Its Latin Touch

"Le Football" Keeps

With only fair weather and

ground conditions, soccer stan

dards didn’t measure up to those seen at the Noumea Games. The New Caledonian and French Polynesian teams were in a class of their own, with better team

work, experience and adaptation

to the conditions.

Both played expert penetrating games and could afford to use their reserve players and still romp home against Fiji, NG, the BSIP and the New Hebrides. The Polynesians played a more cautious game while the New Caledonians stood out in attack —they beat Fiji 11-0,

Erratic in goal

New Guinea showed the biggest improvement of the losers and Fiji was erratic with poor goalkeeping.

The BSIP, which registered an early draw against New Caledonia when the Caledonians had seven reserves in their team, was injury-prone and could possibly have done better if they had had a greater number of reserves.

New Hebrides simply didn’t click; individual efforts were good but team work was non-existent.

Like the Solomon Islanders, the Polynesians were later dogged with injuries. Expertise, however, still got them home.

With strong winds, players had to keep the ball as low as possible. Pos

session was easily lost whole move ments collapsed and the tide turned downfield in seconds with the high ball. Only the French mastered this factor and when they slipped, their ““llcm goalkeepers rarely let a ball Islands soccer is firmly in French hands and it may remain so. But New Guinea or the BSIP can im prove, provided their teams get regular competition.

• Seconds after the end of an ex citing 10,000 metres race the three medallists (left to right), Nauru's Robbie Morgan-Morris (3rd), Fiji's Sotutu (Ist) and P NG's big surprise Phillip John (2nd) (who pipped Morris for the silver medal in a photo-finish).