This article contains spoilers for Next Goal Wins.
If a losing team makes a goal in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, does it make a sound?
In Taika Waititi’s new soccer comedy, Next Goal Wins, it does. And not only did it make a sound, it made a splash. It’s a tale of woe turned to a tale of fortune, a David and Goliath story if you will.
The New Zealand native has idiosyncratic talents as a cinematographer, such as his affinity for highlighting a group’s culture, blending quirky humour with compelling subjects, and indoctrinating a sense of innocence.
Such examples include his Oscar-award winning Jojo Rabbit, Reservation Dogs, Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, among others. In addition, he’s known for directing Marvel blockbusters Thor: Ragnarok and more recently, Thor: Love and Thunder. His latest film, Next Goal Wins, had its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 10.
Now Toronto spoke to Waititi in an interview about why he chose to take on this film and his reasoning behind its encompassing spirit.
“I wanted to tell an inspiring story. I think in the world, at the moment, there’s just too many films that are depressing. And they focus on the hardships of life and just how horrible it is to be a human and to exist right now. And there are really, a lot of great things about being on this planet and about being a person and most of my films are pretty positive…My job is to remind them that, you know, life can be beautiful,” he shared.
Inspired by the 2014 British documentary of the same name, Next Goal Wins is about the true story of the American Samoa football team and its 31-0 loss to Australia during the 2001 World Cup qualifiers, thus sealing their fate as the worst soccer team in the world.
Following years of failed attempts to secure a single goal, the team’s coach finally decides to seek new management and hires Dutch-American coach Thomas Rongen, played by Michael Fassbender, to instill much-needed motivation and discipline in the team and potentially qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Rongen is undoubtedly a disgraced soccer coach who is unable to hold down a job due to his raging anger issues, alcohol problem and complicated family matters. He takes the position to coach the American Samoa team not by choice, but by force from the American Soccer Federation. A way of giving him a chance to heal and find new direction.
Admittingly, this storyline is not exceptionally groundbreaking or in any aspect, new. In fact, it’s been told several times before through films like The Mighty Ducks, Hometeam, and even, the ever-so-popular television show Ted Lasso.
So, what makes Waititi’s version different from the rest? Where does it stand out among the, “Been there, done that” crowd? Well, compared to other films and shows where the end-goal is evident and a big win is its objective, the purpose in this particular version is simply one goal. One goal in the net.
This ambitious mission is comedically repeated to Rongen throughout the film and can be described as a desperate plea coming from Tavita (Oscar Kightley), the team’s former coach and President of the Football Federation of American Samoa (FFAS). This, in addition to his odd jobs around the island, which include being a cameraman for Who’s on the Plane (a local television station), a restaurant owner, a waiter and a taxi driver. This trend of multiple jobs is a common trait among the Pacific Island players as it is their only means of keeping the team in operation.
Though Tavita’s individual aim is a singular goal, it’s undeniable that Rongen’s is a winning team. This clash in objectives ultimately becomes a dominant dilemma between the two and it is portrayed as the film progresses. At one point, Rongen goes as far as comparing himself to God because he believes he must perform a miracle on the ailing team.
Rongen’s intense hunger to win, paired with his own personal problems, clouds his judgment at times and creates a rocky barrier between him and the players, resulting in difficulty establishing a close relationship with them. Eventually, he discovers fondness and friendship with Jaiyah Saelua (Kaimana), albeit after a physical argument regarding her gender and name, who is a female player on the team and in the process of hormone therapy. She would later become the first trans woman to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.
After a heart-to-heart talk, the two strategize a plan to improve and reshape the team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Cue the classic, inspirational montage every underdog sports story possesses where the team is hard at work undergoing persistent practices, drills, and team building exercises.
In this process, Rongen finds a connection with the team and begins to understand and embrace their cultural traditions, instead of working against it. Traditions such as singing, dancing, and the importance of prayer.
However, Rongen did not come to this breakthrough lightly. Ironically, the punchline introduced at the start of the film concerning his five stages of grief is an evident theme for the sports drama because Rongen visibly goes through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
Furthermore, among the factors this film does conscientiously is its quickness to debunk the white saviour complex, as it is made clear that the coach is the one in need of saving, despite him being convinced he needs to save the team.
“We didn’t send you there to help them. We sent you there to help you,” his ex-wife Gail (Elizabeth Moss) wisely said.
Rongen fundamentally learns that soccer is not the entirety of life and that happiness can come from the collectiveness of a team rather than the sport itself. The American coach grasped this lesson callously during the game against the Independent State of Samoa’s national team, Tonga, in the final showdown.
Unsurprisingly, the goal of the team was never to become a football powerhouse, but to solely improve by just a modicum, and be released by the shackles of the bottom ranks among other professional soccer teams.
With this said, this film showcased an inability to be anti-climatic and hit the back of the net when it comes to balancing light-hearted comedy and real-life topics, such as the struggles in the face of adversity and what it means to lose with a team, rather than in solitude. It also accurately encapsulates the all-too-familiar feeling of a fandom who continues to root for a team that routinely disappoints them (New York Knicks, I’m looking at you).
Through the bonds of teammates and the acceptance of loss, Rongen finally recognizes the value in failing and the precious peace it comes with. At the end of the day, it’s not about the wins but how you handle the losses that matters.
Searchlight Pictures is set to release Next Goal Wins in theatres on Nov. 17.
