Intersting stuff about American Samoa

[SandraC]

Actually got this from an international soccer magazine. American Samoa is ranked 202nd and last in FIFA's soccer ranking of countries. The mens team doesn't play that often, and when they do they tend to lose badly.

Lack of facilities is a big problem, as well as funding to travel to overseas comptetitions. They team just barely playes enough games to keep a FIFA ranking at all. They were hit by a tsunami that wiped out some of the facilities they did have.

Also, the total population is only 67,000...teeny tiny when compared to most soccer playing nations...I'm surprised they can even field a team.

The real reason, of course, is that American Samoa is totally American influenced, and the best athletes play 'gridiron' football. Here is the interesting stat...and hopefully this is correct, it came from an international soccer magazine published in England...

There are currently 30 players from American Samoa playing in the NFL!!! 30!!! Wow.

Think of a town near you that has around 67,000 people...and imagine 30 people from that town CURRENTLY playing in the NFL.

Crazy.


Sandra

 

[salsadancer7]

60 Minutes did a story on this last year. Good read/video.

American Samoa: Football Island - CBS News

 

[SamCdbs]

The real reason, of course, is that American Samoa is totally American influenced, and the best athletes play 'gridiron' football. Here is the interesting stat...and hopefully this is correct, it came from an international soccer magazine published in England...

There are currently 30 players from American Samoa playing in the NFL!!! 30!!! Wow.

Think of a town near you that has around 67,000 people...and imagine 30 people from that town CURRENTLY playing in the NFL.

Any country with no use for soccer and a love of football is OK with me.

An American Samoan male has a 40 times greate likely hood of playing in the NFL than an American male of all other ethnic heritage.

Another weird thing about Samoa. It is one ethnic group, but was split east/west between the USA and Germany in 1900. The New Zealanders took over from the Germans as a result of WWI. Western Samoa was developed by them and eastern or American Samoa by us. In the "Independent State of Samoa", the former NZ posession still economically and culturally tied to New Zealand, they use the NZ education system, immigrate to NZ, speak with a vaguly British accent, etc. And play Rugby, where they likewise appear in numbers vastly disporportinal to their %ages in NZ society.

 

[Ramy]

That is a lot of players from one place for sure.