West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce says he always expected a spirited challenge from the Wellington Phoenix during their trip to New Zealand.

The Wellington Phoenix and West Ham served up a classic contest in Auckland last night - with the only disappointment being the modest crowd.

It may have been a friendly, but that didn't stop the Phoenix making the most of last night's 2-1 victory over EPL outfit West Ham at Auckland's Eden Park.

Football Federation Australia boss David Gallop has received assurances Italian giant Juventus will bring their World Cup stars for next month's clash with an A-League All Stars side.

The Wellington Phoenix brought professional football back to Auckland with a bang last night, beating English Premier League side West Ham United 2-1 at Eden Park.

The Wellington Phoenix got their pre-season Football United tour off to a dream start last night, stunning English Premier League side West Ham 2-1.

West Ham striker Andy Carroll won't take the field in the Football United tour due to an ankle injury.

Two seats were left empty as Newcastle played Sydney FC in Dunedin. They were for two men who died on board flight MH17.

Ticket sales for tonight's football match between the Wellington Phoenix and English Premier League club West Ham United picked up yesterday

A crowd of more than 20,000 will need to roll up to Eden Park tomorrow night for the Wellington Phoenix's match against English Premier League club West Ham to break even.

More than 800 football fans turned out at North Harbour Stadium yesterday to watch English Premier League side West Ham United train for the first time in New Zealand.

West Ham might have finished 13th in last season's English Premier League but manager Sam Allardyce and co-chairman David Gold delivered a volley of top-flight goodwill to assembled media as the club build their brand in New Zealand this week.

EPL club West Ham's finest footballers have arrived amid a few bemused looks at the Sky City powhiri.

One is a tycoon who formerly ran a tabloid famed for breaking outrageous "news" including the discovery of a World War II bomber on the moon.

West Ham players provided plenty of inspiration when radio personality Miles Davis had to name his six sons.

Spain may have been embarrassingly dethroned as World Cup holders, but Real Madrid and Barcelona are still champions at making money after they were named as the world's two richest sports franchises.

World Cup tourists have given a big thumbs up to the just-ended event in Brazil, according to a new study.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has resigned after the team failed to win the World Cup.

Winning the World Cup in Brazil has given Germany the "hunger" to triumph in more tournaments and create an era of dominance similar to Spain.

To Russia, with love. But the renewal of the people's vows with the World Cup will be severely tested by its money-driven forays into the uncharted territories of Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022). Was Brazil the last great folk festival?

The German economy is set to benefit as the country's football victory draws shoppers to the "Made in Germany" brand, says a research firm.