OTD E0162 — 11 Apr 2001: The 31–0 Problem

11 Apr 2001: Australia beat American Samoa 31–0 in a World Cup qualifier, with Archie Thompson scoring a record 13 goals. But this episode is about more than the scoreline. It traces football’s long history of international mismatches, the bizarre qualification structures that produced April 2001’s avalanche of blowouts, Australia’s doomed OFC existence, American Samoa’s impossible circumstances, and how this match helped force the game toward more rational qualifying formats.Ideas: [email protected]