Home team Substitutions 2

Away team Substitutions 3

Home team Shots on target 11

Away team Shots on target 9

Home team Shots off target 6

Away team Shots off target 5

Home team Goalkeeper saves 7

Away team Goalkeeper saves 10

Home team Corner Kicks 9

Away team Corner Kicks 6

Home team Fouls 14

Away team Fouls 12

Home team Offsides 2

Away team Offsides 3

In the OFC Nations Cup on June 22, 2024, Samoa went head to head with Papua New Guinea, ultimately losing 2-1.

Despite the loss, Samoa displayed impressive aggression during the match. They had 11 shots on target compared to Papua New Guinea's 9, a hefty amount of shots pointing towards bold offensive tactics. Yet, Papua New Guinea's goalkeeper's ability to diffuse this onslaught was outstanding with an impressive 10 saves contrasted to Samoa's 7 saves.

Interestingly, Samoa also led in corner kicks, claiming 9, compared to Papua New Guinea's 6. However, it doesn't seem like they were able to capitalize effectively on these set-piece chances, and this very different outcome could be attributed to Papua New Guinea's disciplined defense and goalkeeper performance.

Defensively, both teams adopted a gritty approach. Samoa committed a larger number of fouls at 14 compared with Papua New Guinea’s 12, which shows a slightly more aggressive defensive play from Samoa. Yet, this didn't translate into cautionary cards. Neither of the team received yellow or red cards which signify a sanctified and clean approach from both sides despite the number of committed fouls.

Papua New Guinea made 3 substitutions, one more than Samoa. An indication that Papua New Guinea was more proactive in terms of changing tactics and introducing fresh legs, which might have given them an edge in the latter stages of the match.

The offside trap seemed to be a part of both teams tactics. Samoa had 2 offsides, slightly fewer than Papua New Guinea's 3. Inefficient runs from the attacking players in both teams seem to have been the reason behind the offsides as both teams sat deep to defend.

In conclusion, despite Samoa's attacking vigor and dominance in corner kicks, their inability to convert chances combined with Papua New Guinea's effective goalkeeper saves and strategic substitutions led to their downfall in this face-off as Papua New Guinea successfully delivered a 2 goals win. This match was truly a case where stats only tell half the tale. The figures highlighted significant performances but the ultimate decider here was the efficiency in the final third and rotational changes which possibly turned the tide for Papua New Guinea.

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