American Samoa national football team
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The American Samoa men's national football team (Samoan: Au soka Amerika Sāmoa) represents American Samoa in men's international association football and is controlled by the Football Federation American Samoa, the governing body of the sport in the territory. American Samoa's home ground is the Pago Park Soccer Stadium in Pago Pago and their head coach is Tunoa Lui.[3]
Nickname(s) | The Boys from the Territory | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Football Federation American Samoa | ||
Confederation | OFC (Oceania) | ||
Head coach | Ruben Luvu[1] | ||
Captain | Vacant | ||
Most caps | Nicky Salapu (22) | ||
Top scorer | Ramin Ott (3) | ||
Home stadium | Pago Park Soccer Stadium | ||
FIFA code | ASA | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 188 (February 15, 2024)[2] | ||
Highest | 164 (October 2015) | ||
Lowest | 205 (May 2006) | ||
First international | |||
Western Samoa 3–1 American Samoa (Apia, Western Samoa; August 20, 1983) FIFA recognized Tonga 3–0 American Samoa (Avarua, Cook Islands; September 2, 1998) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Wallis and Futuna 0–3 American Samoa (Apia, Western Samoa; August 22, 1983) FIFA recognized American Samoa 2–0 Cook Islands (Nuku'alofa, Tonga; September 4, 2015) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Australia 31–0 American Samoa (Coffs Harbour, Australia; April 11, 2001) (World record for senior international matches) |
Early history
In 1983, American Samoa entered a football team in the South Pacific Games for the first time. The territory's official first match took place in Apia, Western Samoa on August 20, 1983, and ended in a 3–1 defeat to Western Samoa. Two days later, the team recorded their first win with a 3–0 victory against Wallis and Futuna however, they were eliminated from the competition at the group stage following a 3–2 loss to Tonga on August 24.[4][5][6]
The following year, the American Samoa Football Association (ASFA) – now known as Football Federation American Samoa (FFAS) – was founded and took over responsibility for organizing the territory's national team.[7]
After competing in the 1987 South Pacific Games and the 1994 Polynesia Cup, ASFA became full members of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) allowing them to compete in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the first time.[7] American Samoa registered their first FIFA-recognized international during the 1998 Polynesia Cup in Rarotonga, Cook Islands when they lost 3–0 to Tonga on September 2.[5][6][8]
World record for the worst loss in international matches
During their first qualifying campaign for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in April 2001, American Samoa was involved in a match which set the record for the largest margin of victory in international football when they lost 31–0 to Australia.[9] The outcome of the match led to debates about the format of qualification tournaments, with the Australian manager Frank Farina and striker Archie Thompson – who scored 13 times in the match – feeling that preliminary rounds should be introduced to avoid such unbalanced matches, views shared by the international footballing body FIFA. It eventually led to the introduction of a preliminary round in the Oceanian zone qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[10]
Stagnation
Since joining FIFA, the team has been regarded as one of the world's weakest teams[11] and were, until November 2011, the joint-lowest ranked national team in the FIFA World ranking.[12]
On November 23, 2011, American Samoa recorded their second and first FIFA-recognized win when they defeated Tonga 2–1 in the first round of qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It was also the team's first victory after 38 consecutive defeats.[5][11][13]
