Wood Shines Again as New Zealand Thrashes Samoa

The striker, in remarkable form, netted twice against Vanuatu on Friday in an 8-1 rout and repeated his heroics versus Samoa, who are ranked 186th.
Captain Chris Wood scored in the 28th, 34th, and 60th minutes in Auckland, bringing New Zealand closer to their first World Cup appearance since 2010.
New Zealand will now advance to the final round of Oceania qualifying in March with a match against Fiji, striving to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup in North America.
At 32, Wood is enjoying a stellar season, having scored eight goals in 11 Premier League matches, contributing significantly to Nottingham Forest's fifth-place standing in the league.
Wood, who has previously played for Leeds, Newcastle, Leicester, and Burnley, was named Premier League Player of the Month for October, becoming the first New Zealander to earn this accolade.