Black Roses striker Meleane Ioapo has inspired her team to the 2009 Football Federation of American Samoa Women’s Five-aside title with a hat-trick against Utulei Youth in the championship game on Saturday at Pago Park Soccer Stadium.
It was a closely contested match in the first half with both teams going into the break tied 1-1.
Both keepers – Fiapa’ipa’i Siatu’u of Utulei and Meleane’s older sister Filiga Ioapo of the Black Roses – were performing magnificently in the first half with Siatu’u kept particularly busy as the Black Roses dominated the attacking play.
Meleane finally broke through Siatu’u’s defense to score 10 minutes into the first half but a little later Qurina Evagelia answered for Utulei as she beat Filiga with a soft touch inside the left goal post.
In the second half Utulei suffered a setback with a penalty in the box and Ioapo stepped up to convert the spot kick for a 2-1 lead.
Just as the game was closing down the Black Rose’s sharp shooter completed her hat trick as the Black Roses finished off some unfinished business with Utulei dating back to their 2-2 draw to close out the regular season just 12 days ago.
The now completed 5-a-side competition is the second to last one of the year for the senior division as all men and women’s teams take a month and a half break while the FFAS prepares for its Summer Youth competition for children ages 6-17 starting on July 6.
In August the 11-a-side competition kicks off, the final contest for the senior division of the FFAS.
Black Roses reached the final with a default win against PanSa while Utulei Youth held off the Tafuna Jets 1 2-0 earlier in the day on Saturday, June 13.
At the end of the regular season Black Roses and Utulei Youth both finished with undefeated records. Black Roses took the top spot with a goal differential of 52-38, Utulei Youth settled into the number two spot while Jets I was seeded third and PanSa fourth for the playoffs.
Story courtesy of FFAS