The team's efforts to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup were chronicled in a 2014 British documentary, Next Goal Wins, directed by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison.[14][15] In October 2015, the territory achieved its highest position in the FIFA World Rankings when they reached 164th following back-to-back wins against Tonga and the Cook Islands in qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[5][16]
After playing in the 2019 Pacific Games, American Samoa was removed from the FIFA World Rankings after it had not played a match in over four years. This hiatus was caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic which forced the team out of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification and the cancellation of the 2020 OFC Nations Cup. American Samoa would finally compete again at the 2023 Pacific Games.[17]
Player pool
American Samoa has struggled in part because of its small player pool. The territory has a small population, and many potential players move away for education or work or choose to play other sports such as baseball. Another limiting factor is that international competition regulations often require that players hold the nationality of the country that they represent, which in the case of American Samoa is United States nationality.[1] Although people born in American Samoa are United States nationals,[18] foreign nationals who immigrate to American Samoa, who comprise about a third of its population,[19][20] are ineligible to apply for United States nationality.[21] An option for the team would be to recruit players from the United States, as other teams of Pacific territories have done with their parent countries, such as Tahiti drawing players from Metropolitan France.[1]
Home stadium
American Samoa's home ground is the Pago Park Soccer Stadium in Pago Pago with a 2,000 capacity. However, American Samoa has never played a home match at the senior level in its history.[5] The stadium featured in the highly rated 2014 film Next Goal Wins and was used as the national team's training ground in the build-up to the 2011 Pacific Games and the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[22] Matches at the stadium must be concluded before 6:30pm because of a village curfew which limits noise and prevents the installation of floodlighting. For this reason, the association began planning a new facility in Tafuna in 2023. FIFA president Gianni Infantino promised the association $5 million for the project during his visit around Oceania in summer of that year.[23]
2023
20 November 2023 (2023-11-20) 2023 Pacific Games | Samoa | 10–0 | American Samoa | Honiara, Solomon Islands |
15:00 UTC+11 | Report | Stadium: Lawson Tama Stadium Referee: Ben Aukwai (Solomon Islands) |
23 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games | Solomon Islands | 11–0 | American Samoa | Honiara, Solomon Islands |
16:00 | Report | Stadium: Lawson Tama Stadium |
27 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games | Northern Mariana Islands | 4–0 | American Samoa | Honiara, Solomon Islands |
Stadium: SIFF Academy Field |
30 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games | American Samoa | 2–6 | Tonga | Honiara, Solomon Islands |
10:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: SIFF Academy Field Referee: David Yaraboinen (Papua New Guinea) |
2024
August Friendly | American Samoa | v | Nauru | Pago Pago, American Samoa |
Stadium: Pago Park Soccer Stadium |
September or October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | American Samoa | v | TBA | To Be Determined |
Stadium: To Be Determined |
- As of November 23, 2023[24]
Position | Name |
---|---|
Head coach | Ruben Luvu |
Assistant coach | Fred Maiava |
Team manager | Silasila Samuelu |
Physicotherapist | Uaealesi Malaga |
Goalkeeper coach | Augustine Grey |
Coaching history
- Tiwo Kummings (2000)
- Anthony Langkilde (2001)
- Tunoa Lui (2001–2002)
- Ian Crook (2004)
- Nathan Mease (2007)
- David Brand (2007–2010)
- Iofi Lalogafuafua (2011)
- Thomas Rongen (2011)
- Larry Mana'o (2015–2019)
