#SPORTS HEAD SOCCER 2014 WORLD CUP MOVIE#

It was the first victory after 38 consecutive defeats. All the effort and teamwork put together by Rongen would pay off in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, when the American Samoa national team registered its second-ever victory against Tonga, in a match that didn't really affect FIFA or the following World Cup, but, for the American Samoa team, it was the triumph of a nation, forever changing how they perceived themselves. In this context, American Samoa brought Thomas Rongen along as the head coach starting in 2011, one decade after their infamous match against Australia. Related: Next Goal Wins Review: A Funny & Heartwarming True Story of Acceptance For them, it wasn't about making history in the World Cup, but making their own story of redemption as passionate players and a united team - they wanted to be bigger than a single match and a record-breaking loss. The truth is that everyone else moved on from that loss, except the American Samoa team. Lying at the bottom of FIFA's world rankings and losing every official match they played, it seemed to them that their team was bound to forever be the one that lost 31-0 to Australia. More than a decade later, the reputation of the American Samoa team didn't get any better.

#SPORTS HEAD SOCCER 2014 WORLD CUP MOVIE#

Waititi's movie concentrates on the relationship between Coach Rongen and his transgender star player, Jaiyah Saelua, taking drastic liberties to add hints of comedy to the story. Next Goal Wins follows the preparations of the team and their routine, as well as their performance in the FIFA qualifiers, which might not matter much to the rest of the world, but, for them, it's their ultimate chance to redeem themselves from the title of worst national football team in the world. The heart of the movie is Thomas Rongen, whose arrival brings hope to the national team as they prepare for the first round of qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The film provides context on the history of American Samoa and its connection with soccer, exploring the hardships and aspirations of a nation so far out from the rest of the world. Also titled Next Goal Wins, the documentary was directed by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison and scored big at the British Independent Film Awards by winning the Best Documentary Award.

The decision to make Next Goal Wins was risky because it consists of a fairly new story based on an acclaimed British documentary released in 2014.

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