 The win, the film and the documentary all shone a light on American Samoa and Polynesian culture more widely. One impact is that there's a massive interest in football on the islands now, but it's also rather bittersweet. While the climate, sea, sand and sun-drenched beaches might suggest a tropical paradise, the reality is very different. Year on year, the population of American Samoa has gone down as people leave to look for better opportunities elsewhere.