Birmingham City vs West Ham United Live Streams and TV Channels

Country	Channels
United States	FoxSoccer.tv »live stream, Fox Soccer Plus
Other Countries
Australia	Fox Sports 1 Australia
United Kingdom	Sky Sports 1/HD
*Don't see your country or favourite channel listed? Let us know and we will include it.

Birmingham City vs West Ham United Delayed and Repeat Broadcasts

Country	Date/Time (US/Eastern)	Channel
United States	Wed, Jan 26 20:00pm	Fox Soccer Plus
	Fri, Jan 28 17:00pm	Fox Soccer Plus
	Sat, Jan 29 6:00am	Fox Soccer Plus
Australia	Thu, Jan 27 2:30am	Fox Sports 1 Australia
	Fri, Jan 28 5:30am	Fox Sports 1 Australia
	Fri, Jan 28 13:30pm	Fox Sports 1 Australia
Canada	Wed, Jan 26 17:00pm	Sportsnet World
	Wed, Jan 26 20:30pm	Sportsnet World
	Sat, Jan 29 2:15am	Sportsnet World
*Don't see your country or favourite channel listed? Let us know and we will include it.

Birmingham City vs West Ham United Match Preview

West Ham will take a one goal lead into the game at St. Andrew’s, after winning the first leg of this Carling Cup Semi-Final 2-1 at Upton Park.

Victory for either team will present these players with the chance to write a significant chapter in the history of their club. Birmingham have not won a major honor since their League Cup win in 1963, while West Ham’s last major trophy came with their FA Cup win in 1980.

Birmingham will have to turn around their recent form to get the win they need to reach Wembley Stadium. The Blues are winless in their last three games, and were beaten 5-0 at Manchester United.

Striker Cameron Jerome should be ready to play for Birmingham, but David Bentley is ineligible after playing for Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the competition.

West Ham boss Grant reached the FA Cup Final last season, and will be aiming for his second major final in consecutive seasons here. Grant will be without Victor Obinna, who is suspended following his dismissal in the first leg.

Striker Federic Piquionne is also suspended, after he was red carded for celebrating a goal by jumping into the crowd during the weekend’s draw with Everton.

The Hammers will include new signing Gary O’Neil in the squad, who completed his signing this week from Middlesbrough.

The away goals rule will come into play after extra time during this game, so a 1-0 victory for Birmingham would see them go through on the tie-breaker.

Birmingham City vs West Ham United Match Report

Birmingham beat West Ham to win 3-1 on the night (4-3 aggregate) and will advance to face Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in the Final.

Carlton Cole opened the scoring to give West Ham a 3-1 aggregate lead, and have the Hammers seemingly on course to reach the final at half-time. Birmingham scored second half goals through Lee Bowyer and Roger Johnson to force extra time, while an extra time winning goal from Craig Gardner sent the home fans into delirium, and the Blues into the final.

West Ham arrived at St. Andrews defending a 2-1 lead from their first leg victory, and it was the Londoner’s who looked the most comfortable in the early stages. Zavon Hines had two early strikes on goal saved by Ben Foster, and England striker Carlton Cole was a handful for the Birmingham defense.

Cole fired West Ham ahead after 31 minutes with an excellent strike, collecting a Wayne Bridge throw-in, before turning and hitting a spectacular strike beyond Foster to give the Hammers a seemingly comfortable lead in the Semi-Final.

West Ham continued in the ascendancy, and only the woodwork prevented them from doubling their lead before half-time when Hines connected with a Mark Noble free kick. West Ham appeared in control at half-time, and that showed in the reaction of the home fans who booed them off the field loudly at the interval.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish threw on giant striker Nikola Zigic at half-time, and the Serbian striker would play a significant role in Birmingham turning the game round. The physical presence of Zigic showed early when he knocked down to Gardner who crashed the ball against the goal post. Zigic then created an opening for Cameron Jerome who fired wide from inside the area.

The Blues continued to push forward and were denied a penalty appeal for an apparent Bridge handball. Just before the half hour mark the pressure paid off for the Blues when Bowyer leveled the game 1-1 on the night. A Sebastian Larsson corner fell to Bowyer, and the former England midfielder rifled the ball beyond Rob Green.

The goal raised the atmosphere in St. Andrews, and with the home fans upping the noise level, Green had to save well to keep out Barry Ferguson. Birmingham took a 2-1 lead and leveled the aggregate scores when Johnson rose highest to head home a Bowyer corner 11 minutes from time.

West Ham were under relentless pressure during the last 10 minutes of regulation time, and Green saved well to deny Jerome, before Gardner had a shot tipped onto the goal post by the England goalkeeper. With the aggregate score locked at 3-3, the game went into extra time.

Gardner did manage to beat Green four minutes into the extra period, when he collected a pass from Stephen Carr, and buried a low dive past Green to give Birmingham a decisive lead.

Another West Ham goal would have seen them progress on the away goals rule, and they went close when Scott Parker fired over the bar from eight yards out. Kieron Dyer then fired high over the bar when presented with a gilt edged chance.

The Hammers continued to push forward, but were unable to break down the Blues backline, and Birmingham were left to celebrate reaching their first Carling Cup Final for 10 years. The Blues last won this competition in 1963, a triumph that is the last major trophy won by the club.

SCORING SUMMARY

WHU – Cole (Bridge) 31’
BIR – Bowyer (unassisted) 59’
BIR – Johnson (Bowyer) 79’
BIR – Gardner (Carr) 94’

LINEUPS

BIR – Foster, Carr, Johnson, Ridgewell, Jiranek, Bowyer, Larsson (Beausejour 101), Gardner (Murphy 101), Ferguson, Jerome, Derbyshire (Zigic 46).

WHU – Green, Tomkins, Upson, Spector (McCarthy 106), Faubert, Bridge, Parker, Boa Morte (O’Neil 83), Noble, Cole, Hines (Dyer 71).

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