Last night marked the full debut of Argentine pair Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano for West Ham United in a 1-0 loss to Palermo of Italy in the UEFA Cup. The English club heads to Sicily in two week’s time and must win by at least one goal to have any hope of progressing to the next round of the tournament. The Independent suggests that the Argentinesparticularly Tevezwere short of fitness. Palermo clearly targeted the talented Argentine forward, fouling him repeatedly while the referee kept his card in his pocket. “I felt the referee would have been stronger,” West Ham coach Pardew said. Mascherano started brightly but faded a bit toward the end, while Tevez looked increasingly tired as the match wore onhe had one point-blank effort saved almost unknowingly by Palermo’s keeper. Minutes later, Palermo broke threw. While Paul Konchesky claimed the ball had run out of play, Aimo Diana swept in a low cross that was met with venom at the far post by Andrea Caracciolo. With 12 minutes to go, Pardew threw on Marlon Harewood for the tired Tevez; he immediately redirected a Yossi Benayoun cross against the post. “The breaks,” Pardew said, “went against us. But there is some way to go.”