American Samoa, where Saelua is a member of Polynesia's "fa'afafine", or "third gender", has no issue with transgender people. Celebrated in the local culture, they are born as boys but choose to be brought up to be feminine. It is estimated there are around 500 fa'afafine currently living in the country.
"The foundation of the culture is respect, and that includes respect for fa'afafine," Saelua told The Independent on Sunday. "Growing up, there were maybe four or five fa'afafine in my family. I knew around the age of six or seven I was more in touch with my feminine side and I was more drawn to my fa'afafine aunties than I was to my own dad and uncle. I didn't have to deal with any discrimination; the community is very accepting."
That changed only when she moved to Hawaii to study dance at university and tried out for the college football team. "Fifteen minutes into the warm-up, I was asked to go home," she said.
"This was because the coach 'didn't want to put his team in an uncomfortable position'. While I was hurt and cried, I didn't let it stop me. I'd really like to get a copy of the film and give it to that soccer coach."
The arrival of a new Dutch manager, Thomas Rongen, transformed the American Samoa team. A former footballer and MLS [Major League Soccer] title-winning coach in the United States, he had been the only applicant for the job. He had also applied partly because he wanted a fresh start to try to recover from the death of his 18-year-old daughter in a car crash.
Saelua, or "Johnny" as she is known on the pitch, was initially not even aware that what she had achieved was ground-breaking. Photo / Getty Images
Next Goal Wins shows the remarkable bond that developed between him and Saelua. Where previous coaches had recognised her ability but not considered her quite good enough, he witnessed her commitment in training and instinctive positional awareness. It was his decision to play her that would pay off in the 2011 victory against Tonga.
Rongen knew the problems gay players often face. "I've been in locker rooms and it is very difficult for anyone who is different to come out because... the jokes, the sarcasm," he told The IoS. "The game doesn't allow people to come out and express themselves.
"But [in American Samoa] her integration into the team was seamless. I embraced the culture and that includes the fa'afafine. I looked at her just like another player on the field and knew to judge her only by her performances. She proved each and every day that she deserved to be a starter in that game."
Saelua, or "Johnny" as she is known on the pitch, was initially not even aware that what she had achieved was ground-breaking.
"I was asked by a journalist after the game how I felt about being the first transgender player and I said 'What? There aren't transgender players who play soccer in the world?' It's sad to hear that humans can limit the lives of other humans.
"The world can take more from the team than just from me. What the world can learn is from the boys, and how they accepted me. It doesn't have to be a big deal, if you accept trans-athletes. They have a lot to bring to the field."
-The Independent
