Brazilian trio hopes Phoenix opens door to reaching MLS
The grass is still green. The ball, still round. And the game, still beautiful.
But Phoenix FC’s three Brazilian players came to the U.S. for something different. Another adventure. A new challenge.
“We were very impressed with the project that was presented to us by Phoenix FC, which is to get to MLS (Major League Soccer) in five years,” said 23-year-old defender Renan Felipe Boufleur through teammate Travis Bowen, who translated for all three players. “We liked that the club is very ambitious.”
Tonight at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium, Phoenix FC (1-1-0) will host a club that also has MLS aspirations — Orlando City, which won the 2011 USL PRO championship and the past two USL PRO regular-season titles.
Orlando City, which is playing its first match of the regular season, will be Phoenix FC’s toughest test yet. It’s the kind of match the three Brazilians — “Renan,” 24-year-old midfielder Diego Faria da Silva (who goes by “Diego”) and 19-yearold midfielder Joao Inacio de Jesus Cerqueira (or “Netinho”) — were signed for.
On March 30, Diego provided the assist that led to Netinho’s 22-yard game-winning goal. And Renan was crucial in helping the club earn the 1-0 shutout win over VSI Tampa Bay FC.
When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Sun Devil Soccer Stadium. Online: USLNation.com. Orlando City update: Orlando City is considered the league's best team, winning the USL PRO regular-season titles the past two seasons. And it only got better this off-season. Orlando City retained most of its core players while adding talented players on loan from its MLS affiliate club Sporting Kansas City — F Dom Dwyer, G Jon Kempin, D Yoann Sango'o and MF Christian Duke. This will be Orlando City's first match of the season, but it played high-profile preseason matches against MLS clubs Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC and Columbus Crew as well as Italian power AS Roma.
Phoenix FC Managing Director Rui Filipe Bento was able to snag the players because he had a prior relationship with their Brazil-based agent, Luciano Couto. Of the three, none had played soccer in the U.S. and only Diego had set foot in the U.S. before.
“Chicago,” Diego said. “But only once.”
Both Diego and Netinho, whose nickname was derived from his grandfather’s name and the Portuguese term “inho” (which means “little”), said signing with Phoenix FC was a “big opportunity.”
“First and foremost, I came here to win,” Netinho said. “Not only will it be a big opportunity for me, but I feel it will open doors for me at other places.”
The three players are still acclimating to the league — Renan and Netinho were both surprised by how fit, strong and fast the players in the U.S. are — but also to their new surroundings.
They haven’t been able to explore Phoenix much, though they said they now know Scottsdale Fashion Square well. And they think some of the food here is too spicy — Brazil isn’t big on hot sauce — so they cook a lot of rice and beans and Brazilian fare at home.
“It’s not fantastic,” Diego said. “But it gets the job done.”
Still, none of them is homesick. Renan is over it after living and playing in Belgium the past three years. And Diego said living away from home is what Brazilian soccer players do.
“Brazil is a very big country, so I’m used to being far away from home in order to play soccer,” he said. “I’m willing to make those sacrifices for a bigger goal later in life. It’s worth it.”
Said Netinho: “To become a soccer player, I left home when I was13. It’s something that I’m used to. Of course, I’m always going to miss home, but it’s something you have to do when you’re going after your dreams.”