A documentary that looks at Dutch coach Thomas Rongen's journey to transform the American Samoa football team (a team that had not scored a goal in four years) into a contender for World Cup qualification. With a team that included an emotionally scarred goalkeeper and the first transgender player ever to play international football, the film is an exploration of what it really means to be a winner in life.
Please tell us what you think of the film -- or Mark's review of the film below. We love to include your views on the show every Friday.
www.bbc.co.uk/5live
Fridays at 2pm on BBC 5 live.
Can't wait till this comes to Australia, proud Tongan fafa right here
Absolutely loved this film Took a while to realise it was something more than it seemed Wonderful stuff
This is a great documentary.
Couldn't agree more. Brilliant film. P.s. stick around for the wonderfuls song over the credits.
Finally caught up with this film, and it is terrific.
This and Searching for Sugarmam are my two favorite documentaries.
watching this review in 2024 after the taika film
This looks like a good watch. I wouldn't have known about it if it wasn't for the good doctor, I will seek it out and watch it. I can relate to the story, I was part of the worst team in Britain for a while. I hated losing, but I had a cracking time in the pub after a match! Maybe that's why we never won........
In case you're here thinking this is a review of the Hollywood movie, it is not, rather it's about the documentary upon which the Taika Waititi movie is based off. Watch the documentary, it packs so much more and heaps funnier than the movie.
Change your copyright graphic, btw. It's not 2013 anymore.
No
Where did Kermode grow up? How can he live in England and no know basic football rules? He must've been a tremendous movie nerd.
I grew up in England and I think he was being facetious about the scoring, but I can sympathise with why he'd do it: football is kind of shoved down your throat in this country and not everyone's into it.
I think he was being facetious - I would claim to 'not know much about football' and I think 'I know nothing about football but apparently that's a bad result' is total sarcasm.
i'm English and i love football (soccer in America) but I understand that some people in England do tend to be put off by it as football is everywhere! so people like Kermode tend to try and avoid it. what I like about Kermode though is he still praises football films like "Damned United" and "Next Goal Wins" because he thinks they are good.
I'd really love to see this film. Also, the Australian team are kind of douche-bags to pile it on like that. It's like a small kid who bullies a toddler.
Before you criticise the Socceroos you need to understand the politics and the point they were trying to make.
Steve Grey What point was that? That they were assholes?
No, that they spent a lot of money trying to create a team that would have a chance to qualify for the World Cup and then be competitive, and for their qualifying games they wree put up against Tonga (20-0) and American Samoa (31-0), wasting everyone's time and not adequately preparing them for their play-offs. If they had gone and beat them 5-0 nothing would have changed, but 31-0 was enough of a statement that their concerns were taken seriously and .they were eventually allowed to switch to the Asian Confederation where they would have decent opposition and preparation.
Steve Grey You make it sound all pre-planned. I doubt it. The players just saw a chance of racking up their goal records. Like assholes. But then, they are Australians, so....