SINGAPORE — They made such a good impression during their month-long stint with Brazilian football outfit Boavista last year that they were invited back to train with the club again last month.

This time, 17-year-old Singaporean players Winchell Ng and Ryan Goh will spend up to four months with Boavista and don the club’s colours in two Under-17 tournaments next month.

The first, the Copa Zico, begins on Jan 9 and will see Boavista challenge for honours against Brazil’s grassroots clubs.

But it is the second competition — the Copa de Futebol Cidade Verde — that gets Winchell and Ryan all excited.

The tournament, which kicks off five days after the Copa Zico, will feature the youth teams of Brazil’s top clubs such as Corinthians, Cruzeiro and Internacional.

With the teens harbouring dreams of becoming professional footballers, they are determined to make the most of this golden opportunity to test themselves against some of the best young players in Brazil.

They have never been selected to play for Singapore at any level, but are both on the youth books of S.League side Home United.

“It is going to be a very tough tournament and all I’m looking for is to get as much playing time as possible,” defender Winchell told TODAY in a phone interview from Brazil.

“I’m focused on learning as much as I can from the experience of playing against such top-quality opponents. It’s not often we get an opportunity to do so.”

Agreeing, winger Ryan added: “This will give me a chance to see how I measure up against the best youth players in Brazil. I also want to prove that I have what it takes to compete at such a high level, and the lessons learnt will stand me in good stead in my quest to one day become a professional player.”

THE POTENTIAL TO SUCCEED

The duo’s training stints in Brazil were facilitated by former S.League player Fabio Da Silva, who had watched them for four years when the boys were playing in the national schools competition.

Winchell and Ryan are the captains of St Patrick’s School and St Gabriel’s Secondary School’s “B” division sides, respectively.

This year, St Patrick’s was in the quarter-finals of the national schools “B” competition, while St Gabriel’s made the semi-finals.

The teenagers had to bear the full cost of their first Boavista training stint last year, believed to be around S$10,000 each for air tickets and month-long accommodation.

This time, however, Boavista decided to cover the expenses of their stay in Brazil, although the two players still had to pay for their own airfares, which are about S$4,000 each.

And Brazilian Da Silva, who is now the coach of Meridian Junior College, says this shows they have the potential and desire to go far in the game.

“Having seen them play for the past four years, I know they have the potential to succeed as professional players,” said the 42-year-old. “That is why I helped to arrange for them to train with Boavista — I could see they not only have the ability, but also have the desire to go overseas for exposure and to improve themselves.

“So far, from what I hear, they’ve been doing well in Brazil and have adapted quickly to the football there. I’m sure they will do themselves proud over there and, who knows, they might just get offers to play professional football in Brazil if they impress.”

DREAMS OF AN AUDITION

That dream is not far off. After all, the Copa de Futebol Cidade Verde is known to be packed with football scouts who are trying to unearth the latest raw gem. And the prospect of moving to Brazil is something both Singaporean teens admit they are open to.

“If I perform well enough that a Brazilian club is willing to sign me, then of course I’ll be happy to move to Brazil,” said Winchell.

“It would be a dream if that really happens ... anyone would want to make a living out of what they are passionate about, and football has always been my passion. But if an offer really comes my way, I’ll still have to discuss it with my parents.”

Ryan, however, said his main focus would not be on trying to impress any watching scouts, but rather to help his team during the tournament.

“Of course if I do get spotted by a scout, it’ll be a giant leap towards my dream of becoming a professional player,” explained Ryan.

“But football is a team game, not an individual sport. So my priority is not only to ensure that I perform well individually, but also to help my team in any way I can.”

IMPROVING AS PLAYERS

Regardless of how they fare in the tournaments, the two players believe their time in Brazil will help them improve as players. Already, it has given them an insight into the kind of sacrifices and dedication needed to cut it at the highest level.

Reflecting on his training stint so far, Ryan said: “It’s been an eye-opener to see how the Brazilians approach training, because they give their all in every exercise, even during warm-ups. It’s a good attitude because what we do in training reflects how we’ll perform during matches.

“The pace of the game here is much quicker. I’ve had to learn how to be more aware of the surroundings and react quicker to the situation. It’s been tough, but this will help improve my game.”

Winchell noted that the Brazilian players paid a lot of attention to their fitness levels, which allow them to play a fast-paced style of football.

“The players we train with are very fit,” he said. “So whenever we do pressing drills, they always seem to be able to sprint towards their opponents without being out of breath. This is one area I hope to improve on while I’m still here with the team.”