Pacific

Sport: Fijian footballers thrash Micronesia 38-0

07:46 am on 6 July 2015

The Fijian football team has destroyed Micronesia by a Pacific Games record score of 38-nil to kick start their campaign.

Fiji line-up before taking on the Wellington Phoenix. Photo: Fiji FA Media

Micronesia were five down after five minutes, and their day didn't get any better as Fiji walked in 21 goals in the first half, and 17 in the second.

Despite the embarrasing scoreline, the 500-strong crowd in Papua New Guinea cheered Micronesia on the whole game.

Elsewhere, Tahiti edged Vanuatu 2-1 in pool A, and New Caledonia sealed their place in the semi-finals with a wins over the Solomon Islands.

The Papua New Guinea Under 23 football team were left ruing missed opportunities in their 1-0 defeat to New Zealand.

For large parts of the fiery encounter in Port Moresby the home side dominated their more-fancied opponents, with the Olywhites unable to play their preferred passing game.

PNG remain winless after two matches but head coach Ricki Herbert said they were unlucky.

"I think we were the better team and we should have won today. They were very direct which was surprising, given the template that I keep reading [about], and we just had to cope with it," he said.

"I thought the boys were excellent today. If we had a little chink in our armour I thought it would be defending and dealing with those high balls but, apart from a goalkeeping mistake, I think they had one shot.

"I'm delighted, I'm really proud for these boys and look out [Oceania] Nations Cup time - I think we're going to have a very strong team."