COFFS HARBOUR, Australia -- Australia
thrashed Samoa 11-0 on Monday to finish top of their Oceania
World Cup qualifying group with a clean sheet and a total of 66
goals from four games.
Fiji finished second in the standings after beating Tonga
8-1 in the final game of the five-team round-robin group, which
has been widely ridiculed because of the one-sided matches.
Australia, who averaged 16.5 goals per match or one every
five and a half minutes, will meet the winner of Oceania group
two in a two-leg play-off in June.
That group will be played in New Zealand earlier in June and
will feature the host nation, Cook Islands, Tahiti, Vanuatu and
Solomon Islands.
The Oceania champions will then play the fifth-placed South
American team in a two-leg play-off in November for a place in
the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea.
Australia began slowly against Samoa, leading 3-0 at
halftime before adding another eight goals in the second period.
Aurelio Vidmar, David Zdrilic, Tony Popovic and Archie
Thompson all scored two goals each while Hayden Foxe and Scott
Chipperfield netted one apiece. Australia's other was an own
goal by Samoan defender Philipo Bureta.
"It took us a little while to get going, but the second half
was very pleasing," Australia coach Frank Farina said.
"While the first half was a little flat, in the second half
the boys came out and did a good job."
Vidmar opened the scoring in the fifth minute but the
avalanche of goals expected following Australia's 22-0 win over
Tonga and 31-0 rout of American Samoa last week, never happened.
"It was difficult psychologically, but in the end, we still
had a job to do," Australian captain Kevin Muscat said.
"We weren't happy with the way we were playing in the first
half. We weren't happy with the distribution and we didn't
create enough chances, in the second half, I think we put that
right."
"We were fortunate enough to go through without conceding a
goal," added Muscat, who plays for English club Wolverhampton
Wanderers.
Fiji thrashes Tonga behind Masi's five goals
In the group's other match on Monday, Esala Masi scored five
goals in Fiji's 8-1 win over Tonga.
Masi completed a first half hat-trick to help the Fijians to
a 4-0 lead at the break after Jope Namawa Leka opened the
scoring in the fourth minute.
Masi grabbed a fourth shortly after the re-start. Leone
Vurukania and Valerio Nasema added goals shortly after to
stretch the lead to 7-0 with almost half an hour to go.
Tonga pulled one back when Filisione Taufahema found the net
in the 78th minute before Masi collected his fifth seconds
before the final whistle.
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