Based on a documentary, Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins is an underdog sports movie about the American Samoa soccer team. What really happened?
Taika Waititi’s sports comedy, Next Goal Wins, is based on the true underdog story of the American Samoa national football team and one coach’s triumphant efforts to lead them to victory in a World Cup qualifying match. Waititi co-wrote the screenplay with The Inbetweeners co-creator Iain Morris, chronicling Dutch-American football coach Thomas Rongen’s tenure at the American Samoa national team.
FIFA threw Lui the unexpected curveball that every player he picked for Oceania’s first-round, five-team World Cup qualification tournament in Australia had to carry a valid U.S. passport, which significantly limited his options. Lui found that 19 of the 20 players he had chosen would be ineligible. Some of the players in American Samoa’s revised line-up had never played a full 90-minute football match in their lives.
Rongen began his football career as a player in the 1970s. He briefly played as a defensive midfielder and defender at Ajax in his native Netherlands before moving to the United States, where he played alongside fellow Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff and Manchester United’s George Best at the Los Angeles Aztecs. He began his coaching career as an assistant with the Pope John Paul II High School boys’ team in 1984.
Jaiyah Saelua Is The First Transgender Player To Compete In A World Cup Qualifier One of the most renowned players on the American Samoa national team is its center back, Jaiyah Saelua. Saelua identifies as faʻafafine, a non-binary gender in Samoan culture, and gained recognition as the first transgender player to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A's Set Record for Starters Not Getting Wins to Begin SeasonJeurys Familia gave up a one-run lead in the ninth for Oakland and Cincinnati's Jake Fraley hit a broken-bat double to give the Reds a 3-2 win over the Athletics.
Read more »
San Antonio FC settles for another draw at home against Las Vegas Lights FCChristian Parano's game-tying goal preserves San Antonio FC's 23-game unbeaten streak at Toyota Field in a 1-1 draw with Las Vegas Lights FC
Read more »
Kailer Yamamoto scores late goal as Oilers KO KingsEditorsNote: Minor rewording in lede and 4th graf; changed to 'goal' in 5th graf; added 'Leon' in 9th graf;
Read more »
Pete Alonso’s production has direct impact on Mets’ wins and lossesIf there were any doubt regarding how much the Mets have relied on Pete Alonso’s bat, it was erased during their recent four-game losing streak.
Read more »