The stage is set and the athletes ready as the countdown to the XIII South Pacific Games – Samoa 2007 continues.
With just 19 days to go before the South Pacific Games Football Tournament gets underway some of Oceania Football Confederation’s (OFC) heavyweights are getting ready to lock horns.
Solomon Islands are making uncertain steps toward Samoa suffering a shock 3-1 defeat to a Honiara XI at Lawson Tama Stadium at the weekend.
Solomon Island striker James Naka gave the national team the ideal start when he lobbed the ball over Honiara XI goalkeeper Phillip Seda.
However, Henry Koto then Oscar Sara turned the tables – and the partisan home crowd – on the national team with two deadly strikes within moments of one another to give Honiara a surprise 2-1
lead.
Veteran striker Bartram Suri heaped the agony on Airton Andrioli’s charges when his fizzing right foot cross met the deft finish of Oscar Sara to push the score out to 3-1 at the break.
Solomon Islands put in a determined second-half but were unable to break down a solid defensive performance by comeback kid and central defender Nelson Sale.
Most worrying of all for Airton Andrioli will be the response of the home crowd whose chorus of booes echoed the less than adequate performance and result of his team.
Solomon Islands depart for a short three match preparation tour to Queensland where they will face Hyundai A-League side Queensland Roar.
Despite the patchy build-up Solomon Islands will still be red hot favourites to win Group B with Vanuatu expected to provide their Melanesian rivals with stern competition.
Another South Pacific Games gold medal hopeful coach who will be expecting big things of his team is Fiji tactician Juan Carlos Buzzetti.
Buzzetti’s team faces a New Zealand XI coached by former Glasgow Celtic and Scotland international Jonathon Gould in two friendly matches scheduled for Friday 10th August and Sunday 12th
August.
The Uruguayan has named a strong squad ahead of the ‘Football for Life’ matches and will be seeking convincing performances and results ahead of the South Pacific Games football tournament in which
Fiji are emerging as hot favourites.
Minnows and associate members of OFC, Tuvalu, recently embarked on a short three match tour of Fiji in preparation for the South Pacific Games.
The tiny island nation boasts a population of 10,000 and will want to forget replicate some of the brave performances from it’s previous showing at this level including an “honourable” 1-0 defeat to
Vanuatu.
Vanuatu promise much after club champions Tafea FC romped home to victory in the OFC O-League Preliminary Tournament in New Caledonia earlier this year.
With the national team comprising most of the Tafea FC championship winning side, Vanuatu will be looking to make a strong medal challenge as well as making a big impression at the second
qualification stage as they did four years ago.
The challenge from the French speaking sector of Oceania is expected to ruffle a few feathers.
New Caledonia’s U-20 and U-17 sides have shown the French Overseas Territory possesses some keen technically talented individuals loaded with potential. Whether or not the senior team can replicate
that form is open to debate after AS Mont Dore turned in a poor display during the inaugural O-League club competition this year.
Tahiti bring a strong pedigree to the South Pacific Games winning five football gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes.
The French Polynesians boast an equally proud history in OFC Nations Cup competition finishing runners-up in the first three editions of the Confederation showpeice event in 1973, 1980 and
1996.
Tahiti finished third in 2002.
Cook Islands coach Tim Jerks will face a difficult task guiding one of world football’s smallest nations through arguably the toughest group.
With a team comprised of modest players based in Australia, Cook Islands and New Zealand club football, Jerks will be hoping his charges will gain some semblance of respectability with experienced
goalkeeper Tony Jamieson looked to provide leadership in an unforgiving environment.
The match with Tuvalu will provide Cook Islands with their best chance of three points. But given Tuvalu’s reasonable track record at the South Pacific Games football tournament, Cook Islands should
not expect an easy fixture.
Thomas Le Mouton – currently playing at Albany United in New Zealand’s Northern Premier League – will offer some attacking options and will be able to use his blistering pace, hopefully, going
forward.
Samoa underlined their desire to be considered more than also-rans by hosting a two week training camp in Auckland, New Zealand, in June, with inspirational leader Chris Cahill also present at the
draw for the South Pacific Games alongside famous brother and FA Premiership star Tim Cahill.
Chris Cahill is adamant that Samoa has a chance of doing well in Group B but much will depend on overcoming rivals American Samoa and Tonga.
Tonga men’s football has not had a lot to shout about recently with the nation’s football fortunes largely left to the women’s national team who turned in three respectable performances at the OFC
Women’s Championship – Papua New Guinea 2007.
Tonga will rely heavily on national pride and fervour to overcome the challenge of host nation Samoa and Polynesian neighbours American Samoa.
American Samoa – as always – face a difficult task but may eye the match with Samoa as an opportunity to cause a major upset at the J.S. Blatter Fields.
American Samoa can point to only one victory in any sort of competitive fixture – against Wallis and Fortuna on August 22, 1983 – nearly 24 years ago.
Faced with the difficulty of immigration laws that – unlike other multi-ethnic nations around the football world – prevent “new” American Samoans from gaining the nationality that would enable them
to play for the national football team, American Samoa’s task is made somewhat more difficult.
The South Pacific Games men’s football tournament kicks off on Saturday 25th August at J.S. Blatter Field when Fiji take on Tuvalu, Solomon Islands play American Samoa.
In an all French affair, New Caledonia and Tahiti clash in Group A while Vanuatu open their campaign with a tricky clash against host nation Samoa in the late kickoff under lights at 2000 local time.