ECL: Bowen’s late strike secures glory for Hammers
- A night with moment of joy and pain
By Okezie Omorogie
It was a wonderful night in Prague as the 2022/2023 of the Europa Conference League closes with the final between Fiorentina and West Ham United on Wednesday 7 June, 2023 as Jarod Bowen’s last-minute winner saw West Ham end their 43-year wait for a trophy with a dramatic 2-1 victory.
Fiorentina corner Christian Kouame’s header came back off a post and Luka Jovic prodded in the rebound, but to West Ham’s and particularly goalkeeper Alphonse Areola’s relief he was flagged offside.
The Hammers occasionally threatened on the counter-attack in a predictably caged first half, but Michail Antonio’s low shot was saved by Pietro Terracciano and an effort from Rice from Vladimir Coufal’s half-cleared throw bounced wide.
Del Cerro Grande had frustrated West Ham with some strange decisions, but not even the eccentric Spanish referee could turn down their appeals and calls for a penalty in the 60th minute and second half of the game after checking and reviewing the situation from the VAR screen. The ball clearly hit Biraghi’s hand after Bowen controlled it with his chest, and Said Benrahma tucked the spot-kick high into the net in front of the Hammers’ fans, sending Fiorentina goalie, Terracciano the wrong way.
Fiorentina equalised within five minutes of the game, when Nicolas Gonzalez won a header and the ball fell for Giacomo Bonaventura to control and fire between Rice and Nayef Aguerd into the far corner. The Italian side came close almost immediately to take the lead but Rolando Mandragora steered his shot wide from in front of goal.
But West Ham regained their composure and Tomas Soucek, back at the home ground of his former club Slavia Prague, was twice denied by Terracciano. Then came the big moment as Lucas Paqueta’s through-ball finally caught out Fiorentina’s high line and there was Bowen, scampering clear and slotting the ball past Terracciano.
The Hammers won a first piece of silverware since 1980’s FA Cup, and a first European trophy since 1965, on a historic and emotional night in Prague. Despite it been only Europe’s third-tier football club competition, and treated as an unwanted distraction by Tottenham, among others, in its inaugural form last season. But this is West Ham and the competition meant everything to them.
Although David Moyes may have performed poorly in the English Premier League, but victory tonight has written his name in West Ham folklore, alongside Ron Greenwood and John Lyall as trophy-winning Hammers managers. A place in next season’s Europa League means the club has qualified for Europe three campaigns in a row, for the first time. And what a way to sign off for Declan Rice, destined to leave this summer but with the legacy of becoming only the third captain, along with Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, to lift silverware in the club’s 128-year history, but for the Italian side it will be a moment of pain as Fiorentina lost the trophy and a ticket to qualify for Europe next season after finishing eighth in the Seria A.
