Next Goal Wins: Why you should check out this fabulous doco before seeing Taika’s comedy

REVIEW: Two observations about “the beautiful game” have always stuck with me, both as a keen student and fan of the sport and throughout a 40-year playing career.

One is the universally acknowledged true-ism that “football is a game of two halves”, the other former Liverpool boss Bill Shankly’s comments, made in the 1981 television interview, that “some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that”.

It’s hard not to be reminded of both while watching Next Goal Wins (now available to stream on DocPlay and Beamafilm), the 2014 documentary which inspired Taika Waititi’s dramedy of the same name which is about to be unleashed on Kiwi cinemas nationwide.

For while the main trailer for the latter makes clear the Kiwi film-maker’s take is more knockabout comedy than serious drama, Mike Brett and Steve Jamison’s cameras capture the passion and pride of those involved in American Samoan football a decade ago.

As has been well-documented, in 2001, the island nation suffered the heaviest defeat in the history of international football when they were thrashed 31-0 by the Australians in a World Cup qualifying match. More than a decade on, they were still picking up the pieces and struggling to score a goal, let alone achieve any kind of result.

Bottom of the Fifa global rankings, we join them as they prepare and participate in the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia – their first tournament in four years. It does not go well, the team conceding 26 goals without finding the net themselves in five straight losses to Fiji, Tuvalu, Guam, Vanuatu and the hosts.

“It was the most emotionally draining thing I’ve ever done,” assistant coach Larry Mana’o admits.

Keen to avoid being embarrassed during the qualifiers for the next World Cup in Brazil, American Samoan football president Tavita Taumua sought help and coaching expertise from the US Soccer Federation.The only applicant was Thomas Rongen, a Dutchman who played with Johann Cryuff at the Los Angeles Aztecs and then had mixed success as a coach in the MLS and with the US under-20 side.

As Taumua admits on camera, Rongen was initially “a difficult person to deal with”, while Rongen confesses frustration that only six or seven of the squad he had inherited were “capable of playing a half”.

While their initial clashes make for riveting viewing, it’s their compelling character and strong personalities, as well as those of squad members like veteran goalkeeper Nicky Salapu (still traumatised by THAT game) and fa’afafine Jaiyah Tauasuesimeamativa Saelua, that keep you engrossed and heavily invested in their fortunes. We learn how family tragedy keeps Rongen focused, how Salapu has dealt with his very public humiliation and how Jaiyah’s life off the field in Hawaii is very different to her experiences on the field with the team. It’s all fascinating human drama, which just makes the sporting endeavour and storytelling on display that much richer.

Which actually makes me wonder if Waititi may have missed the boat with his seemingly flippant tone – and somewhat saddened that American Samoa have seemingly gone backwards after their 2015 post-documentary high of back-to-back wins during qualification games for the 2018 World Cup.

Having not played for the past four years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors, they lost all four of their matches at last month’s Pacific Games – only scoring two goals, while conceding 31.

But while that’s deeply disappointing for football in American Samoa, it adds even more lustre and poignancy to this brilliant documentary – as well as even more reason to seek it out.

Next Goal Wins the documentary is now available to stream on DocPlay and Beamafilm. After advance previews in select cinemas this weekend, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins will screen nationwide from December 7.