Next Goal Wins (2014)

This documentary follows American Samoa’s heroic efforts to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, and treats this subject in ways somewhat distinctive from Taika Waititi’s feature film of the same name.

American Samoa’s veteran goalkeeper Nicky Salapu in Next Goal Wins (Icon).

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This post is part of the ‘Rewound’ series of analyses of objects or episodes from cultural and political history.

Content warnings: Transphobia; Child loss; Death.

Spoiler alert: This analysis of the documentary film Next Goal Wins and its themes reveals plot details for the purpose of enhancing that analysis.

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Earlier this year, I wrote a piece for the One Take section of this newsletter about Next Goal Wins, the Taika Waititi-directed comedy based on the true story of the low-ranking American Samoan men’s football team, and its pursuit of a long-awaited victory:

Next Goal Wins

That film is itself a loose adaptation of an earlier documentary film of the same name, made by Britons Mike Brett and Steve Jamison and released in 2014, which I will be analysing here. Its opening credits comprise footage of the goals from and newspaper headlines about American Samoa’s infamous, world-record international defeat, 31-0 to Australia in 2001. The documentary then switches to the then present-day, with American Samoa still the lowest ranked side in international football, and its current men’s team’s preparations for the football tournament at the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia.

Next Goal Wins introduces the audience to several members of the American Samoan team as they combine training with work and studying. These include the veteran goalkeeper Nicky Salapu, who had played in that 31-0 defeat and has returned from Seattle to join the team again, and young defender Jaiyah Saelua, who is faʻafafine, a third gender present in American Samoan society. We also meet members of the team’s coaching staff, including Ace Lalogafuafua and US-born Larry Mana'o, as well as the head of Football Federation American Samoa (FFAS), Tavita Taumua.

The Pacific Games tournament goes terribly for the American Samoans, who lose all five of their games, conceding 26 goals and scoring none, returning home dishevelled. At this point, the football association seeks outside help, asking the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) to assist it in recruiting a foreign coach ahead of the start of qualifying for the first round of Oceania Football Confederation qualifications for the 2014 World Cup. Their call is answered by Dutch-born, US-based coach Thomas Rongen.

Rongen is demanding to the point of being confrontational, including clashing with Taumua at one point. Yet he succeeds in motivating the players to raise their levels, and in turn develops a strong appreciation of them, their dedication to the game, and American Samoan life and culture more generally. The team is also bolstered by Salapu and others once again returning from the US, as well as new call-ups of American-based players of American Samoan heritage.

The American Samoan team arrive in neighbouring Samoa for the qualifiers. It begins well with the elusive victory they had yearned for, going 2-0 up against Tonga and then holding out for the win despite a late Tongan goal. They also go a goal up against Cook Islands, but concede an own goal and the match finishes in a 1-1 draw. This sets up a dramatic group finale with Samoa, with the winner to go through to the next round of qualifying. With the scores tied at 0-0 late on, American Samoa hit the post; Samoa counterattack and score the winner. The film ends with fond farewells as Rongen returns to the US, along with the American-based players, but the general mood in the party is one of pride at the improvement the team has made, and optimism about its future.