West Ham manager David Moyes has expressed his frustration over a disputed non-penalty decision in their 1-0 defeat to Freiburg. The incident occurred deep into stoppage time when the ball appeared to strike the hand of Freiburg’s Noah Weisshaupt. Despite clear evidence from multiple angles, the referee decided to stick with the on-field decision and waved away West Ham’s penalty appeals.
West Ham had previously beaten Freiburg both home and away in the group stages of this season’s Europa League. In Thursday night’s match, they had been dominating and missed several chances, including a great effort by Jarrod Bowen that was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Noah Atubolu. However, in the 81st minute, Michael Gregoritsch tapped in Roland Sallai’s mis-hit shot, securing a 1-0 victory for Freiburg.
The controversial non-penalty call came as a blow to West Ham, who were hoping to secure a goalless draw and take it back to London for the return leg. Moyes criticized the decision, stating that it was a clear handball and that similar incidents are routinely punished in European competitions. He believes that the UEFA’s approach to handball decisions is inconsistent.
Moyes explained that he thought Weisshaupt’s arm was above his head at the time of the incident, which is often considered an unnatural position for a defending player. He also mentioned that there were claims of a push, but if that were the case, the game should have been restarted with a free-kick. Moyes expressed his disappointment with the decision, stating that sometimes in football, you get favorable calls, and sometimes you don’t.
Despite the setback, Moyes acknowledged that they didn’t perform well enough overall and accepted the defeat. He commended Freiburg for their goal and acknowledged that it was a tough match. West Ham will now have to regroup and focus on the second leg in London.
In conclusion, West Ham’s 1-0 defeat to Freiburg was marred by a disputed non-penalty decision. David Moyes criticized the referee’s choice not to award the penalty, stating that it was a clear handball. Despite the setback, Moyes accepted the defeat and acknowledged that they didn’t perform well enough. West Ham will now need to turn their attention to the second leg and work towards overturning the deficit.