American Samoa endured a tough 6-0 loss to Guam in the third-place play-off of the FIFA Series held in Puerto Rico, marking their second defeat in the tournament.
Just three days after making history with their first match outside Oceania, American Samoa struggled to find their footing, conceding four goals in the first half alone.
American Samoa Thrashed 0-6 by Guam in FIFA Series Play-Off
Reunion with Familiar Foe at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium
Guam, who faced American Samoa as their inaugural international opponent outside the OFC at the 2011 Pacific Games, renewed the rivalry at the Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón.
Similar to their previous FIFA Series encounter against the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa started slowly, conceding twice within the first 13 minutes to give Guam a strong early advantage.
Ali’i Mitchell, scorer of American Samoa’s first two goals against a non-Oceania opponent in the prior match, unfortunately netted an own goal just three minutes in, opening the scoring for Guam.
Seventeen-year-old Levi Berg then struck twice, in the 13th and 35th minutes, beating goalkeeper Nicholas Tuiasosopo in one-on-one duels for his first senior international goals.
Elijah Ochoa completed the first-half barrage in the 39th minute with his debut international goal, sending Guam into halftime with a commanding 4-0 lead.
Second-Half Adjustments and Late Highlights
New head coach Diego Gomez directed his players to press higher in the second half, which limited further damage initially.
Despite efforts to create space for Mitchell up front, Guam extended their lead with goals from Alec Taitague in the 57th minute and Diego Gomez in the 86th, securing a decisive victory.
A bright spot came late with the international debut of 17-year-old Dylan Salapu, son of all-time appearance record holder and current goalkeeper coach Nicky Salapu, who entered as a substitute.
Although American Samoa departs Puerto Rico with two losses under Gomez’s early tenure, the FIFA Series offered invaluable experience playing outside Oceania and key lessons for upcoming campaigns. For the latest match updates and Resultados Futbol Hoy, stay informed on international football action.
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