West Ham United: Tomas Soucek is desperate to plan for Prague final in Conference League
West Ham United star Tomas Soucek has spoken of his strong desire to play in the Europa Conference League final in his homeland, as shared by Football London.
AZ Alkmaar stands between the midfielder and his wish, ahead of the semi-final second leg on Thursday evening in the Netherlands.
Soucek spoke of his “special motivation” as he and his teammates strive to go one better than last season’s finish in the Europa League at the same, last four, stage.
There is no shortage of inspiration or incentive for the Hammers as they aim for their first major trophy since Billy Bonds captained the team to the FA Cup in 1980.
“(We learned) To go from the first minute of the first leg, we did that better than last year,” he said.
“It’s a massive improvement but now we’re here and we’re all motivated to get to the final because we know that West Ham haven’t for a few years and we want to give our fans this chance to get to the final.
“That’s our goal for all of us, so I think we’re even more motivated than last year.
“Since I knew the final is in Prague, I told the guys: come on we need to go there because it’s my home.
“So it’s an even special motivation for me to get there because I know the stadium very well. I came there at 10 years old so it’s another special motivation.”
This is the one
West Ham just need to avoid defeat in order to book a place in the Prague final against Fiorentina or Basel.
The objective is simple but the challenge will be far from straightforward. AZ will give their all, backed by a crowd of less than 20,000 but it will be a tough test for David Moyes’ side on Thursday evening.
They must ensure that they aren’t too passive in the first half so that the hosts gain control of the game. The Hammers have a clear advantage in pace and power so they have to impose their physicality on the Dutch side.
Declan Rice will be a key figure, pulling the strings in midfield as will the likes of Michail Antonio up front, who clearly rattled the AZ defence in the first leg.
Soucek should also have a part to play, as he aims to secure his homeward journey, which would also lead to the promised land of European success for West Ham.