# Nicky Salapu > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nicky_Salapu > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nicky_Salapu.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicky_Salapu > Source revision: 1352781161 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American Samoan footballer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Nicky Salapu | fullname = Nicky Vitolio Salapu | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|9|13|df=y}}{{cite web |url=https://fbref.com/en/players/0bc9f4b1/Nicky-Salapu |title=Nicky Salapu |publisher=FBRef |access-date=February 12, 2023}} | birth_place = [Pago Pago](/source/Pago_Pago), [American Samoa](/source/American_Samoa) | height = | position = [Goalkeeper](/source/Goalkeeper_(association_football)) | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 2000–2011 | clubs1 = [PanSa East](/source/PanSa_East_F.C.) | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 2011–2013 | clubs2 = [Mitra Kukar](/source/Mitra_Kukar) | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 2013–2019 | clubs3 = [PanSa East](/source/PanSa_East_FC) | caps3 = | goals3 = | years4 = 2020– | clubs4 = [Royal Puma](/source/Royal_Puma_FC) | caps4 = 2+ | goals4 = | nationalyears1 = 2001–2026 | nationalteam1 = [American Samoa](/source/American_Samoa_national_football_team) | nationalcaps1 = 24 | nationalgoals1 = 0 }} '''Nicky Vitolio Salapu''' (born 13 September 1980) is an American Samoan [footballer](/source/Association_football) who plays as a [goalkeeper](/source/Goalkeeper_(association_football)) for [ASFA Soccer League](/source/ASFA_Soccer_League) club [PanSa East](/source/PanSa_East_F.C.), which he [captains](/source/Captain), and the [American Samoa national football team](/source/American_Samoa_national_football_team). He previously played for [PanSa East](/source/PanSa_East_F.C.) from 2000 to 2011, before leaving for Indonesian side [Mitra Kukar](/source/Mitra_Kukar) in 2012. He played in American Samoa's [31–0 loss](/source/Australia_31%E2%80%930_American_Samoa) to Australia, where he was the only player from the [senior squad](/source/American_Samoa_national_football_team) remaining after the rest of the squad was ruled ineligible due to holding Samoan, rather than US, passports.{{cite web |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/australia-31-0-american-samoa-the-loneliest-game-in-history |title=Australia 31–0 American Samoa: The loneliest game in history |publisher=FourFourTwo |date=April 9, 2021 |access-date=February 16, 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://footballbh.net/2019/03/02/31-0-american-samoa-australia-famous-long-reads/ |title=31–0: The scoreline that made American Samoa famous |publisher=Football Bloody Hell |date=March 2, 2019 |access-date=February 12, 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.libertaddigital.com/deportes/futbol/2021-04-11/nicky-salapu-la-redencion-del-portero-humillado-6743741/ |title=Nicky Salapu, la redención del portero humillado |publisher=Libertad Digital |language=es |date=April 11, 2021 |access-date=February 12, 2023}} Salapu conceded a total of 91 goals in the 2002 and 2006 World Cup qualifiers,{{cite web |url=https://tonicruzprensa.com/2017/04/14/nicky-salapu-el-portero-que-mas-motivos-tuvo-para-odiar-su-trabajo-pero-que-no-lo-hizo-diainternacionaldelportero/ |title=Nicky Salapu, el portero que más motivos tuvo para odiar su trabajo (pero que no lo hizo) #Díainternacionaldelportero |publisher=Toni Cruz |date=April 14, 2017 |access-date=February 12, 2023}} while also starting in American Samoa's first ever official FIFA World Cup qualifiers win. After the game, Salapu said: "I feel like a champ right now. Finally I'm going to put the past behind me."{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/24/sports/soccer/american-samoa-winless-and-ranked-last-earns-victory-in-a-world-cup-qualifier.html|title=American Samoa, Winless and at Bottom of Rankings, Wins a World Cup Qualifier|last=Montague|first=James|work=The New York Times |date=November 23, 2011 |access-date=October 1, 2018|language=en}} His stint with the [American Samoa national team](/source/American_Samoa_national_association_football_team) was covered in the 2014 documentary ''[Next Goal Wins](/source/Next_Goal_Wins_(2014_film))'', and the 2023 biographical comedy-drama also called ''[Next Goal Wins](/source/Next_Goal_Wins_(2023_film))''. == Club career == Salapu played for [PanSa East](/source/PanSa_East_F.C.) for eleven years, beginning in 2000 and terminating in 2011. Despite rumors circulating online about Salapu joining Austrian club [SC Mauerbach](/source/SC_Mauerbach) in 2008, Salapu contradicted those claims in an interview with [Marca](/source/Marca_(newspaper)) in 2011.