Posted on: Thursday, April 12, 2001

Australia scores 31 or 32 goals in soccer rout

Associated Press

COFFS HARBOUR, Australia — Australia's soccer team set a world record for scoring yesterday, and striker Archie Thompson had the most goals for one player in one game.

What's unclear, though, is what those record totals are.

The scorekeeper might have lost count during Australia's victory over American Samoa in a 2002 World Cup qualifying match.

The score was either 31-0 or 32-0, and Thompson alone scored 13 or 14 goals.

FIFA, the sport's world governing body, is waiting for the referee's official report to determine what the new entries in the record book should say.

Either way, Australia would break its own mark established Monday in a 22-0 win over Tonga.

Thompson broke a 93-year-old FIFA record. Denmark's Spohus Nielson scored 10 goals against France in the 1908 Olympics.

"Breaking the world record is a dream come true — that sort of thing doesn't come along every day," said Thompson, who scored eight goals in the first half as Australia took a 16-0 lead. "But you have to look at the teams we are playing and start asking questions. We don't need to play these games."