VIDEO: Mohammed Kudus scores in West Ham United's pre-season loss to Wolves

Kweku Zurek Sports News Jul - 28 - 2024 , 17:59

West Ham United's pre-season match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in Jacksonville saw a standout performance from Mohammed Kudus, despite the team's 3-1 loss.

The match, part of the Stateside Cup challenge, faced a stormy start with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning delaying the kick-off for over two hours at EverBank Stadium. Once the storm subsided and the waterlogged pitch was cleared, the game proceeded in front of dedicated fans from the US, UK, and beyond.

West Ham initially started well but found themselves trailing after 18 minutes. A defensive lapse allowed Norwegian Jørgen Strand Larsen to set up Matheus Cunha, who scored with a low drive past Łukasz Fabiański.

Despite the setback, West Ham continued to maintain possession under new Head Coach Julen Lopetegui but struggled to create clear opportunities. Aaron Cresswell and James Ward-Prowse's free-kicks hit the wall, and Maxwel Cornet missed a volley.

The breakthrough for West Ham came just before halftime. On 44 minutes, a well-executed move saw Danny Ings spin into space and find Mohammed Kudus wide on the right. The Ghanaian winger showcased his speed and skill, breezing past Rayan Aït-Nouri and Toti before unleashing a powerful right-foot shot that flew past Dan Bentley into the net, bringing the score to 1-1.

Lopetegui made several changes at halftime, including bringing in former Wolves player Maximilian Kilman. Cornet tested Bentley early in the second half, but Wolves regained control. On 64 minutes, West Ham introduced more substitutes, including goalkeeper Wes Foderingham. Foderingham quickly made a save against Wolves' replacement Tawanda Chirewa.

Wolves' manager Gary O’Neil made ten substitutions simultaneously, and his fresh players settled the match. On 72 minutes, Gonçalo Guedes capitalized on a turnover, and although Nayef Aguerd blocked his initial effort, Rodrigo Gomes followed up to score. Six minutes later, Gomes added his second, heading Pedro Lima’s cross high into the net, making it 3-1.

West Ham continued to push, with Callum Marshall having a late goal disallowed for offside against Michail Antonio. George Earthy and Gomes had shots blocked, and Chirewa missed a first-time effort over the bar, but no further goals were scored.

Lopetegui expressed dissatisfaction with his team's performance and the challenging conditions.

However, Kudus' performance was a highlight, and fans will be eager to see more of his talent as the Hammers face Premier League rivals Crystal Palace in their second Stateside Cup fixture in Tampa on Saturday, August 3.

Watch the video below;