The second match at Nuku’alofa’s Loto-Tonga Soka Centre saw American Samoa prevail 2-1 against Tonga eliminating the hosts, and setting up a three-way contest for top-spot on Friday’s final day.
“It was really tough, and Samoa took the game to us,” said Cook Islands coach Drew Sherman after the day’s opening encounter.
“We had a game-plan to ultimately stop them and try and nick a goal. They are favourites based on history. We kept our shape and limited them to shots from long distance and set-pieces.”
“We now have it in our hands to finish the job.”
The opening match was always going to be crucial to the eventual outcome of the tournament with both Cook Islands and Samoa having secured wins on the opening day.
It was little surprise that both sides opened with good intensity, each enjoying promising moments in attack. The best early chance saw Cook Islands denied only a goal line clearance.
Paavo Mustonen’s dangerous free-kick from distance was pawed away by goalkeeper Masi Toetu, and it required a desperate last-gasp clearance from Andrew Setefano to deny a follow-up effort from Legend Pareta.
Cook Islands always looked likely from set-pieces, but it was a Samoa free-kick on the half-hour that narrowly failed to find the mark for the men in blue as a Faitalia Hamilton-Pama’s back-post header bounced just wide.
Samoa may have started the match as favourites in the eyes of many, but it was Cook Islands who shaded the opening period, and they were duly rewarded just before the break in spectacular fashion.
Taylor Saghabi, scorer of a hat-trick on the opening day, fired in a free-kick from wide on the right which dipped over the despairing hands of Toetu off the underside of the bar and over the line.
The second period continued in a similar vein to the first with two well-matched teams pushing forward at every opportunity, and there were no shortage of full-blooded challenges to go with it.
Cook Islands could have taken the match by the scruff of the neck on the hour mark via a well-worked three-man counter-attack, but Pareta saw his one-on-one effort well blocked by keeper Toetu who timed it perfectly.
At the other end, Cook Islands could have conceded in the most bizarre fashion imaginable, as Mustonen’s attempt to block a shot from the edge of the penalty area looped onto his own crossbar with the goalkeeper stranded.
Cook Islands always looked a chance to grab an all-important second, notably Gichin Fihinui let fly with a sweet long-range effort that momentarily seemed set to dip under the crossbar.
The match lost a little of its momentum in the dying stages which suited Cook Islands who continued to restrict Samoa to half-openings.
There was a final headed chance for Samoa to draw level but Hamilton-Pama failed to make clean contact with his head, leaving Cook Islands celebrating successive wins for the first time and, more importantly, sitting in top position.
“We were looking forward to this game and were prepared for it, but unfortunately we didn’t get the bounce of the ball,” Samoa coach Phineas Young.
“The boys are a bit upset. We came here as underdogs but wanted to win this tournament for our federation and people of Samoa. The tournament is not over yet, and we still have a chance.”
American Samoa and hosts Tonga shaped up for the second match with both needing all three points to stay alive, and it was the former who ultimately prevailed but only after coming from behind in another robust contest.
“It was a well-earned and hard-fought victory,” said American Samoa coach Larry Mana’o of his team’s comeback win.
“We knew that teams can be susceptible after a goal and we have worked on that. We have been behind in both games and we have shown real character to push through and find a result in this game.”
The tone for an open encounter was set in the very first minute as Tonga’s Sione Uhatahi bore down on goal only to see his shot go narrowly wide under heavy pressure.
America Samoa immediately set up creating numerous half-chances of their own, but invariably the final touch proved problematic.
Demetrius Beauchamp, American Samoa’s two-goal hero from the opening game, fired in low from distance requiring safe hands from Heneli Saafi. To a degree, it was a similar story throughout the opening half despite the willingness of both teams to go forward at every opportunity.
The second stanza, however, proved very different. Firstly, Tonga netted just two minutes after the break thanks to an athletic diving header from the ever-dangerous Sione Uhatahi for Tonga’s maiden goal of the campaign, delighting the home support.
However, American Samoa drew level two minutes later as Justin Mana’o let fly with a superb strike from just outside the penalty area.
And it got even better for American Samoa when skipper Ramin Ott grabbed his third all-time FIFA World Cup goal to put his team ahead with a similar strike within a matter of moments.
The third goal in just four minutes proved to be the end of the scoring.
There followed a gilt-edged chance for Tonga to draw level but Uhatahi side-footed wide, and Samisoni Maasi narrowly failed to make connection at the far post as he slid in.
Brother Mark Uhatahi then saw his shot blocked by the keeper, and it was a similar scenario at the other end as Saafi remained strong to halt Aloali’i Mitchell’s effort.
Beauchamp lofted a shot onto the crossbar with ten to go as American Samoa narrowly fell shy of securing the match-sealer.
The contest concluded in end-to-end fashion amid a tense and desperate atmosphere as both sides battled for their FIFA World Cup futures, with American Samoa ultimately edging all three points.
“Unfortunately we didn’t win today but the boys did their best, and I hope that we will win the last one for the crowd,” said Tonga coach Timote Moleni.
Cook Islands now head into the final match day needing just a point from their encounter against American Samoa to secure qualification into Stage 2, but the possibility of three teams finishing on six points remains very much a possibility.