West Ham: Gearing up the Reading preseason match
West Ham United continues their preparations for the 2021/22 season with a pre-season fixture away at Reading today. Here is what we know so far.
The first batch of excitement came from West Ham’s official site today, as they reported that the Hammers would don their 2021/22 home kit for the first time tomorrow. So far, during the preseason, West Ham is 1-2-0 with a win last week at Northampton Town and two draws to both Dundee and Leyton Orient.
Today’s matchup will be the Hammer’s first preseason match against an EFL Championship side and the team will look to sharpen up with the season only being a few weeks away. The youth surrounding the club has been getting a good run out, but today will be a true test of their abilities.
Reading has been a staple team in the Championship over the past few years, but they were very close to making a run at the Premier League last season after they finished 7th. As the preseason moves along, the Hammers will continue to face tougher competitions over the next few weeks.
West Ham: Gearing up the Reading preseason match
Another batch of excitement comes from the possibility of a few international players making their preseason debuts today. The likes of Lukasz Fabianski, Said Benrahma, and Pablo Fornals have all made their way back to training and could be used this afternoon.
We know that Rice, Soucek, Coufal, Yarmolenko, and Reid won’t be in attendance as they are still on holiday or playing at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Today’s matchup hosts two sides that look almost identical to last season, as neither side has made a first-team signing so far this summer.
The Opposition
The Royals ended last season on a high after a few seasons of mediocrity. Strikers Lucas Joao and Yakou Meite tore it up last year, combining for 34 goals. The last time these two sides faced each other was in May of 2013. That day Kevin Nolan scored a hat-trick, and Andy Carroll added a fourth as the Hammers helped Reading towards relegation.
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Due to COVID-19 precautions, the Royals will have the only fans in the stadium, but fear not, there is still a way to watch. West Ham’s official website and social media pages will be giving out live coverage, post-match reactions, and extended highlights. We predict that David Moyes will add some additional fire-power to the youth and win this bout 1-4. COME ON, YOU IRONS!