The story at the center of sports doc Next Goal Wins is classic underdog material: American Samoa’s national football (soccer) team is notorious for suffering one of the worst losses in the history of the sport, losing to Australia 31-0 in 2001. The failure haunted the team for years, particularly their emotionally scarred goalie, Nicky, who’s watched the ball whoosh by him and into the net so many times (including those embarrassing 31 points) it torments him daily. Filmmakers Mike Brett and Steve Jamison follow the team (ranked as the worst team in the world by FIFA for years) as they give their mind, body, and spirit to trek down the path of redemption with the lofty goal of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Any filmmaker with a decent skill set could fashion a good movie out of this stuff with minimal effort; the story is remarkable in itself, basically tailor-made for the sports doc format. But Brett and Jamison go above and beyond, crafting an uplifting, stirring film that does the team justice. The players give their heart and soul on the field, and Brett and Jamison give their heart and soul behind the camera and in the editing room.

Nicky, who still plays on the team more than a decade after the brutal loss to Australia, hasn’t improved much as a player since; the team is still on an epic losing streak, after all. But his ability to recognize his shortcomings and use his past failures as motivation makes him an inspiration to the younger players on the team. Despite his undying spirit, he’s getting older, and he’s got a family in Seattle who needs him. In 2011, Nicky retired from the sport with the burden of his terrible performances weighing heavy on his shoulders.

Identifying as Samoa’s third gender, Fa’afafine, Jaiyah Saelua is the unofficial beating heart of the team. “I walk feminine, I do feminine things…but as soon as the whistle blows, I turn all of that off.” The Samoan community genuinely accepts transgender people unlike most Western cultures, and it’s heartwarming to see how warm and effortlessly indiscriminate she’s treated by her teammates.

Though the team isn’t lacking in drive or passion, they sorely lack the skills to make them competitive on the international level. To help the team get their game up to par, the United States Soccer Federation send a savior; an experienced, hard-nosed Dutchman named Thomas Rongen (he was the only applicant to respond to a help-wanted ad).

At first a bullheaded taskmaster who finds the Samoan community’s laid-back lifestyle a detriment to quality training, he slowly but surely loosens up, soaking in the beauty of island life. He’s amazed at the fact that most of the players practice football on their free time, as they go to multiple jobs throughout the day and night. “Show me how to fight. I’ll show you how to win,” Rongen pleads with his troops in a motivational speech.

Once he and the team get comfortable with each other, he shares with them that he and his wife lost their daughter at 18. He urges the players (some of whom are as old as his daughter was when she died) to make the most of every minute, a beautiful scene that’s the hallmark of countless sports movies, but is as stirring here as any.

Rongen and the team, now well-trained, pumped up, and anxious to redeem themselves and represent their country well, take the field in a series of World Cup qualifying matches, captured beautifully by the directors. The matches are incredibly tense and entertaining, and look as slick as a narrative sports production. In fact, the whole movie looks incredibly cinematic, with the filmmakers capturing the serenity of the island and the spirituality it inspires in all its inhabitants.

After calling it quits, Nicky is convinced by coach Rongen to return to the team and play in the qualifying matches. The fact that the players (particularly Jaiyah, who emerges as a star) are leaving their blood and guts on the field to honor their country is rousing enough, but the added element of Nicky fighting to prove once and for all that he isn’t a loser with all his might makes the third act of the film simply electric. Next Goal Wins is a shining example of how sports aren’t simply about competition and domination, but about camaraderie, self-discovery, and love.

Next Goal Wins trailer

Set in the streets of Havana (though it was filmed in Puerto Rico), Antonio Hens’ The Last Match is a seamlessly plotted story of two young men who develop a lust for one another, despite both being involved in long-term, heterosexual relationships prior. There’s a lot to be desired when it comes to Hens’ style,  and in terms of exploring the shaky dynamic between closeted males and their macho, agro father figures, it feels like we’ve been down this road before. But the story is affecting nonetheless, with a fine cast that sells the drama and keeps it engaging from start to finish. There’s nary a wasted moment, and though Hens’ take on the subject matter is somewhat unremarkable, the storytelling is rock-solid. The film opens in Landmark Theaters this Friday in San Francisco and Miami.

Yosvani’s (Milton Garcia) living situation is pretty sweet: he lives with his fiancee Gema (Beatriz Mendez) and her father, Silvano (Luis Alberto Garcia) free of rent, a far cry from his soccer team friend, Rei (Reinier Diaz), an essentially destitute, handsome fellow who lives with his wife (Jenifer Rodriguez) and her badgering mother (Mirtha Ibarra). Rei scrounges for cash by selling his body to tourists late at night (an endeavor unsettlingly encouraged by his mother-in-law), while Yosvani lives ever under the thumb of the imposing tough-guy Silvano, who deals in the black market. Disenchanted with their home lives, it begins to dawn on them that they’re much happier when they’re around each other, at soccer practice or at the local discotheque. After a late night at the club, they share a kiss as Ysovani drops Rei off at his doorstep, eliciting both confusion and curiosity in the inexperienced Ysovani.

With romance awakened, Rei and Yosvani duck into bathrooms and rooftops to make love, keeping their affair secret from not only their significant others, but from their abrasive in-laws, particularly Silvano, who’s liable to react destructively should he find them out. Rei’s soccer skills land him a shot at competing at a pro level which, like almost every other aspect of his life, doesn’t jibe with his relationship with Yosvani. When Rei’s night prospects dry up, he’s digs himself into debt with the suspicious Silvano (of all people), which puts he and Yosvani in a precarious position that escalates into dangerous territory.

The way Yosvani’s attraction evolves into a sort of possessive obsession is delivered well by Garcia, who hits every beat with precision. Diaz isn’t as charming as he is good-looking, but he plays well off of Garcia and exudes subtle sensuality as opposed to broad sexuality. The sex scenes are tasteful yet realistic, and Hens handles every scene with the same measure of authenticity and respect.

In fact, the entire production feels pitch-perfect, from the pacing, to the photography, to the acting, to the writing. Everything serves the story well, but therein lies the problem: the story and its themes (forbidden love, desperation, broken dreams) feel too familiar to be memorable. It all feels a little safe, like Hens was afraid to take any risks. Aside from a pulse-pounding, skillfully staged home invasion sequence and an odd final image, it’s hard to think of any moments that are uniquely stimulating or extraordinary. This may be a case of a filmmaker showing too much restraint for his own good, but The Last Match is nevertheless crafted with care and consistently interesting, which is more than respectable.