble sent Enner Valencia racing
through, although he had to check his run to evade sliding right-back Alvaro
Brachi.

Valencia cut the ball back to Sam Byram, who made a mess of his shot but the
ball bobbled as far as Kouyate for a simple back-heel from six yards out

Kouyate grabbed the second, and edged West Ham ahead in the tie, in the 25th
minute when Andy Carroll nodded down Michail Antonio's cross into his path
for a neat, low finish.

After the break, Feghouli headed narrowly wide before Valencia squandered a
gilt-edged chance with a horribly sliced effort.

Domzale knew one goal would force extra time but they could only muster up a
couple of forays into West Ham territory, with Benjamin Morel firing their
best chance wide.

Instead, with nine minutes remaining, Algerian winger Feghouli raced onto
Noble's pass and crashed in the killer third to prolong West Ham's European
adventure and, more importantly, ensure a winning start at their new home.

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West Ham and Slaven Bilic enjoyed opening night at London Stadium
Last Updated: 04/08/16 11:47pm
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says the noise at the London Stadium was even
louder than he was expecting. The Hammers christened their new home,
formerly known as the Olympic Stadium, with a routine 3-0 win over Slovenian
side MK Domzale in the second leg of a Europa League tie on Thursday night.
Bilic's team comfortably bounced back after last week's shock 2-1 loss,
Cheikhou Kouyate scoring twice before new signing Sofiane Feghouli opened
his account in the second half. And West Ham's new abode was a 54,000
sell-out, despite not looking quite the finished product, with a
hastily-laid mixture of astroturf and tarpaulin covering the athletics
track. "The atmosphere?" said Bilic. "I didn't know what it would be like.
"This was the first time we could judge it and it was more than I expected.
It's loud. "It was brilliant to go out in front of a packed, loud stadium."

Regarding the performance, Bilic felt it was a case of job done, adding:
"It's a good feeling. We played well but we aren't going to go overboard.
"It was difficult psychologically for us but, for the stage we are at, we
played really good. We were fit, aggressive and played good football. "We
could have scored more goals, but it was a very mature performance. We
played badly in the first leg but a week later we are fresher and closer to
the season."

Domzale coach Luka Elsner said: "If you want to have any hope against such a
big team, then you have to play an excellent game. "Unfortunately we played
a bad game, so the result is logical. But I am proud of my boys."

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West Ham have struck Olympic gold after swapping an East End starter home
for their new London mansion
23:43, 4 AUG 2016
OPINION BY DARRENLEWIS
The Hammers settled into their new surroundings with a comfortable 3-0 win
over NK Domzale in the Europa League qualifiers on Thursday night
The Mirror

Four years ago it was the setting for that historic Super Saturday as our
athletes ­plundered a gold rush to lift the nation.

Last night it was West Ham's turn to strike gold in the venue formerly known
as the Olympic Stadium.

It is now the London Stadium and the Irons could not have kicked off their
slippers and eased their feet under the table of their new home any better.

After all the legal wrangling, the criticism, the controversy and the
apprehension – they let their football take centre stage. And what a stage
it is. You simply could not get any further removed than this from Upton
Park.

West Ham really have made the step up to the next level. They will stage
some special days and nights of football here. It will feel as though they
have gone from a starter home to a mansion.

They will feel as though they are playing at Wembley Stadium every week –
and when the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs come here the atmosphere
will be electric.

Cheikhou Kouyate's brace put the hosts one round away from the Europa League
group stages.

The Senegalese midfielder struck in the eighth and 25th minutes to cancel
out the shock advantage held by Slovenian minnows Domzale from the first
leg.

New Hammers signing Sofiane Feghouli added a cracking third to end the
visitors' hopes of a comeback and confirm his club's place in today's
play-off draw.

Kouyate netted the first-ever goal at the London Stadium early on when he
deftly flicked Sam Byram's cross beyond keeper Axel Maraval.

His second was even better, poking the ball home inside the box after Andy
Carroll had knocked Michail Antonio's cross down into this path.

For the third, Mark Noble, deep in his own half, sent a superb, cross-field
ball over the top. Feghouli controlled it on his chest before racing clear
and hitting it past Maraval. Job done.

Before the game there was an eerie mix of fascination and foreboding as fans
streamed in to be greeted by a vast expanse compared to the cramped,
claustrophobic arena that had been their previous home.

They'd taken their pictures in front of the many giant badges plastered
around outside. They'd sampled outside the magnificent job to make this
place ready for the coming season of Premier League and European football.

There was no wet cement, no wet paint, there were no construction
malfunctions.

A green tarpaulin did cover that running track around the pitch, however.
Compared to Upton Park the players would seem a world away.

The first shouts of 'Bubbles' only really piped up from the Sir Trevor
Brooking Stand a few minutes before the players emerged from the tunnel.
Those chants grew once the PA system blared it out shortly before kick-off.

It was at that point the camera-phones came out around the ground to capture
a moment that would be recorded for posterity.

In all honesty, it couldn't quite match the atmosphere at the 2012 Olympics
as the likes of Mo Farah, Jess Ennis and Greg Rutherford put smiles on the
nation's faces.

Boss Slaven Bilic had told his players before the match that it would be
down to them to create the culture of positivity that the club want to
retain at their new home.

So they did.

Applause rang out as West Ham made the pitch big and dominated the play,
leaving their Europa League opponents Domzale at times chasing shadows.

The official opening of this new ground takes place on Sunday when the
Hammers face Italian champions Juventus in the Betway Cup.

The scoreline in that match, however, won't matter. This test – a game they
had to win – has been a good enough livener.

Now they just can't wait for the Premier League party to get started.

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Slaven Bilic declares West Ham "are not afraid" of their new stadium after
winning start
23:20, 4 AUG 2016 UPDATED 23:20, 4 AUG 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Hammers took one step closer to the Europa League group stages with a
convincing victory on opening night at the London Stadium
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic toasted his West Ham stars for showing no fear on their dream
London Stadium debut. Cheikou Kouyate hit a stylish double while new signing
Sofiane Feghouli added a cracking third to reach today's play-off draw for
the Europa League group stages. Bilic also praised the club's fans and said:
"I didn't know what the atmosphere would be like. This was the first time we
could judge it and it was more than I expected. It was loud. "You can't
compare it to Upton Park. "It's totally different but it's a good
atmosphere. I'm not afraid of the new stadium. "It was difficult
psychologically for us but for a stage like this we played really good, we
were fit, aggressive and played good football. "We could have scored more
goals, but it was a very mature performance. We played badly in the first
leg but a week later we are fresher and closer to the season."
It was a positive finish to the day for the club after Diafra Sakho after
the striker's £16million move to West Brom broke down hours earlier. Bilic
admitted for the first time that the move had collapsed because of a failed
medical. He said: "I am a bit sorry for him. And a bit surprised he didn't
pass the medical."

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