West Ham and Aston Villa stars Michail Antonio and Leon Bailey argue on the pitch as Lionel Messi batters Jamaica.
If David Moyes was hoping for West Ham’s host of internationals to get a much-needed morale boost over the last couple of weeks then he has been left sorely disappointed.
West Ham’s players have endured a torrid international break and striker Antonio put the cherry on the cake last night in a 3-0 friendly defeat to Argentina in New York.
Antonio was the last West Ham player in action before Saturday’s crucial game against Wolves in the Premier League.
His fellow Prem attacker Bailey, of Aston Villa, was also in action for the Reggae Boyz.
Neither of the West Ham or Aston Villa stars could do anything to stop one of the favourites for the forthcoming World Cup cantering to an easy win, though.
West Ham and Villa fans hoping Antonio and Bailey might boost their confidence with a goal or quality performance on the big stage were left wanting.
West Ham and Aston Villa stars Michail Antonio and Leon Bailey argue on the pitch as Lionel Messi batters Jamaica
Instead the duo went at it on the pitch with one another.
West Ham and Aston Villa stars Antonio and Bailey argued on the pitch as Messi battered Jamaica.
Man City star Julian Alvarez put Argentina 1-0 up before Messi came on in the 56th minute and scored a brace.
Antonio, who fell over when put through earlier in the game, and Bailey were seen arguing on the pitch during the game as frustrations between the West Ham and Villa men boiled over.
The row appeared to stem from the West Ham man’s frustration with Bailey for persistently playing the ball to his head rather than his feet and choosing to dribble instead of pass.
The good news for West Ham boss Moyes and Villa manager Steven Gerrard is that both Antonio and Bailey came through the game unscathed.
Antonio played 87 minutes before being substituted. Messi had scored to make it 2-0 to Argentina one minute before the West Ham striker was subbed. And he added his second a minute after the Hammer left the field.
Last night Lucas Paqueta was hooked at half-time in Brazil’s rout of Tunisia and Tomas Soucek missed a penalty in Czech Republic’s 2-1 defeat to Switzerland.
Moyes will now hope to get his band of internationals back to Rush Green as soon as possible because he is going to have to try and build some confidence, which was already low off the back of West Ham’s dismal start to the season.