The tiny island of Samoa, often referred to as "Football Island" has a population of 65,000 people. This is smaller than my city of Newport Beach, a very active and athletic area that has only ...

Football's Polynesian moment: Samoa's athletic outliers are paying a steep price for their commitment to the game The things that make them so good at football also make them most vulnerable--as ...

While living in Vegas, Jean, 18, was a member of Tevakanui, a Polynesian dance group. It had been a couple of years since she danced when her cousin asked her to join Paradise of Samoa four years ago.

An American territory since 1900, Samoa was introduced to football after a wave of investment in the islands in the 1960s. Since 1971, more than 40 players born on the islands have played in the ...