OFC Pro League: Tahiti United 1-2 South Melbourne – Match Recap, Highlights & Standings

In the Polynesian team's debut match, the Australian team, making its OFC competition debut, came out on top.

Writer by Sports & News Continental | From New Zealand, OFC

The South Melbourne team, even though they are in the Australian Second Division, came into this match as heavy favorites, especially considering it was Tahiti United's debut as a club.

The first half for the team coached by former Tahiti national team coach Samuel Garcia was characterized by a well-organized strategy, waiting for the opponent in their own half. As they headed towards an equalizer, young Manuarii Shan scored in the 35th minute.

The Melbourne team, which recently changed coaches after being led by an Argentinian since 2019, started the second half 'spitting fire' and equalized early on with a goal from Japanese player Uchida. The pressure only increased against the Tahiti team until the end of the game, when Mesourouni scored the winning goal for the Australians in stoppage time.

Tahiti United's debut was satisfactory given the current context, and more is expected against teams of the same or lower level, while the invited Australian team has good expectations of advancing in the competition.