In a series of matches leading up to the Games’ official opening ceremony, 23 goals were scored and, remarkably, the losing team failed to get on the scoresheet in any of the five games.
The play began in the high-scoring manner that would prove a constant when Tuvalu, written off as minnows by some, showed they would be no easy beats with a 4-0 win over American Samoa. Papua New Guinea then swept aside Cook Islands 4-0 before Solomon Islands produced the day’s most eye-catching result, a 7-0 humbling of non-OFC member Guam.
There was still time for eight more goals in the afternoon as hosts New Caledonia put five past Vanuatu and Fiji had few problems in beating Tahiti 3-0.
The most impressive showings were undoubtedly those of Solomon Islands and New Caledonia though and their Group A rivals will now harbour serious concerns about their own semi-final chances. As hosts and defending champions, the home side was expected to begin strongly but even they would have been surprised by the nature of their win over Vanuatu, a country renowned for producing some of Oceania’s top footballing talent.
Vanuatu are missing several of their more experienced campaigners for this event and New Caledonia took full advantage of their absence with a fine attacking display. George Gope-Fenepej led the way for the Cagous with a hat-trick while Marius Bako and Cesar Lolohea also found the net, the latter even being afforded the luxury of missing a twice-taken penalty.
Little was known about Guam coming into the tournament but Solomon Islands did not let that unfamiliarity breed fear and underlined their title credentials in style. Talismen Benjamin Totori and Henry Fa’arodo showed with they are so revered in their homeland by notching a hat-trick and double respectively while Joses Nawo and Ian Paia completed the scoring.
The day’s third-highest scorers Tuvalu, so often the underdogs at tournaments such as these, hinted that an upturn in the nation’s footballing fortunes may be in store with their 4-0 victory at the expense of American Samoa, who will be disappointed to have lost a match they felt capable of taking three points from.
Skilful striker Alopua Petoa wrote himself into the records book by scoring his country’s first ever international hat-trick and Lutelu Tiute also struck as Tuvalu posted just the fourth victory of their history and the largest so far.
There were no such records broken in Fiji’s straightforward win over Tahiti but the victors won’t be complaining after scoring three and keeping a clean sheet. Taniela Waqa and Seveci Rokotakala did the damage while Tahiti didn’t help their cause when the unfortunate Tauraa Marmouyet put through his own net.
The men’s tournament now takes a break for two days before the action gets going again on Tuesday.