American Samoa – Fiji Match Summary Download PDF
The starting line-ups were as follows:
American Samoa: 1. Taufaiula MAVAEGA (GK), 2. Keniseli TUPUOLA, 3. Rueben LUVU, 6. Elama FAATONU, 7. Lalotoa VAEAO, 8. Panwechi KALEOPA (c), 9. Shalom LUANI, 10. Ryan PETAIA, 11. Abel FATA, 12. Kid BARTLEY, 13. Ryan PAAGA.
Fiji: 1. Senirusi BOKINI (GK), 2. Seteraki HUGHES, 3. Filipe BARAVILALA, 4. Akram HUSSAIN, 5. Josaia MASIWINI (c), 6. Jale DRELOA, 7. Junior Narendra RAO, 8. Sohail BASHA, 9. Osea Joseph TURAGABECI, 11. Al-taaf SAHIB, 14. Iosefo VEREVOU.
The match kicks off
3′ Fiji have appeals for a penalty waved away
4′ American Samoa exert some pressure down the right hand side but Rueben Luvu’s cross goes behind the goal
7′ Fiji are enjoying a good spell of pressure with several corners but can’t force a shot on target
8′ Fiji are now having the better of the game and are showing some nice touches
11′ Fiji’s Al-taaf Sahib has the first shot on target when the ball is played to him on the left of the box but goalkeeper Taufaiula makes a comfortable save
11′ American Samoa’s Ryan Petaia is almost in on goal at the other end but the ball bounces to goalkeeper Senirusi Bokini
13′ Sahib has a free kick in a dangerous position for Fiji but it balloons off the wall and falls to Mavaega in goal
14′ American Samoa survive a goal line scramble following a corner and launch a break of their own but it comes to nothing
16′ The dangerous Sahib swings in a free kick from well wide on the right and Mavaega makes a smart save at his near post
16′ Losefo Verevou tries his luck from the left on the box but his shot is sliced well wide
18′ Sahib has to leave the field for treatment to an injury
22′ Fiji break down the right but American Samoa defend well and Shalom Luani evades a couple of challenges to burst forward with the ball
23′ Elama Faatonu gets into a promising position on the right for American Samoa but can’t find a team mate with his pass
26′ Petaia closes down the Fiji defence and his pressure results in a chance for Faatonu but he can’t make a good enough connection with his shot
29′ Akram Hussain has the best chance of the match for Fiji when he runs onto a through ball but his attempted loft over Mavaega goes wide
30′ American Samoa make it through another scare when Mavaega gathers the ball after a goal mouth scramble
32′ Sahib has another good chance for Fiji when American Samoa goalkeeper Mavaega punches a cross away. It falls to Sahib just outside the box but he fires his shot over the bar
35′ Fiji are pressing hard and winning plenty of corners but American Samoa are defending doggedly
36′ Fiji miss a great chance to open the scoring when Mavaega comes out but fails to gather the ball and it ends up at the feet of Verevou. He tries to chip it in but the ball bounces wide
37′ SUBSTITUTION: Franky Luvu replaces Abel Fata for American Samoa
39′ Hussain tries his luck with a bending effort from the right hand side of the box but can’t trouble Mavaega
41′ GOAL!!!! Fiji 1, American Samoa 0: Fiji finally go ahead in fine style when Narend Rao dances his way past a number of challenges in the box and fires a low shot inside the far post
45′ Two minutes of injury time will be played
45′ + 1′ GOAL!!! Fiji 2, American Samoa 0: Fiji score another spectacular goal when Verevou curls a stunning left-foot shot from the right over Mavaega
45′ The second half gets underway
46′ Hussain twists and turns on the right hand side of the box and lofts a cross over but Verevou can’t get his header on target
50′ YELLOW CARD: Rueben Luvu is cautioned for American Samoa
52′ Fiji’s Sohail Basha sees his header from a corner bounce past the post
55′ Rao has a great opportunity to score his second when he goes one on one with Mavaega but the goalkeeper makes a great save with his right boot
58′ SUBSTITUTION: Shane Kumar replaces Sohail Basha for Fiji
60′ SUBSTITUTION: Vineel Naidu replaces Joseph Turagabeci for Fiji
62′ American Samoa are trying hard to get back into the game but are yet to create any clear-cut chances
62′ SUBSTITUTION: Rueben Luvu is replaced by Mark Ieremia for American Samoa
64′ Fiji miss a chance to increase their lead when some great play down the left results in a close range shot for substitute Kumar but he puts his strike over the bar
66′ Another Fiji player has a good opportunity to get his name on the scoresheet when Naidu finds space in the box to roll an outside-of-the-foot shot against the far post
68′ GOAL!!! Fiji 3, American Samoa 0: Fiji get the goal their pressure has deserved when Sahib hits a near post shot past Mavaega
71′ Filipe Baravilala smashes a great effort from long range just past the post for Fiji
73′ GOAL!!! Fiji 4, American Samoa 0: Naidu finishes off a low cross from Hussain at close range
75′ YELLOW CARD: Ryan Petaia is cautioned for American Samoa
75′ SUBSTITUTION: Kid Bartley is replaced by Palauni Tapusoa for American Samoa
78′ GOAL!!! Fiji 5, American Samoa 0: Rao has his second of the day when the ball breaks to him on the edge of the box after a goalmouth scramble and he hits a low shot home
79′ SUBSTITUTION: Two-goal hero Rao is replaced by Anish Narayan for Fiji
81′ YELLOW CARDS: Lalotoa Vaeao of American Samoa and Losefo Verevou of Fiji are both cautioned after a skirmish
84′ Mavaega dives to his left to save a well-hit strike from Fiji subsitute Narayan
87′ GOAL!!! Fiji 6, American Samoa 0: Shane Kumar makes it sixth for Fiji when Mavaega gets a hand to his shot but can’t stop it rolling into the net
89′ GOAL!!! Fiji 7, American Samoa 0: Hussain shows great skill on the left hand side of the penalty box to beat a couple of challenges a squeeze his shot home from a tight angle
90′ Three minutes of injury time will be played
90′ + 1′ GOAL!!! Fiji 8, American Samoa 0: Hussain has his second after again displaying great skill when the balls falls to him at the far post and he scoops it over the grounded Mavaega
90′ + 3′ GOAL!!! Fiji 9, American Samoa 0: Fiji score once again when American Samoa defender Lalotoa Vaeao heads the ball into his own net for an own goal
The final whistle is blown