West Ham United already have a club friendly under their belt this summer preseason, having beaten Boreham Wood 4-1 on Monday. Now comes a trip to the southern hemisphere, where they’ll take on Perth Glory in their home city for the second exhibition.
In the words of the Australian bargoer, on that iconic episode of The Simpsons, “I’ve seen you’ve played knifey-spoon-y before.”
Australia Cup FYIs
West Ham vs Perth Glory
Kickoff: Optus Stadium, Perth, 11am BST
Watch: only available on the club’s official page and app.
Fun fact: the Hammers could become the first team to win two “continental cups” in the months of June and July.
Having won Europe’s third tier continental competition on June 7 (beating ACF Fiorentina in the UECL), if they win here and best Tottenham Hotspur in the down under London derby on July 18, hey…if these trends continue….
Team News
Italian striker Gianlucca Scamacca suffered through an injury shortened first season in East London, but he’s recovered from his knee problem.
He featured earlier this week, so expect him to get more playing time here too.
The big news of course is the departure of Declan Rice, who broke the English transfer fee record in joining Arsenal. Here’s the crazy part about the Hammers former captain. Arsenal still haven’t confirmed or announced his arrival yet.
This despite the fact that everyone who is interested has already known about this deal being done for weeks already!
Look for manager David Moyes to mix it up a bit here, and go with some kids, some reserves and some starters in his first XI.
West Ham United Starting XI Prediction at Perth Glory
Fabianski; Laing, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Coventry, Downes; Bowen, Fornals, Swyer; Scamacca
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.