AS Magenta continued their run for New Caledonia’s Super Ligue title by thrashing ACB Poya 8-1. Meanwhile defending champions AS Manu Lira of Tahiti’s Division Federate climbed back to the top of the league table after a 2-0 win over AS Aorai. AS Tefana and AS Dragon were in hot pursuit of Tahiti’s OFC 0-League representatives with just three points separating the clubs.
The Football Federation of American Samoa (FFAS) has a new general secretariat following the completion of elections held in the territory at the FFAS Extraordinary Congress in December 2007. Newly elected FFAS President lull Alex Godinet took office in the first elections for the national body since 2005. Godinet headed off four other candidates in the race for the top job that included Pou Supapo, Tony Langkilde, Malia Perehni and MaselinoTautu.
The New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC) reached a fascinating stage, with Auckland City FC, Waitakere United and Team Wellington occupying the top three slots approaching the summer break. Waitakere climbed back into a strong position after a 5-1 thrashing of the Wellingtonians in the capital city and a 4-0 victory over bottom-placed Otago United, proving that Chris Milicich’s side was not suffering any after effects of its FIFA Club World Cup experience. Auckland City FC were sitting in first place after a 1-1 draw with Team Wellington.
In the Papua New Guinea Footbalf Association (PNGFA) Telikom National Soccer League (NSL) Cup, Hekari Souths United climbed :nto fourth place of the competition, ied by TL Morobe Kumuls after a shock 1-0 win over Inspac Rapatona. Rapatona slipped to second spot, level on points with the Kumuls, interpreting their recent loss to Hekari Souths United as a serious blow to their title aspirations.

With assistance from the Goal Programme, the Argentinian football association (AFA) is planning to build an enclosed futsal mini-stadium on its magnificent premises at Ezeiza, where all Argentinian national teams are based. At the end of December, the AFA unveiled Horacio Elizondo, who refereed the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ final in Germany, as its new head of referee training. Elizondo set out an ambitious plan designed to introduce a new model for training referees to give a hierarchical structure to the profession through teaching, ranging from technical instruction to interpersonal skills and technology. In particular, Elizondo highlighted the following five main points: 1. refereeing teams must meet before matches, just as footballers do; 2. they must learn English, particularly those who have ambitions to referee internationally; 3. more rigorous fifness training, which from now on will be daily; 4. technical analysis of performances with videos of matches from the previous weekend; 5. the formation of established trios, as was done at the last World Cup. The ex-international referee will have nine staff working under him in the new department, which is entirely based at the training complex at Ezeiza.
The Ecuadorian football association has ruled that first-division teams must field at least one U-19 player in each match, who may not be substituted before the end of the first half unless he is injured. The association has also decided that technical directors may not move from one club to another in the same division once a season is underway.
For the first time ever, ihe Paraguayan
first division has a sponsor, a mobile telephone company which is offering a cash prize of USD 40,000 to the winners of the 2008 Apertura and Ciausura tournaments.

The FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2007 final on 16 December, in which AC Milan defeated Boca Juniors 4-2, was officiated by a refereeing trio from Mexico, with Marco Rodriguez taking charge of his first title decider in a FIFA competition. During the match atthe International Stadium in Yokohama, where the final of the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ between Brazil and Germany (2-0) was also played, he was assisted by Jose Luis Camargo and Pedro Rebollar. This was the third consecutive FIFA Club World Cup final to be officiated by an all-CONCACAF refereeing trio. The year before, Carlos Batres of Guatemala refereed the final with assistance from Leonel Leal of Costa Rica and Carlos Enrique Pastrana of Honduras. In 2005, Benito Armando Archundia of Mexico had :he honour and was joined byArturo Velazquez of Mexico and Hector Vergara of Canada
Club Deportivo Luis Angel Firpo won their eighth Salvadorean league title by defeating CD FA.S. 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the 2007 Apertura final at the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador on 16 December. This was Luis Angei Firpo’s first Salvadorean league championship since the 2000 Clausura season.
Elsewhere, CD Jalapa captured the 2007 Guatemalan Apertura title with an away-goals victory over Deportivo Suchitepequez. After holding their hosts to a 1 -1 draw in the first leg at the Estadio Carlos Salazar Hijo in Mazatenango on 13 December, Jaiapa claimed their first Guatemalan league title with a scoreless draw at the Estadio Las Flores on 16 December.
San Juan Jabloteh won the Pro League championship of Trinidad and Tobago
after defeating Caledonia AIA 2-1 at Malabar’s Larry Gomes Stadium on 18 December in the final match of the 2007 season. Jabloteh, who finished the 2007 overall standings on 62 points (18 victories, 8 draws, 6 defeats), claimed their first title since 2003.