The Stadium
The second leg of West Ham United’s Europa League first qualifying round against FC Lusitans will take place at the Estadi Comunal d’Andorra la Vella. The stadium can hold 1,100 spectators and West Ham have sold out their allocation of 450 tickets. The stadium has a running track, a grass pitch and is set to a stunning backdrop of the Pyrenees – the national stadium, also in Andorra la Vella, holds 3,300 spectators but has a controversial 3G pitch which Wales had to play on just last September.
Those 450 hardy Hammers who are making the trip face a case of ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ to get to the match. Andorra has neither an airport nor a railway station so the travelling Claret and Blue Army have had to fly to either Barcelona in north east Spain or Toulouse in the south of France and then drive the three hours to the Andorran capital. Alternatively, visiting West Ham fans may have taken the train from London to Paris and on to L’Hospitalet-pres-l’Andorre before taking a bus through the Pyrenees in order to cheer on the Irons.
The Principality
Andorra is a principality headed by two co-Princes – the Spanish/Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgell and the President of France. It is located in the rugged eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. Andorra is the sixth smallest nation in Europe and its capital, Andorra la Vella, is the highest capital city in Europe. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese and French are also commonly spoken. The entire population of Andorra could comfortably fit inside Wembley Stadium, while the inhabitants of Andorra la Vella could fit inside the Boleyn Ground without needing to open the Betway Stand.
For a more in-depth look at FC Lusitans as a club and some of their key players, please see last week’s match preview.
Referee
Thursday’s officials are from Denmark, with the referee being 34-year-old Anders Poulsen; he averaged three yellow cards per game last season.
Possible line-ups
Lusitans are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with last week’s substitutes Edu Moya, Oscar Sonejee and Alfi Conteh-Lacalle possibly coming into the starting line-up. Moya, 34, and Conteh-Lacalle, 30, are the club’s only two professional players while Sonejee, at 39 years old and with 101 caps, has made more appearances for Andorra than any other player.
Academy Director Terry Westley has handled the pre-match press conferences although Slaven Bilic could join him in the dugout for the match. The Hammers look set to play a 4-4-2 formation following last week’s 4-2-3-1 line-up. Academy graduates Josh Cullen and Elliot Lee make the step up from the bench for their first starts for the club with Cullen joining Diego Poyet in central midfield and Lee partnering last week’s two-goal hero Diafra Sakho up front. Mauro Zarate has a slight groin problem and will not be risked while James Tomkins will again captain the side.
Possible Lusitans XI: Gerardo; Acosta, Sonejee, Munoz, San Nicolas; Moya, Molina; Conteh-Lacalle, dos Reis, Aguilar; Romero.
West Ham United XI: Randolph; O’Brien, Tomkins, Burke, Page; Amalfitano, Cullen, Poyet, Jarvis; Lee, Sakho.
Enjoy the game – Come On You Irons!
UPDATE: Confirmed team for tonight: Randolph, O’Brien, Tomkins, Burke, Page, Amalfitano, Poyet, Cullen, Jarvis, Lee, Sakho.
Subs: Spiegel, S Westley, Knoyle, Oxford, Nasha, Parfitt-Williams, Brown.