May | 2025 | EXTRA TIME

Man Utd 0 West Ham 2

This was the Hammers’ first league win at Old Trafford since 2006-07, ending a run of 16 league trips there without a win (D3 L13). On Sunday, Soucek and again Jarrod Bowen, the Hammers‘ top scorer with his eleventh goal, helped West Ham to gain their first win since February. The Irons had not won in their past eight league games.

And with Tottenham also losing this weekend, West Ham have now surpassed ManUtd as well as Spurs in the table. It seems unbelievable, but it is true that one of these clubs can play in the Champions League next season by winning the Europa League final!

West Ham, though itself having a bad season, have secured their first double over Manchester United in eighteen years with this win at Old Trafford. And the “Red Devils” have now equalled their worst Premier League run of seven games without a win, back in 1992. This could be their worst league campaign since they were relegated from the top flight in the 1973-74 season.

At West Ham change is on its way: it has been confirmed this week that veterans Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal and Lukasz Fabianski, together with Danny Ings are going to leave the club when their contracts expire by the end of the season. Manager Graham Potter now has to attempt a transition out of the squad that famously won the Uefa Conference League in 2023, a feat that his predecessor Lopetegui already failed at.

Two games to go until the end of the season: West Ham will play Nottingham Forest (H) and Ipswich (A); Man Utd’s opponents are Chelsea (A) and Aston Villa (H). Spurs have to travel to Aston Villa and are at home against Brighton on the last day of the season which will be played on the weekend after the Europa League final (Bilbao, 21 May 2025).

May 11, 2025 at 10:02 pm Leave a comment

EFL Play-Offs: When and who?

In a season in which West Ham’s performances were not much cause for celebration, the football fans’ attention was drawn to the lower leagues from time to time, and RapidHammer watched two EFL games live in London this season, Wimbledon AFC v Barrow in League Two in March (2-2) and last Saturday the League One game Charlton Athletic v Burton Albion (3-1).

The respective home teams of these games, Charlton and Wimbledon, both play in the EFL play-offs, joined by 10 other teams, within this and the following week.

On Friday two of the first legs of the six EFL semifinals have already been played (dates and results cf. below).

The clubs which beat their opponents in the two-legged semifinals will play in the following EFL play-offs at Wembley:

Championship: Saturday 24 May
League One: Sunday 25 May
League Two: Monday 26 May

These are the play-off semifinals this season (results will be updated):

League Two
~~Notts County~~ v AFC Wimbledon (first leg: 0-1, second leg: 0-1)
~~Chesterfield~~ v Walsall (first leg: 0-2, second leg: 1-2)
(already promoted: Doncaster Rovers, Port Vale, Bradford City)

League One
Leyton Orient v ~~Stockport County~~ (first leg: 2-2, second leg: 1-1; penalties 4-1)
~~Wycombe Wanderers~~ v Charlton Athletic (first leg: 0-0, second leg: 1-0)
(already promoted: Birmingham City, Wrexham)

Championship
~~Bristol City~~ v Sheffield United (first leg: 0-3, second leg 0-3)
~~Coventry City~~ v Sunderland (first leg 1-2, second leg 1-1 a.e.t.)
(already promoted: Leeds United, Burnley)

May 9, 2025 at 12:56 pm 1 comment

Austrian Irons on tour

Video ▶️ https://youtu.be/WAI6bfs70Gw

Austrian West Ham supporters club “Austrian Irons” made their first joint trip of eleven fans coming over to London to watch the game vs. Tottenham and make a pitch side tour at London Stadium. By chance we popped into former Austrian national team and Rapid player Roman Wallner, revisited the area of the former Boleyn Ground at Upton Park and had a brilliant time on Saturday and Sunday. The game ended 1-1, West Ham were unable to surpass Spurs in the Premier League table, but the trip itself was a full success! Come on you Irons!

May 4, 2025 at 10:25 pm Leave a comment

Wolfsberg ÖFB-Cupsieger

Das Team von Rapid-Legende Didi Kühbauer gewann durch ein Tor der kurz zuvor für Ballo eingewechselten Nummer 7, Angelo Gattermayer (77. Minute) den österreichischen Fußballcup.

WAC siegt 1:0 in Klagenfurt gegen TSV Hartberg

Für WAC-Coach Didi Kühbauer ist es der erste Titel als Trainer. “Wenn mir jemand gesagt hätte, dass ich den ersten Titel als Trainer mit dem WAC hole, dann hätte ich ihn einliefern lassen”, sagte der glückliche Erfolgstrainer.

Als Spieler wurde Kühbauer mit Rapid Wien österreichischer Meister 1996 und Cupsieger 1995 (Rapids letzter Cupsieg). 1996 stand Didi mit Rapid im Europacupfinale. 2006 kam er auch mit Mattersburg ins ÖFB-Cupfinale. Kühbauer ist Teil des Rapid Teams des Jahrhunderts. Von Oktober 2018 bis November 2021 war er Trainer des SK Rapid.

Didi Kühbauer: “Das größte, was ich als Trainer erleben kann!“

Nun hat der Burgenländer im 90. ÖFB-Cupfinale sensationell den österreichischen Cuptitel mit dem Wolfsberger AC errungen und hätte sogar noch Chancen auf den österreichischen Meistertitel. Derzeit liegen die Kärntner vier Runden vor Meisterschaftsende drei Punkte hinter Austria Wien und Sturm Graz, vor RB Salzburg und Rapid.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch, Didi!

Dominik Baumgartner, WAC – Kapitän und Bruder von Nationalteamspieler Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig), stemmte als Erster den Pokal in Klagenfurt (oben)