AZ vs West Ham
UEFA Europa Conference League
Semi-finals
2nd leg
Thursday
18th May 2023
AFAS Stadion
West Ham United played in the semi-final of a European tournament last season. David Moyes’ team reached the last four in the Europa League at the time, but was eliminated by the later winner Eintracht Frankfurt. For Tomás Soucek and co, that disappointment serves as extra motivation for Thursday’s clash.
West Ham United has extra motivation for reaching the Conference League final
Soucek is a regular basic player at West Ham, who again played ninety minutes in last week’s 2-1 victory over AZ. He will also kick off in Alkmaar on Thursday. “After the lost semi-final last season, we were all very disappointed,” Soucek said at his press conference on Wednesday. “That is now extra motivating for us. We know that we are only one step away from the final and are 100 percent ready.”
Last year, West Ham lost the first leg against Frankfurt 1-2. “We have already done better than last year, which is a huge improvement,” said Soucek. “We are very happy to be ahead with a goal difference, but we don’t want to just defend here. It’s important that we play our own game.”
The Conference League final will be played in Prague. This is even more motivating for Czech international Soucek. “When I saw that the final was in Prague I said to everyone: come on guys, we have to go there! It would be very special for me to be able to play there, because I know that stadium very well. I’m ready for it,” he added.
“Of course we are not happy with where we are in the Premier League,” Soucek concluded, who can be found in fifteenth place with West Ham. “We want to be higher, but if we win this tournament, it will be a successful season. West Ham haven’t won a trophy in many years, so we want to give that to the fans. Moreover, it would assure us of European football next season.”
West Ham United has traveled to Alkmaar with a 2-1 lead, where the return against AZ in the semi-final of the Conference League is scheduled for Thursday. Manager David Moyes emphasizes several times that there is no race.
Michail Antonio and Vladimir Coufal are a doubt
Moyes currently has two doubts about the return against AZ: Michail Antonio has traveled to the Netherlands, but is still uncertain. The same goes for Vladimir Coufal. Antonio scored last week, but Coufal didn’t play.
“’I think AZ played very well, not just against us. They are doing remarkably well in the Dutch league and have been doing so for a few years in a row,” Moyes continues. “I think it will be an open game. They have shown what they can do when they are behind. AZ has to do what it has to do, just like us. It’s as big a game for them as it is for us and we’ll have to give everything to keep going.”
