Embellishing on the real life events surrounding the American Samoa football team, ‘Next Goal Wins’ is a retelling of the football team’s struggle to overcome its history as the worst football team, known for their brutal 31-0 defeat against Australia during the 2001 FIFA qualifiers.
Picking up 10 years after the disastrous defeat, the American Samoa national team reaches out in search for a new coach. Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) a down on his luck football coach faces the option of being fired or taking on coaching the American Samoa team. Forced into the role, Rongen tries to reform the worst team of players through fitness and discipline.
Introducing the feature as a close-to-life retelling of the teams history, writer/director Taika Waititi puts his signature stamp on the feature and sets a light-hearted and jovial tone to the story. With a very self-aware and awkward board meeting, coach Rongen is sat before a panel being told he is being let go.
Handling the tougher than nails and short tempered Rongen, Fassbender showcases his ability to switch between a stern professional and oblivious wanderer as the man bumbles around the island familiarizing himself with the players and local customs. Delivering more than one well executed deadpan delivery, Fassbender handles himself well as a comedic presence, playing off of the surrounding cast members as the straight man.
Opening up more towards the conclusion of the story, Fassbender reveals the source of Rongen’s misery to stem from a tragic loss, explaining his behaviour and subsequent outbursts. Perhaps a little delayed in the story, the emotional confession does bring the team closer together, serving as the turning point for both them and Fassbender’s Rongen personally as a turning point professionally and privately.
The film makes great strides when talking about Jaiyah Saelua (Kaimana) the first openly transgender football player to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. Serving as the team’s captain, Jaiyah is shown to be the driving force behind getting the team back together and in helping Rongen rediscover his passion for the game. Going through a difficult period as she struggles with her identity and accompanying hormone therapy, the film highlights the strife Jaiyah goes through as she tries to do what’s best for her team and herself.
Capturing the well-intentioned spirit of the team, the film is very aware of its white saviour appearance, yet it does not detract from the underlying sentiment. The film’s success lies in its ability to showcase the struggle of its main players, ultimately setting them on a path of healing and guiding them in the right direction.
Even though the self-aware humour may feel a little stale after a while, particularly for those familiar with Waititi’s tone, the film successfully delivers an uplifting tale of underdogs that we’re glad to see succeed. Inspiring and humorous, ‘Next Goal Wins’ scores big when it comes to addressing grief, anger and transition even if its jokes don’t always land.
Score: 3/4
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