Former Nadi and Nasinu rep Benjamin Totori has created history by becoming the first Solomon Islander to break into the lucrative American soccer league.

The Waitakere striker has signed a professional contract with the Portland Timbers in the United Soccer League (USL), pending international clearance.

The Timbers play in the USL First Division, the second tier of professional football in the United States.
He is expected to join his new club after the O’ League matches in Honiara on April 26 and May 11th Auckland.

Totori, 22, made his Solomon Islands National Team debut in 2007 with four goals in five 2010 World Cup qualification matches.

Recently, Totori competed with the Solomon Islands U-23 National Team during the Oceania Football Confederation’s 2008 Olympic qualification tournament in March.

In five games, Totori scored 10 goals to earn the tournament’s Golden Boot Award and helped the Solomon Islands finish second in the tournament. Totori has been a member of the Solomon Islands National Team pool since he was 15.

This season with Waitakere United, Totori has scored 10 goals in 18 matches to help the club maintain its first-place position in the NZFC.

His 10 goals rank among league leaders in scoring, and he is currently third in the race for NZFC’s Golden Boot Award – annually given to the league’s leading scorer.

Totori began his professional career in New Zealand with Youngheart Manawatu in 2005-06, and was named the club’s Rookie of the Year.

With Totori, the Timbers now have 23 signed players entering the 2008 season.

Totori’s break into the United States soccer market has been described as milestone by SIFF President Martin Alufurai.

An elated Alufurai could not hide his feelings saying Totori’s achievement was befitting for someone who works hard for it.

“We have been waiting for this for a long time, and it took Totori to help Solomon Islands go global. It has always been my federation’s intention to get our players break into other confederations,” he added.

Alufurai says Totori has finally broken the hoodoo by becoming the first Solomon Islander to leave the shores of Oceania to ply his football trade in another confederation of FIFA.

“It took Solomon nearly 20 years to realize this and I on behalf of SIFF and the football family would like to congratulate Totori for this fine achievement,” he said.

The SIFF president says Totori’s achievement is a challenge for aspiring young Solomon Islanders and sets a good example that with patience and individual hard work they can follow in his footsteps.

He reveals that under his federation’s policy – that is exactly what they want to achieve, to be able to get its players to play abroad.

 “Surely Totori has entered at the right time when soccer’s attention is on the lucrative US market. Even the European countries are looking to America as a country with huge potential to become a leader in the soccer market – an example of course is David Beckham’s move to US to ply his trade.”

OFC

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