Jason Newell - A South American Adventure

It was a rare sunny day in Greater Manchester and Jason noticed people walking around in shirts and shorts as he parked his car up at the front entrance of Boundary Park. Jason loved it when there was hot weather but he couldn't let the sun distract him as he walked through the front doors. Jason briefly checked his Twitter on his phone, it was full of people talking about the weather. As he walked into the changing rooms he was greeted by hello's from his fellow teammates. Jason walked across the changing room and as he took his place at the end of the room and changed into the number 7 shirt he briefly took a moment to stroke the Owl on the badge at the front, as he did this he remembered a quote which his under-14 manager had told him and which stuck into his mind as he played, 'The name on the front of the shirt is more important than the name on the back'. Normally the changing room was loud but today it was eerily quiet and Jason knew all the reason why, this would be his last game for Oldham Athletic Under-19s. 3 days later and he would be living in a strange country, eating strange food, watching strange teams playing the game he loved in a strange league. Jason was moving to São Paulo. His father was offered a job in which he could not refuse and so his family had decided to all pack up and move, Jason remembered when he was told about this and a flash of shock came over him once more. The flashback ended as the head coach barged threw the doors, 'you know what you need to do lads, go out there and do it'. All roar from the team rippled through the changing rooms and Jason swore that you could probably of heard it in Japan. As the two teams of Oldham under-19s and Rochdale lined up side-by-side Jason suddenly knew the best way to say goodbye to his teammates and as he pulled the armband up his arm and led his team out into the pitch he was greeted by the roar of 54 fans.


As the referee blew for full time Jason took his shirt off and threw it onto the ground in disappointment. He knew that he would always regret his last match finishing in a 2-0 defeat and was gutted that he would not be there for the last game of the season. He walked back into the changing room, which had turned into a pit of despair, and sat down with his head in his hands. As soon as he got changed back into his casual shirt and three-quarters he rushed back to his car and drove back home without saying goodbye to anyone, he could not let their last memories of him being soiled by a defeat.

A New Life

The flight across the Atlantic was long and when they finally landed at São Paulo Airport it was the middle of the night. Jason laughed to himself a little when he thought about how long they had been on the plane and yet it was dark when they took off and it was dark when they landed. But all of a sudden a rush of sadness took over as he realised how far this meant that he was from the country and culture in which he grew up to love. He knew about Brazil from the documentaries that he saw and the books that he read, and he knew just how different it really was from England. On the way to his new house he thought about the difference in the football that is over in South America, he watched live-streams on the internet and knew that teams like Corinthians and São Paulo were big in Brazil, Boca and River were big in Argentina, and Colo Colo in Chile. Beyond that, however, he did not know much and a small part of him felt excited about learning about new leagues and competitions but most of him felt devastated that he had to leave the EPL and The Football League behind him. All of a sudden Jason was interrupted from his thoughts by his father shouting, rather too enthusiastically, "there it is!". Jason realised suddenly that they were driving up a large driveway and as he looked up from his slanted position in the back seat of the families rented BMW he gasped.


Jason knew that his father had been offered a job that he couldn't refuse and that the job would make them a lot more money than they were in Manchester but he didn't know that they would be living in a place that would give Beckingham Palace a run for it's money. As they pulled up at the garages Jason wanted to explore every bit of it. However it was late and Jason was getting tired, so he decided that it could wait until the morning, and then he would get a good look around. He walked up to the second floor and quickly found a bedroom, which was already made by the maid whom his father had already employed back in England, and laid in bed thinking of how things are going to change before drifting to sleep.

I thought this was FM15.. Anyway, good luck - I will always follow a South American story.

Jason woke up the next day feeling fresh. He walked around his new house but no-one was in. Jason got ready and had breakfast before deciding that today, his first full day in this new country and new continent, was going to be spent by walking around the local area. Jason had moved to the Morumbi district of São Paulo. This district is considered by the citizens of São Paulo as one of the most sophisticated and wealthiest districts of São Paulo. As he walked out of his driveway he noticed how green his new environment was. He reached the main road and decided to turn downhill and walk towards a large park in which he had seen the night before as they drove to the house. Jason wondered around the park for half-an-hour before sitting on a bench opposite a group of lads his age playing football. Jason watched as they showed off their Brazilian flair, however, one of them mishit a pass and the ball flew out towards Jason, who realised that he hadn't touched a football since his last Oldham game. Jason took no hesitation in diving up and taking the ball down with his chest. He looked up and spotted the number 7, a tall and skinny guy who looked a bit like the Brazilian Peter Crouch. Jason had watched him closely and realised that he was quite the cocky guy with the ball at his feet and so knew what he wanted to do. Jason took the ball and dribbled towards number 7 before stopping it just in front of him. The number 7 laughed before making a half-hearted attempt to take the ball from Jason's feet. Jason took this opportunity to flick the ball through his legs, he hit it through perfectly and the number 7 stood in embarrassment as Jason darted round him and collected the ball on the other side. Jason wasn't done however, he wanted to show himself off more. He looked up at the goal and hit a strike so perfect that CR7 himself would be proud of. It flew in the air for what seemed like an eternity before nestling itself into the top corner of the flat net. Jason put on his smuggest of faces before walking off.

