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IT WILL BE NEW ZEALAND VS TAHITI FOR THE UNDER 17 CHAMPIONSHIP

Finesse was the name of game for the New Zealand Under-17 soccer team last Saturday during the Semi-Finals of the 2015 OFC Under-17 Soccer Championship at the Pago Pago Soccer Stadium.

 

A smooth game of finesse is what #1 seeded New Zealand showed when they defeated the #4 seeded Vanuatu team on Saturday. Winning Group A last week in Samoa, the defending OFC Under-17 champion New Zealand, also stood firm on defense, stopping a hard attack by the Vanuatu team who missed on crucial goal attempts.

 

Being led by goal leader Logan Rogerson who had two goals (21 and 56 minute marks), New Zealand got on the board early when James McGarry put one in at the 4 minute mark. Teammates Conner Probert (penalty kick 83 minute mark) and Sam Wilson (90 minute mark), each added one toward the end of the match as New Zealand downed Vanuatu by a score of 5-1.

 

In the second Semi-Final game Saturday, the winner of Group B — #2 seeded Tahiti, faced off against #3 New Caledonia. At the end of the first half of this match-up, it was tied at one apiece. At the start of the second half between these two evenly matched teams, Tahiti standout player Heirauaril Salem kicked in two goals at the 51st and 89th minute mark, while New Caledonia managed only one goal in the second half, as Tahiti took the 3-2 victory.

 

Monday with a scheduled starting time of 1:00 p.m. at the Pago Pago Soccer Stadium, it will be New Caledonia playing Vanuatu for the 3rd and 4th places. Following that game, New Zealand will be facing off with Tahiti in the OFC Under-17 Soccer Championship finals.

 

The Football Federation of American Samoa invites the public out to the games that are free of charge. Schedule, time and location of games are subject to change without notice.

 

The winner of the championship game will be representing the Oceania Region in the 2015 Under-17 World Cup taking place in Chile from October 17 to November 8. On-hand for the 2015 Under-17 World Cup will be a total of 24 teams from six confederations.

 

The confederations include the Asian Football Confederation (four teams), Confederation Africain de Football (four teams), Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (four teams), South American Football Confederation (four teams), Oceania Football Confederation (one team), Union of European Football Associations (six teams) and Chile (one team). Host nation automatically qualifies.

 

Keep reading Samoa News for the latest in the 2015 OFC Soccer Championship.