By Matt Yoder (http://www.awfulannouncing.com/site/content/matt-yoder.html), Awful Announcing (http://www.awfulannouncing.com/)The island nation of Tahiti qualified for the 2013 Confederations Cup (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/football-tahiti-happy-soccers-world-stage-twice-140123403.html) by winning their first ever Oceania Nations Cup last year.
They became the first country either than Australia or New Zealand to win the competition in a historic upset. Tahiti is ranked 138th in the FIFA World Rankings, tied with Syria and just ahead of Afghanistan. They rank behind countries like Burundi, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turkmenistan, and Belize. Tahiti are 5000/1 odds to win the Confederations Cup with Japan the next closest team at 40/1. They have one, yes, one professional soccer player. (http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/june/tahiti-soccer-tweets-their-historic-confederations-cup-appearance-and-it-s-amazing.html)
Tahiti also has the best official Twitter account (http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/june/tahiti-soccer-tweets-their-historic-confederations-cup-appearance-and-it-s-amazing.html)of any national soccer team in the world. Just observe their tweets from the opening 6-1 loss to Nigeria in which Marama Vahiruau is compared to Lionel Messi and the optimistic, exuberant hashtags are aplenty...
I'm crying: The Brazilian Screaming fans: Tahiti
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346702582003163136)
Began our dream
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346703984121229312)
First chance of Tahiti! #ConfederationsCup (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ConfederationsCup&src=hash) #Dream (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Dream&src=hash)
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346704613208096768)
Goal of Nigeria! Tragedy, but Force #Tahiti (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Tahiti&src=hash)! Together we will be invincible
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346705348951945217)
Goal of Nigeria. Unfortunately're 2-0, but we will #NeverGiveUp (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NeverGiveUp&src=hash). Thanks for the messages and continue to support us
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346706878769803265)
3-0 Nigeria We #NeverGiveUp (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NeverGiveUp&src=hash)
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346710740943654912)
Almost Goal Chong Hue #GoTahiti (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoTahiti&src=hash) #NeverGiveUp (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NeverGiveUp&src=hash)
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346714704883888129)
Half Time #ConfederationsCup (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ConfederationsCup&src=hash) #Tahiti (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Tahiti&src=hash) 0 3 #Nigeria (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Nigeria&src=hash) We #NeverGiveUp (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NeverGiveUp&src=hash) #IBelieveInTahiti (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23IBelieveInTahiti&src=hash)
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346715835437555712)
@TahitiFootball (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball) it will be 4-3 at ft
— Danny Cremin (@dannybhoy96) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/dannybhoy96/statuses/346715681003278337)
Many people following us, we will try to follow back
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346716411302903808)
When Tahiti did score their historic first goal, the reaction from the Tahiti Football Twitter account invoked Lionel Messi and several jubilant hashtags:
GOAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TAHITI!!!!!!! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!! #NeverGiveUp (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NeverGiveUp&src=hash) Tehau HERO!!!!!!
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346721879190548480)
#GOTAHITI (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GOTAHITI&src=hash) #WEARETHECHAMPIONS (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WEARETHECHAMPIONS&src=hash) #IBELIEVEINTAHITI (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23IBELIEVEINTAHITI&src=hash) #TAHITSON (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TAHITSON&src=hash) #CONFEDERATIONSCUP (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23CONFEDERATIONSCUP&src=hash)
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346722347346178048)
VAHIRUA IS BETTER THAN MESSI #GoTahiti (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoTahiti&src=hash)
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346722936146780160)
This goal was not only from Tahiti! Was all Oceania countries! @OFCfootball (https://twitter.com/OFCfootball) @tuvalufriends (https://twitter.com/tuvalufriends) @Socceroos (https://twitter.com/Socceroos) @Fiji_Football (https://twitter.com/Fiji_Football) @futbolsolomon (https://twitter.com/futbolsolomon)
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346724150582312960)
Even when Nigeria kept scoring in the second half, Tahiti Football kept the faith...
Tahiti 1 Nigeria 4 Vahirua Out
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346725365688958977)
Goal Nigeria. But it will never take away our dignity, may believe that we did everything possible #IBelieveInTahiti (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23IBelieveInTahiti&src=hash)
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346727605959016448)
@TahitiFootball (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball) Gonna win 6-5...
— Gareth Barker (@garethbarker) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/garethbarker/statuses/346727743800623104)
Sixth Goal of Nigeria. But we can say that we are making history, even losing will #NeverGiveUp (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NeverGiveUp&src=hash) #IBelieveInTahiti (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23IBelieveInTahiti&src=hash)
— Tahiti Football (@TahitiFootball) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball/statuses/346728537048375296)
@TahitiFootball (https://twitter.com/TahitiFootball) #Tahiti (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Tahiti&src=hash)'s going to win 7-6 #nevergiveup (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23nevergiveup&src=hash)
— Lee Morgan (@Lee_Morgan_87) June 17, 2013 (https://twitter.com/Lee_Morgan_87/statuses/346728843782008833)
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