As Homer Simpson told his therapist- “Florida? But that’s America’s wang!” To which the doctor responded “I believe they prefer the term “sunshine state.” West Ham United are indeed stateside, and they have already completed their first training session in Florida, a state that is, well, very distinctive and unique to say the least. Michail Antonio, Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek have all returned from their summer holiday to join up with the rest of the squad in Tampa.
And it is absolutely broiling, once you factor in that infamous Florida summer humidity, as the Hammers trained in heat indices that topped 100 during the morning session in Tampa Bay.
West Ham United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. July 27, 2024, 2pm TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL, USA
Competition: club friendly, branded “The Sunshine State Tour”
West Ham Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
West Ham United Team News
The afternoon session brought a nice cool breeze for recently minted manager Julen Lopetegui and company, who put in two training sessions today, ahead of the Saturday night friendly against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opposite coast of Florida, in Jacksonville.
The Irons were still without Lucas Paqueta and Alphonse Areola on the training pitch (which belongs to the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL) today, as the duo are still on summer break. They could join up with the rest of the squad later on during the tour.
But with Antonio back, it means Danny Ings isn’t the only true striker in the team right now.
Finally, there seems to be some potential movement on the very protracted transfer saga that is Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran. We have covered that extensively in multiple posts, including here.
Is this going to finally happen now? Maybe it is “here we go” time, but it’s not over the line yet. For the latest updates on the rumors, speculation and conjecture check out this post at Hammers News and/or West Ham Way.
Two outbound links on Duran? Yes, we can call this “Duran Duran!”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.