The first International break of the year and the fourth of the domestic season has come to an end and it’s now time to find out how West Ham United’s ten International stars fared with their respective nations over the week as Marko Arnautovic continued his red-hot form on the International stage and Javier Hernandez reached a special landmark with his nation.
Manuel Lanzini (Argentina)
The playmaker received his first call-up in close to a year by manager Jorge Sampaoli for two friendlies in Europe, one at the Etihad stadium in Manchester against Italy and one away in Spain.
Lanzini started the first of those and scored his first International goal to seal his side’s 2-0 victory late on, a fabulous curling effort from the edge of the area, sitting out the second International, a 6-1 defeat, with injury, he has certainly done his hopes of going to a first FIFA World Cup in the summer no arm whatsoever.
Marko Arnautovic (Austria)
The Hammers’ joint-highest goal-scorer hoped to carry on his impressive club form with Franco Foda’s Austrians over friendly matches at home to Slovenia and away to Luxembourg.
He would do this very thing, helping his country to 3-0 and 0-4 triumphs in which he netted a total of three goals, two in the first and one in the second, the pick of them being the third, a delicate lob over the goalkeeper, David Moyes will only wish he returns in the same rich vein.
Declan Rice (Republic of Ireland)
It would be a special week for the young defender who received his first call to the senior Ireland squad under Martin O’Neill and also turned out for the U21 team.
Rice was thrown straight in to start for the away in Turkey and played in both the central defender’s and central midfielder’s roles during the game, remarkably earning the Man of the Match awards for his efforts and ticking another box in what has been a fairy-tale year for him so far.
Javier Hernandez (Mexico)
Mexico’s all-time leading goal-scorer travelled to hook up with his countrymen and manager Juan Carlos Osorio in the USA for a double-header of friendlies against fellow World Cup teams Iceland and Croatia.
Chicharito headed into them poised on 99 caps and had to wait until the Croatia clash, watching from the bench as his team claimed a 3-0 win over the Icelandic’s, to reach a century in Texas, though the Hammers’ joint-top-scorer could do nothing to prevent the Mexicans losing by a single goal.
Joao Mario (Portugal)
Back in Europe, 2016 European Championship winner Mario was selected by Fernando Santos for Portugal’s third and fourth matches before they head to Russia in the summer, against Egypt and the Netherlands.
The attacker featured in both and impressed as the Portuguese endured a mixed bag, leaving it late to triumph in their first match and then being humiliating 3-0 away in their second, not exactly the World Cup preparations that Mario and his comrades were hoping for.
Angelo Ogbonna (Italy)
The defender was another to get the International nod for the first time in over a year but endured a frustrating period under the guidance of caretaker manager Luigi Di Biagio.
Ogbonna was an unused substitute for both the friendly loss to Argentina in the North East and then the friendly draw with England at Wembley Stadium, the Italians do not have a World Cup to look forward to in a few months’ time having shocked the world by not qualifying.
Joe Hart (England)
The shot-stopper was one of four goalkeepers to be called-up by Gareth Southgate for the aforementioned visit of the Italians to West London after a trip to the Netherlands.
Hart did not play a single minute of either game and bemused many with his call-up in the first place given his limited playing time under Moyes this season, the keeper may need to buck up his ideas if he wants to be on the plane to Russia.
Sead Haksabanovic (Montenegro)
18-year-old U23 star Haksabanovic received his usual call to Ljubisa Tumbakovic’s Montenegrin squad for exhibition matches away to Cyprus and at home to Turkey.
The starlet watched on from the bench in both and was not used as his nation drew both, one 0-0 and the other 2-2, for a player of his age to consistently make the squad is some achievement for the bright youngster.
Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal)
The Senegal captain was set to lead Aliou Cisse’s men into friendlies against Uzbekistan and Bosnia & Herzegovina, but an illness got in the way of those plans over the break.
Kouyate watched from the stands with his side drawing their first International and had hoped to play in the second, another draw with Bosnia, however, he was forced to withdraw as the illness took hold, he will be hoping to shake it off in time for West Ham’s Premier League clash with Southampton on Saturday afternoon.
Arthur Masuaku (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Having switched his International allegiance, the defender received his second consecutive call-up to the DR Congo squad and was poised to feature for them in a friendly against Tanzania.
But, just days before, Masuaku was one of four other players to stage a walk out on Florent Ibenge’s team from a training camp in protest of a number of factors including the proposed travel method to Tanzania, he returned to London early and his International future is now uncertain.
So, now that you’ve been given the full lowdown on how the Match International break panned out for the senior International Hammers, will they return to hit the ground running in the Premier League starting with the vital visit of the Saints to London Stadium? Only time will tell.
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