Three teams will be fighting to keep their qualification hopes alive in today's final round of matches at the Oceania Stage 1 tournament in Nuku'alofa.
Cook Islands are in the box seat with a maximum six points following victories over Tonga and Samoa, three points clear of their nearest challengers.
Cook Islands have been in top-form during the Oceania World Cup qualifying. Photo: Oceania Football
A draw against American Samoa is enough to progress to the next qualifying round but coach Drew Sherman says they won't be taking anything for granted.
"They've certainly come a long way - we've seen them twice now. They play some good football: they look to try and play, they'll play into their centre-forward and support well and they seem well organised. It's going to be a tough game - it's certainly not one we will take for granted but listen we can match them as a football side. I'm confident in our ability to do that and the personnel that we have in the team and hopefully we can see the game through and get the win that puts us across the line. Listen, we're not going to go and play for a draw. We need to impose ourselves and go to win the game".
Samoa need a big win over Tonga in today's first match to have any hope of repeating their pre-qualifying success from four years ago.
Samoa at the Oceania Football World Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Oceania Football
Coach Phineas Young says they intend to go on the attack.
"Today it's a new day and we need to score at least four goals or more against Tonga but we're going back to our drawing board and we're going to learn from our mistakes against Cook islands. [We need to be] more aggressive - this is like the final day for them so we will throw in everything. We will have a different game plan as well and I think the boys are prepared for the game".
The winning team in the Stage 1 qualifier will advance to next year's Oceania Nations Cup.