- Tunoa Lui (2019–2023)
- Ruben Luvu (2023–)
- David Jones (2024)
Current squad
The following players were called up for the 2023 Pacific Games.[25]
Caps and goals updated as of 30 November 2023, after the game against Tonga.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1GK | Penieli Atu | (2005-09-05) 5 September 2005 (age 18) | 3 | 0 | PanSa |
23 | 1GK | Matthias Logologo | (2002-06-24) 24 June 2002 (age 21) | 1 | 0 | Pago Youth |
3 | 2DF | Austin Kaleopa | (2001-04-24) 24 April 2001 (age 22) | 8 | 0 | Utulei Youth |
4 | 2DF | Poasa Collins | (2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 20) | 2 | 0 | Pago Youth |
5 | 2DF | Leaga Lealuga | 4 | 1 | Black Roses | |
6 | 2DF | Robert Yarofalir | 3 | 0 | Green Bay | |
8 | 2DF | Lalofau Fe'a | 4 | 0 | Pago Youth | |
14 | 2DF | Misiona Fagapulea | 2 | 0 | Ilaoa and To'omata | |
15 | 2DF | Pela Scanlan | (2006-01-24) 24 January 2006 (age 18) | 3 | 0 | Pago Youth |
2 | 3MF | Roy Ledoux | (2000-06-26) 26 June 2000 (age 23) | 9 | 0 | Pago Youth |
10 | 3MF | Tia Silao | 4 | 1 | Pago Youth | |
11 | 3MF | Billjay Vaitoelau | (2002-04-13) 13 April 2002 (age 21) | 4 | 1 | Royal Puma |
12 | 3MF | Kuresa Taga'i | (2000-08-04) 4 August 2000 (age 23) | 7 | 0 | Ilaoa and To'omata |
13 | 3MF | Larry Silao | 2 | 0 | Pago Youth | |
16 | 3MF | Ben Tofaeono | (2006-03-18) 18 March 2006 (age 18) | 3 | 0 | Ilaoa and To'omata |
17 | 3MF | Pago Isu | (2005-11-13) 13 November 2005 (age 18) | 3 | 0 | Black Roses |
20 | 3MF | Puni Samuelu | (1996-08-16) 16 August 1996 (age 27) | 7 | 0 | Pago Youth |
7 | 4FW | Petu Pouli | (2005-12-18) 18 December 2005 (age 18) | 4 | 0 | Vaiala Tongan |
9 | 4FW | Daniel Lee | (2007-02-17)17 February 2007 (aged 16) | 3 | 0 | Royal Puma |
18 | 4FW | Tala Fereti | 4 | 0 | Ilaoa and To'omata | |
19 | 4FW | Paneta Loke | 0 | 0 | Lion Heart |
Goalkeeper Nicky Salapu holds the record for the most appearances for American Samoa.[26] Since his debut against Fiji on April 7, 2001, he has made 22 appearances for the national team – including the world record defeat to Australia and American Samoa's first FIFA-recognized victory against Tonga in November 2011.[27] Ramin Ott holds the record for most goals for American Samoa after scoring three times in 15 appearances between 2004 and 2015.[28] In total, 10 different players have scored a goal in a FIFA-recognized match for American Samoa.[26]
- As of November 30, 2023.[26]
Most appearances
Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Position | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nicky Salapu | 22 | 0 | GK | 2001–2019 |
2 | Uasi Heleta | 16 | 0 | DF | 2004–2019 |
3 | Ramin Ott | 15 | 3 | FW | 2004–2015 |
4 | Jaiyah Saelua | 14 | 0 | DF | 2004–2019 |
5 | Travis Pita Sinapati | 12 | 0 | DF | 2001–2007 |
6 | Roy Ledoux | 9 | 0 | DF | 2018–present |
Natia Natia | 9 | 1 | MF | 2004–2011 | |
8 | Austin Kaleopa | 8 | 0 | MF | 2019–present |
Maika Molesi | 8 | 0 | DF | 2004–2007 | |
Ryan Samuelu | 8 | 0 | DF | 2015–2019 | |
Pesamino Victor | 8 | 0 | DF | 2007–2011 |
Youngest player
- Jaiyah Saelua – 15 years 300 days vs. Fiji on 15 May 2004[29]
Oldest player
- Nicky Salapu – 38 years 308 days vs. Tahiti on 18 July 2019[30]
Top goalscorers
Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Average | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ramin Ott | 3 | 15 | 0.2 | 2004–2015 |
2 | Demetrius Beauchamp | 2 | 4 | 0.25 | 2015 |
Justin Mana'o | 2 | 7 | 0.29 | 2011–2015 | |
Shalom Luani | 2 | 8 | 0.25 | 2011 | |
First goal
- Duane Atuelevao – 12 March 2002 vs. Tonga
Most goals in a match
- Biggest victory: 3–0 vs. Wallis and Futuna on 22 August 1983
- Heaviest defeat: 0–31 vs. Australia on 11 April 2001[32]
- Most consecutive victories: 2; achieved September 2015
- Most consecutive matches without defeats: 2; achieved November 2011 and September 2015
- Most consecutive matches without victory: 37 between 24 August 1983 and 5 September 2011
- Most consecutive matches without scoring: 7 between 27 August 2007 and 5 September 2011