Hopes of an all-Oceania FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup quarter-final are over after Tahiti and Solomon Islands both lost their final group games in Papeete today.
Tahiti confirmed a quarter-final date with Argentina at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup despite losing 4-2 to Spain, while Solomon Islands bow out after a 7-6 loss to El Salvador.
Tahiti’s defeat – their first at this tournament – leaves the hosts preparing for a knock-out encounter with an Argentina side they defeated 6-4 in a pre-tournament friendly, while Spain face the Bilikiki’s vanquishers, El Salvador.
With qualification for the knock-out stages confirmed on Saturday, Tahiti may have lifted the foot a little too high off the pedal as they conceded their first goal after just three minutes of play when Spain’s Merida found the back of the net.
The Tiki Toa conceded two more goals before the end of the first period to trail 3-0 as Merida earned his brace and Kuman scored one of his own.
Spain continued to dominate after the restart as Pajon netted to give his side a commanding 4-0 lead. Tahiti had their chances to reign in the Spaniards but squandered a remarkable 20 of their 36 shots off target.
The host nation’s goal wait ended when Saturday’s hero Patrick Tepa opened Tahiti’s account towards the end of the second period. But the chase proved too tough an ask of the Tiki Toa who appeared to already have one eye on their last eight clash.
Raimana Li Fung Kuee scored with a free-kick late in the final third, but it was too little too late to save Tahiti as Spain comfortably ended the Tiki Toa’s unbeaten run.
For the Solomon Islands Bilikiki the margin for error was much narrower as they took on El Salvador in what amounted to a sudden-death playoff for a quarter-final spot.
The Bilikiki tale of first round exits is a record that stretches back to their first FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup experience on the sands of Rio in 2006, but no previous exit was as heartbreaking as this.
Falling behind to two early goals by El Salvador’s Augustin Ruiz, the Bilikiki bounced back with a rapid-fire goals of their own for McPhillip Aisa.
Ruiz completed his hat-trick on 13 minutes to restore El Salvador’s two-goal cushion only for Nicholas Muri to hammer home a quickfire double to level the scores at 3-3 toward the end of the second period.
El Salvador and Solomon Islands continued their frenetic exchange as Ruiz netted his team’s fourth before Muri completed his own hat-trick for the Bilikiki to square the match at 4-4 seven sconds before the end of the second period.
Frustratingly for the Bilikiki, an Frank Valsquez goal saw El Salvador edge back in front just 34 seconds into the third period made it 5-4 in favour of the central Americans.
Elmer Robles extended that lead to 6-4 five minutes later but the Bilikiki never gave in and pulled a goal back courtesy of an Anthony Talo penalty on 31 minutes. The sharp-shooting Ruiz then notched his fifth and El Salvador’s seventh goal to all but gaurantee the win.
Robert Laua chipped in with a late goal three minutes before the end to give Bilikiki some hope at 7-6 but time and luck ran out on the Solomon Islands who stumble out of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup at the group stage for the fifth time.
Tahiti face Argentina on Wednesday 25 September, 2013, at Stade To’ata, kick-off at 17h30 (local time).

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