The hosts Solomon Islands were defeated 6-2 in the first half by a blitz, setting up a final match between Fiji and New Zealand on Sunday. Fiji decided to go all out offensive after the Kiwis defeated Tahiti, knowing that a draw would be enough to move on. As a result, they quickly took a 4-1 lead at the half.
One of her team’s best players in the competition, Koleta Likuculacula, scored twice in the first six minutes, the second of which was a powerful effort that struck Joyce Lekani’s net with force. The home team made a strong comeback, cutting the deficit in half a minute after giving up their second. Marley Livah scoring a goal to drive the fervent home supporters into frenzy. Jerry Sam’s Fiji team controlled the rest of the first half and will be trying to exact revenge for their group stage loss to New Zealand in the championship match.
Teenage Sisilia Tuvou Kuladina scored a third goal with a rasping long-range shot before Cema Nasau quickly counterattacked, drawing Lekani out of her line and squarely setting up Sofi Diyalowai to tuck into the open net.
Fiji will now prepare for their final match against New Zealand on Sunday, while Tahiti will play Solomon Islands in the third-place playoff that same day. Tahiti was crushed 6-1 by New Zealand in their last group stage match. With three wins from their first three games and a better goal differential than the opposition, Nic Downes’ team was mathematically guaranteed a spot in Sunday’s championship game, but they still needed a point to be definite.
Within two minutes, skipper Hannah Kraakman broke the deadlock, just as she did in the victory over the hosts Solomon Islands on Thursday. She accomplished this by receiving a through pass from Dayna Manak and scurrying the ball past Tahiti goalkeeper Corail Harry from close range. For the majority of the first twenty minutes, Tahiti’s only offensive options were long-range shots. Daniel Bradley was called upon twice, first making an easy save from Kohai Mai and then producing a more spectacular parry to deny Ninauea Hioe.
With a few minutes remaining in the first half, the Kiwis secured a vital second, and the result was another dramatic conclusion. Manak was the winner this time, blocking a long-range shot that was aimed directly in front of Harry, who was not visible. The second half had barely begun when New Zealand made the result safe. Just nine seconds were on the clock when Jemma Catherwood added a third, catching Tahiti cold from the restart.
The goalkeeper, Corail Harry, was caught in possession as she added an extra body to the midfield, and Jemma Catherwood had the easiest task of rolling the ball into an unguarded net to make it 4-0. A fifth goal followed, thanks to good hold-up play by yesterday’s Player of the Match, Libby Boobyer, with the forward laying the ball off to Jamie Evans to finish past Harry. Tahiti’s desperation to find a way back ultimately proved costly.
As the game entered its last few minutes and Tahiti pushed for a late-game consolation goal, New Zealand launched a counterattack, with Catherwood scoring her third goal of the game. When the consolation finally come, it was fitting that it came from Ninauea Hioe, Tahiti’s standout player, who dribbled her way past the New Zealand defence and then poked her shot past Hannah Hegarty, the substitute goalkeeper.
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