Tahiti stunned previously unbeaten Solomon Islands to reach the Final of the OFC Men’s under-19 Championship and qualify for the FIFA under-20 World Cup after a 2-1 win in their semi-final match at Football HQ in Apia, Samoa.

Second half goals from Bradley Ruiz and Herehei Teaha proved the difference as Tahiti rode an early Solomon Islands storm in each half to make the Final and book their ticket to next year’s FIFA showpiece.

Solomon Islands, who had won all three group games, fired the first shots in anger and might have taken the lead in the ninth minute but saw Kennedy Shiu blaze an opportunity over the crossbar after Wilkenson Siosi had been denied by a point-blank save from Tahitian goalkeeper Tokihi Tahutini.

Tahiti’s response saw a string of corners cause havoc in the Solomon Islands penalty area, while a shot from Oguen Teanihi flashed just ever the crossbar. Indeed, Tahiti should have been ahead just past the half-hour as Kali Lenoir stole in unopposed inside the box to volley a cross over the bar of a gaping goal.

Solomon Islands lost goalkeeper Jaron Faiga just before half-time, the custodian being replaced by Peter Mautoa, the second Solomon’s player forced to leave the action in the opening half following the withdrawal of Carlwin Wane after only nineteen minutes.

The second half began in much the same vein as the first, Solomon Islands’ Shiu testing the reactions of Tahutini who pulled off a remarkable one-handed save from a fiercely struck shot from the top of the penalty area.

As the pressure ramped up, Ruiz denied Solomon Islands a certain goal on the hour mark, the defender making a desperate clearance from in front of Siosi who seemed certain to tap into the empty net after a slaloming run from Jayroll Patty saw him drift around a covering defender and the ‘keeper.

Incredibly, Ruiz then made the difference at the other end. Awarded an indirect free-kick from a back pass that was collected by Mautoa in the Solomon Islands goal, the ball was tapped to Ruiz who thundered a low finish past a cluster of defensive shirts and into the net.

With the carrot of World Cup qualification dangling in front of them Tahiti visibly lifted and doubled their lead with ten minutes remaining. Keahinui Brown roasted his marker down the right flank and kept his composure to slide a square pass in front of goal for Teaha to sweep gleefully past Mautoa and seal the result.

Shiu pulled one back for the Solomon Islands two minutes into stoppage time with a blistering drive, but it was too late to affect the outcome as Tahiti held on to progress.

STATISTICS
Semi-Final

Solomon Islands: 1 (Kennedy SHIU 90+2’)

Tahiti: 2 (Bradley RUIZ 61’, Herehei TEAHA 80’)

HT: 0-0

Photo Credit: OFC Media via Phototek