LAUTOKA – Solomon Islands will discover if it’s Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Men’s Olympic Football Tournament hopes are the real deal tomorrow when it faces a Vanuatu team desperately seeking a win.
Solomon Islands has made light work of tournament minnows Cook Islands (11-0) and Papua New Guinea (6-1) but faces its first real test against Philemon John’s Vanuatu side that lost a bruising match with favourites New Zealand (0-2) on Monday.
Vanuatu must defeat Solomon Islands to retain any chance of qualifying for the Beijing Olympics – if Solomon Islands lose, then the Road to Beijing will beckon for Stu Jacobs New Zealand side.
A draw would almost certainly spell the end of the tournament for both teams unless Luke Eroi’s Solympics team beat New Zealand on Match Day 4.
Waitakere United striker Benjamin Totori has been in red-hot form helping himself to eight goals in just two matches and he will likely be a marked man as Vanuatu seek to keep its Olympic hopes alive.
Alick Maemae, Joses Nawo and Joachim Rande have also looked the part for Eroi but whether or not Solomon Islands defence can keep tabs on Jeffry Nimanian and Joseph Namariau remains to be seen.
Cook Islands coach Tim Jerks will be hoping his team can bounce back from its 11-0 defeat to Solomon Islands to test a Fiji team desperate for goals.
Tall midfielder Tuka Tisam was withdrawn early in the first-half against Solomon Islands and if he remains on the injured list, Match Day 3 could prove to be yet another protracted affair for Cook Islands.
Goalkeeper Remi Wearing will have to marshal his defence diligently as Juan Carlos Buzzetti’s team seeks to atone for its profligacy in front of goal against Papua New Guinea.
Buzzetti described his team’s last performance as no more than “satisfactory” after watching Osea Vakatalesau and Maciu Dunadamu miss a series of gilt-edged chances against Papua New Guinea.
Fiji’s only hope of qualifying for Beijing now is to win all its remaining matches by wide margins and hope both New Zealand and Solomon Islands drop points. The loss of form of Osea Vakatalesau has been noticeable but without the lanky Fijian striker in the starting eleven, Fiji lack a physical presence in the top third.
New Zealand will face Papua New Guinea without Dan Keat after the former New Zealand U-20 captain was sent off after an altercation with Vanuatu’s Spencer Noal on Monday. Steven Old’s injury looks uncertain to mend in time with Stu Jacobs hinting that key players will be rested ahead of the looming showdown with Solomon Islands.
Despite the loss of Dan Keat, the form guide suggests New Zealand should win comfortably against George Cowie’s team. Costa Barbarouses, Cole Peverley and Jacob Spoonley have all been in excellent form.
New Zealand’s accumulated international experience in 2007 at various FIFA age-group tournaments is beginning to shine through with players such as Phil Edginton – a defender who played all three matches at the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup – Canada 2007 – unable to get a start in the Oly-Whites.
Cole Tinkler – a former New Zealand Knights player with A-League experience – is another that has been benched so far.
Despite New Zealand’s strength-in-depth, Papua New Guinea has looked a capable and exciting team when going forward through the likes of Samuel Kini and David Muta.
Tomorrow would be the ideal time for Papua New Guinea to discover some type of defensive cohesion but that could be asking too much from a team whose natural inclination appears to be to pour forward in attack at every opportunity with nominal regard for tracking back.
Niel Hans is another player that has shown glimpses of ability but he will have his work cut out against a New Zealand defence that has so far looked rock solid.
Match Day 3
OFC Men’s Olympic Football Tournament
14H30 Fiji vs. Cook Islands (Delayed Television Coverage – Fiji 1) 22H30 (Fiji Time)
17H00 Papua New Guinea vs. New Zealand
19H30 Solomon Islands vs. Vanuatu
Internet
Live updates from www.oceaniafootball.com
