LONDON — West Ham striker Ricardo Vaz Te scored with three minutes remaining Saturday to take his team into the English Premier League with a 2-1 win over Blackpool in the promotion playoff final.
Vaz Te lifted the ball into the roof of the net from close range after a goalmouth scramble to end the Hammers’ yearlong absence from the Premier League.
The victory guarantees millions in revenue for West Ham and should help it keep hold of its best players, including England goalkeeper Rob Green and Vaz Te, who scored 24 goals this season.
Vaz Te says “it wasn’t about my goal, it was about our togetherness.”
Striker Carlton Cole put West Ham ahead in the 35th minute, but Blackpool’s Tom Ince equalized three minutes into the second half.
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