COFFS HARBOUR, Australia -- Australia
scored the most comprehensive victory in the history of soccer
internationals on Monday when they beat Tonga 22-0 in Oceania's
first round of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup finals.
Striker John Aloisi of English premier league club Coventry
City scored six goals -- a double hat-trick.
A spokesman for FIFA, world soccer's ruling body, said the
previous record victory in an international was Kuwait's 20-0
defeat of Bhutan in an Asian Cup qualifier in 2000.
The previous record for a World Cup qualifier was held by
Iran who beat Guam 19-0 in Asia's first round of World Cup
qualifying in Tehran last October.
The FIFA spokesman said there were "rumours" that Libya had
beaten Oman 21-0 in an international in 1966 but this was
unconfirmed.
Australia coach Frank Farina said: "Oceania have to
seriously look at the format.
"We had nothing to gain from it and they had nothing to gain
from it either -- it was embarrassing, no-one was a winner."
Farina said he did not care if managers of European-based
players screamed about losing their players to such a lopsided
tournament, whatever the result, because it was the World Cup.
Tonga coach Gary Phillips complained about Australia
bringing in players from overseas for their first international
against Tonga, the 185th-ranked soccer nation in the world.
"I do not see the point of some of these superstars coming
back for this," Phillips said.
Scott Chipperfield, who hit the first goal in the third
minute, struck again seven minutes from time to make the score
20-0 and set a record score for a World Cup qualifier.
Australia, ranked 75th by FIFA and without an appearance at
the World Cup finals since 1974, scored again in the 87th minute
and a minute into injury time to win 22-0 after leading 10-0 at
halftime.
In Monday's second match, Samoa beat American Samoa 8-0.
Richmond Faaisuaso scored four goals for Samoa, three in the
second half, after they led 3-0 at halftime with the help of an
own goal.
On Wednesday, Samoa play Fiji and Australia will search for
a new record against American Samoa who are ranked as the worst
team in the world by FIFA in 203rd place.
Fiji beat American Samoa 13-0 on Saturday, indicating
Australia will post a high score.
Australia's 21st goal against Tonga was scored by substitute
Con Boutsianis, who was fined last week and placed on a two-year
good behaviour bond after admitting his role in a 1998 armed
robbery.
Most of Australia's leading players including strikers Harry
Kewell and Mark Viduka of Leeds United and Australian captain
Paul Okon, a midfielder with Middlesborough, were unavailable
for the group one qualifiers.
The winners of Oceania zone group one meet the winners of
group two in a two-legged playoff in June.
The winners of that match face another playoff in November
against the fifth-placed team in the South American qualifying
group for a place in next year's finals in Japan and South
Korea.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights
reserved. Republication or
redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior
written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or
delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.