{{Cite web |title=Salapu: "Aquello es algo de lo que no me gusta hablar" – MARCA.com |url=https://www.marca.com/2011/04/26/futbol/futbol_internacional/1303839591.html |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=Marca}} In 2011, he went to play for [Mitra Kukar](/source/Mitra_Kukar), a club playing in the Indonesia Super League (ISL), which is a fully professional football competition as the top tier of the football league pyramid in Indonesia. Salapu returned to PanSa East in 2013. == International career == Salapu conceded 31 goals to [Australia](/source/Australia_men's_national_soccer_team) in a [2002 World Cup qualifying match](/source/Australia_31%E2%80%930_American_Samoa) on April 11, 2001, which became a world record that still stands to this day.{{Cite news|url=http://backpagefootball.com/31-0-plight-american-samoa/92410/|title=31–0 – The plight of American Samoa – Back Page Football|date=March 13, 2015|work=Back Page Football|access-date=October 1, 2018|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/finally-making-history-for-all-the-right-reasons-20111125-1nz0s.html|title=Finally making history for all the right reasons|last=Cockerill|first=Michael|date=November 25, 2011|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=October 1, 2018}} Salapu later said that he hid tears from his teammates.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68761702|title=The keeper who conceded 31 goals in a game|work=BBC Sport |date=April 16, 2024 }} In 2007, Salapu missed his flight from [Hawaii](/source/Hawaii) to the [South Pacific Games](/source/South_Pacific_Games) in Samoa. Because he could not make it on time, he was replaced by the 17-year-old Jordan Penitusi. He was not eligible to play until he arrived for the last match of [American Samoa](/source/American_Samoa_national_football_team) in the [South Pacific Games](/source/South_Pacific_Games) with [Tonga](/source/Tonga_national_football_team), but there he was an unused substitute.{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-oceania-world-idUSSP28232120070829 |title=Coach of world's worst team must grin and bear it |publisher=Reuters |author= Mark Gleeson |date=August 29, 2007 |access-date=February 12, 2023}} In November 2011, Salapu was the goalkeeper when American Samoa won its first ever full FIFA match, a 2–1 win over [Tonga](/source/Tonga_national_football_team) during the [first round of the OFC qualifiers](/source/2014_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_%E2%80%93_OFC_first_round) for the [2014 FIFA World Cup](/source/2014_FIFA_World_Cup). In 2015, he was called up as substitute goalkeeper for the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers. He represented American Samoa at the [2019 Pacific Games](/source/2019_Pacific_Games) in [Apia](/source/Apia).{{cite web |url=https://footballoceania.com/2019/07/10/interview-american-samoas-nicky-salapu-and-jaiyah-saelua-on-their-love-of-the-game/ |title=INTERVIEW: American Samoa's Nicky Salapu and Jaiyah Saelua on their love of the game |publisher=Football in Oceania |date=July 10, 2019 |access-date=February 12, 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.samoanews.com/sports/american-samoa-mens-national-team-ready-play |title=American Samoa men's National Team ready to play |publisher=Samoa News |date=July 7, 2019 |access-date=February 12, 2023}} Salapu has been selected for the American Samoan team at the [2023 Pacific Games](/source/2023_Pacific_Games) in [Honiara](/source/Honiara){{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/amsam-salapu/101753288 |title=More than 20 years after his Australian nightmare, keeper's enthusiasm for representing American Samoa shows no signs of wavering |publisher=ABC |date=December 9, 2022 |access-date=February 12, 2023}} and the [2026 FIFA Series](/source/2026_FIFA_Series_(men's_matches)) in [Puerto Rico](/source/Puerto_Rico). ==Personal life== His son Dylan is also a footballer. == Career statistics == === International === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | colspan=3 | [American Samoa](/source/American_Samoa_national_football_team){{NFT player|pid=146}} |- !Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |- |2001||4||0 |- |2002||1||0 |- |2004||4||0 |- |2011||8||0 |- |2019||5||0 |- |2024||2||0 |- |2026||0||0 |- !Total||24||0 |} ==See also== *[Next Goal Wins (2014 film)](/source/Next_Goal_Wins_(2014_film)) == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == *{{FIFA player|183115|Nicky Salapu}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Salapu, Nicky}} Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:American Samoan men's soccer players Category:American Samoa men's international soccer players Category:Men's association football goalkeepers Category:American Samoan expatriate men's soccer players Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Indonesia Category:PS Mitra Kukar players Category:Sportspeople from Pago Pago, American Samoa Category:American Samoan expatriate sportspeople in Indonesia Category:FFAS Senior League players --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nicky Salapu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicky_Salapu) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicky_Salapu?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.