A comfortable 3-0 win over Cook Islands sees Samoa keep progression to the knockout stages in sight.
Both coaches made a number of changes to their starting XIs after the opening game. Juan Chang Urrea made five, with second half goalkeeper Xeyana Salanoa replacing Kamy Anaya, and Lianna Soifua, Lilly Dowsing, Mia Afoa and Brianna Kitiona starting in place of Alisa Tuatagaloa, Sarah Taeaoalii, Gracie Va’afusuaga and Alexandrea Ape-Paia. Angela Wallbank, meanwhile, started Te Upoko Tuariki, Ngamata Moekaa, and Claudean Robati in place of Penina Katuke, Teretia Teinaki, and Lee Maoate-Cox.
Buoyed by their late showing against holders Papua New Guinea on matchday one, Samoa picked up where they left off making the early running, calling Cook Islands shotstopper Courtney Napa into action with a couple of straightforward saves.
The Samoan dominance was a sign of things to come, and they opened the scoring through Xevani Salanoa in the third minute. Oteta Kitiona pounced on a poorly controlled ball and laid off to the matchday one goalscorer to unleash a rocket of a shot past an outstretched Napa.
Nine minutes later Samoa doubled their lead. Lilly Dowsing, in her first start of the tournament, received the crossfield ball in acres of space, and had the time to pick her spot tom thump the ball past an outstretched Courtney Napa.
Shortly before the cooling break, Samoa were forced into an early change after goalscorer Salanoa was injured in a collision with Napa.
Samoa added a third 13 minutes after the restart, with half time substitute Monique Fischer combining with Arianna Skeers to put the game beyond doubt with a sharp finish.
Cook Islands searched in vain for a way back into the game, with Ally Toailoa in particular toiling hard in midfield, they but were unable to breach the Xeyana Salanoa-marshalled defence. They will need to find a result against reigning champions Papua New Guinea in their final Group A game to stand any chance of making the knockout rounds for a second successive OFC Women’s Nations Cup.
HT: 0-2
Cook Islands: 0
Samoa: 3 (Xevani SALANOA 3’; Lilly DOWSING 12’; Monique FISCHER 58’)
Photo credit OFC Media via Phototek