Watching some of the 2nd half Fiji verus Tahiti. Fiji up 1-0 (Krishna pen).
Only watched 10 mins, and the pitch looks a bit bumpy, but it's very dire. Neither team getting more than 3-4 passes together before just hoofing it forward, or a miracle low % pass tried. There has been at least one corner from each team not enter the field of play.
Really I think it's a total myth the Island teams are improving. Unless I'm missing some Tahiti or New Caledonia guys in France, over all the non NZ OFC teams you still have Kaltak and Krishna as the most high profile players. Le'ai who seems to have been promising for years is to play lowly NPL in South Australia.
The OFC WC qualifiers will be played predominantly in NZ later this year (Oct-Nov windows). I can see a full strength AW team in home conditions hitting double figures against some of these teams.
And really I don't see much changing in the future. Apart from PNG all the Island nations have small populations. Football ain't the main code in Fiji, Samoa & Tonga. Probably ain't in PNG (league). And despite no doubt a tonne of FIFA money coming in, they are poor and still lacking top facilities & quality coaching. Though yeah there has been a new Academy opened (with some Japanese money) in Honiara the last 12 months.
Edit - of course the OFC commentator is talking it up, but I remember the same guy calling the Women's Olympics qualifying final earlier this year. Ferns were up 4-0 or 5-0 nil at HT verus Solomons and he was saying something like SI needed to score next to have hope of a comeback blah blah blah. When it was blind Freddy obvious they were out classed and the only thing to discuss was the final Ferns winning margin.
Edit 2 - Fiji win 1-0. AWs to play Tahiti next Thursday in their semi.
Only watched 10 mins, and the pitch looks a bit bumpy, but it's very dire. Neither team getting more than 3-4 passes together before just hoofing it forward, or a miracle low % pass tried. There has been at least one corner from each team not enter the field of play.
Really I think it's a total myth the Island teams are improving. Unless I'm missing some Tahiti or New Caledonia guys in France, over all the non NZ OFC teams you still have Kaltak and Krishna as the most high profile players. Le'ai who seems to have been promising for years is to play lowly NPL in South Australia.
The OFC WC qualifiers will be played predominantly in NZ later this year (Oct-Nov windows). I can see a full strength AW team in home conditions hitting double figures against some of these teams.
And really I don't see much changing in the future. Apart from PNG all the Island nations have small populations. Football ain't the main code in Fiji, Samoa & Tonga. Probably ain't in PNG (league). And despite no doubt a tonne of FIFA money coming in, they are poor and still lacking top facilities & quality coaching. Though yeah there has been a new Academy opened (with some Japanese money) in Honiara the last 12 months.
Edit - of course the OFC commentator is talking it up, but I remember the same guy calling the Women's Olympics qualifying final earlier this year. Ferns were up 4-0 or 5-0 nil at HT verus Solomons and he was saying something like SI needed to score next to have hope of a comeback blah blah blah. When it was blind Freddy obvious they were out classed and the only thing to discuss was the final Ferns winning margin.
Edit 2 - Fiji win 1-0. AWs to play Tahiti next Thursday in their semi.