“I can’t win.”
“Then lose. But don’t lose alone, lose with us.”
Inspirational, a bit cliché, and definitely something different, “Next Goal Wins” tells a story of hope and chosen family. The actual movie, however, wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.
I walked into the theater with high expectations and got something quite underwhelming. What I thought was going to be a comedy full of new ideas, was actually just your classic story of a bad guy turned good — and even that plot was barely covered.
Michael Fassbender plays Thomas Rongen, the bad-tempered, unlucky soccer coach who is forced to coach a hopeless team. “Next Goal Wins” is based on a true story about the worst soccer team to ever exist on the world stage — the national team of American Samoa.
The film highlights an especially bad day in its playing history, when it lost, 31-0, against Australia, which actually happened in real life. But then comes Rongen to save the day. With a rough start, but a successful end, he turns the team around to score its first ever goal. And as you may have guessed, it all works out in the end.
A very simple idea, one that makes sense to implement in all movies, is to finish every story. Unfortunately for “Next Goal Wins,” this didn’t happen. One example of this is the relationship between Thomas and his ex-wife Gail. From the very beginning, we can see that he is hung up on her, even though she has already moved on. But in the end, it doesn’t seem like he has improved at all. In one of the final scenes, we can see him wishfully looking up at her while she kisses another man. This part feels . . . unfinished. While everything about “Next Goal Wins” is something I’ve already seen, they could’ve at least finished what they started.
The entire movie is filled with many cliché moments that aren’t for everyone, and jokes that seem out of place, but one thing that did take me back from bad opinions is the inclusivity that was put into it. The effort they put into combining the many parts of being human was certainly evident. The topics discussed ranged from race and gender to religion and community.
Kaimana plays Jaiyah, one of the main soccer players on the team. Above everyone else, she deserved this film. Not only are her thoughts and feelings highlighted as a trans woman, but also her real-life accomplishments. Jaiyah is the first openly transgender soccer player to play in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament, and she is a global representative of the LGBTQ+ community. She has now gone on to become a soccer coach, an online influencer, and still plays on teams. If you’re going to watch “Next Goal Wins,” watch it for her.
If you’ve ever seen “Ted Lasso,” think of “Next Goal Wins” as a less glorified version of the show. If you’re really craving something about soccer, I would definitely recommend “Ted Lasso” rather than “Next Goal Wins.” There is, however, an earlier documentary on the same team of American Samoa, that is also called “Next Goal Wins.” This version of the story is more accurate, and is much more worthy of your time.
With some good qualities, and a lot of weird moments, overall, I wouldn’t watch it again. While it did have a few good jokes, good comedy doesn’t mean sprinkling a couple of funny sentences here and there. If you’re someone who loves overused inspirational speeches and awkward family relationships, go for it. Otherwise, you won’t be sad if you pass up your shot to see “Next Goal Wins.”
–Nov. 22, 2023–
