New Zealand have completed a sweep of pool games and are now just two wins away from qualifying for the next Football World Cup in Canada, Mexico and United States.
English Premier League star Chris Wood fired a hat-trick of goals as his All Whites beat Samoa 8-0 in Auckland, on their way to the Oceania Confederation semifinals.
The home side had already secured a spot in the final four with previous wins over Vanuatu and Tahiti, and will now face Fiji for a place in the final.
They took 24 minutes to break down the spirited Samoan defence, when Samoan goalkeeper Pele Fatu blocked a shot from winger Matt Garbett, but straight into the path of defender Callum McCowatt, who made no mistake.
New Zealand are two wins away from World Cup qualification. (Source: Supplied)
Wood opened his account by accurately guiding a cross from McCowatt inside the right post and was just as clinical with his second on the left.
Ahead 3-0 at the break, the All Whites had to wait another 15 minutes for a fourth, but Wood was on the spot to prod home Ben Waine's header for his treble.
Part-Samoan Marko Stamenic had the satisfaction of scoring against his countrymen, rifling his shot past Fatu from a goalmouth scramble. Francie de Vries' left-foot volley accounted for the sixth goal, before Eli Just found space in the penalty area to unleash a rocket for seven.
Waine added the cherry with an added-time penalty, after de Vries was brought down in the area.
"It was a funny game," reflected NZ coach Darren Bazeley. "We had 90-odd percent possession, we had so much of the ball, but they made it very difficult.
"They dropped off and slowed the game down a lot with their compact defence. They were very brave, Samoa, they played with a lot of heart.
"It became a little frustrating, but we won the game comfortably and we scored goals... it was a funny game."
New Zealand face Fiji next March, with Tahiti and New Caledonia squaring off in the other semi.
New Zealand 8 (Wood 3, McCowatt, Stamenic, de Vries, Just & Waine) Samoa 0
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