As Jason walked slowly away from the football and out of the park he noticed that someone was following him, he tried to ignore it but soon lost his patience. "What do you want!" He shouted as he turned on his heels towards the stalker. "I know you have been following me since the park!" Jason was very agitated by the man following him.

"Hello there you are English then?" The man said in remarkably fluid English. "Follow me" the man said in a voice that made Jason calm in his presence. He realised that this man was not going to mug him and as he walked off Jason decided to follow him.

"I watched you play football just then, I saw your skills. Where did you learn them?" The man asked calmly.

Jason quickly answered, wondering where this conversation was leading to. "I used to live in Manchester, England. I have only just moved here. I have played football since I was a kid and I used to play for Oldham in their under-19s team."

"I played football quite a bit when I was younger but not so much now" The man looked into space for a few seconds before continuing. "You were really good. I sort of run a small time football team here in São Paulo. It is based in the Itu district and I would really love you to come along to one of our training session, I see something special in you. What's your name?"

"Jason Newell" Jason replied quickly, getting slightly excited by the prospect of playing football again. When he left England he thought he was also leaving behind any future as a footballer but here was his chance to get back into the game.

"Well Mr Newell, our next training session is tomorow. If you get a taxi to take you to Itu, it's not the largest of counties, you should be able to find our training ground pretty easily as it is opposite the stadium. Ask any taxi driver to take you to Ituano FC he should be able to find it. When you get here just go into the reception area and say that Mr Giroldo sent you and they will point you in the right direction."

"Thank you Mr Giroldo, I cannot wait. I will be there defiantly!" Jason said excitedly. He could not wait to get back to playing football for a team.

"No no, don't call me Mr Giroldo please. That is my business name. Call me Juni." Said the man as he walked slowly off and shouted for a taxi.

As Jason walked home he couldn't help but grin. He had only been in Brazil for 24 hours and had already managed to be scouted by a local team. Things might not be so bad in Brazil after all.

Great stuff, I will be following!

Well-written update. Best of luck with Ituano!

Jason woke up like a child on Christmas morning the next day. He could not wait to get down to his first training session with Ituano. As he grabbed his favourite Nike Vapor boots he realised that the last time he wore them he was walking off in an Oldham kit, distraught after getting beat. He knew that today he had to perform better for his new club here in Brazil or else his whole dream of making it in football could be over. He ran out of his house and piratically dived into the taxi that was waiting outside for him. It didn't take them too long to get to Itu, however, Jason got to see more of São Paulo in the day. Jason got rather excited as they drove past the Estádio do Morumbi, home of São Paulo FC. He knew of São Paulo before coming to Brazil and didn't know that he was going to live in the same district as where they were based.

As the taxi arrived at the Ituano training ground Jason got his first look at the stadium that he was hoping to play in. It was an average sized, typical South American stadium. Jason took a moment to walk around the stadium before the training are reception. The reception area was a large, white washed room with a glass front. On the back wall was a desk with the Ituano badge hanging over it. Next to it was a corridor that led down to 2 glass doors. Jason walked up to the desk where he was greeted by a stunning girl that looked as if she was only a year older than Jason.

"Hi there, welcome to Ituano FC how may I help you?" She asked politely in a soft voice as Jason walked up to her desk.

"Hi. I have come for training. Mr Giroldo told me to come." Jason stuttered and for the first time that morning a flash of nervousness came over him. He stared at the badge above the receptionist and was took back to the first time he went to train with Oldham.

This flash-back lasted several minutes before being broken by the receptionist. "Mr Giroldo said that you are to train with the first team. They are on the far right pitch. Go down the corridor and on the left you will find some changing rooms." As she said this she pulled out a large package from underneath her desk. "This is your training gear, go into any of the changing rooms and get changed then head over to the team. o Feitor will then tell you what you need to do."

Jason got changed faster than he ever changed before into his shiny new training gear and couldn't help but smile at himself as he passed a mirror on the way out of the changing rooms. Jason jogged up to the far right pitch and was greeted by heavily built man.

"You must be Jason. My name is Doriva but you call me o Feitor" boomed the man in a heavy voice. Jason knew enough Portuguese to realise that 'o Feitor' meant 'The Overseer'. "We are just playing a simple game, two teams and you pass it around. No scoring. What position do you play?"

"I play on the wing" Jason said, he felt slightly intimidated by the man who reminded him slightly of his boss from Oldham.

"You play wing then. You link up with full-back and simple passing. Do not over-play." o Feitor said as Jason ran on to the pitch and got his first touch of the ball.

Liking it Zap

This story has serious potential, please don't fall into the trap of adding too much drama..

Weeks passed and Jason trained hard but never seemed to be able to get himself into the first team squad for game day. However, one night Jason decided to stay back to do extra training. He took dummies and practiced long-range free-kicks on his own. He was hitting the net 9 times out of 10 and really was in a confident mood. He was lining up to hit a free-kick when he hear a voice call his name from behind him. It was Juni.

"You are really improving on those free-kicks aren't you." He said in the same calm voice that Jason remembered from the first time they met.

"I try. I can hit the target most times but it's not the same unless it's against real opponents. I try in training and it's so much harder. I just need more practice." Jason said before he ran up and booted the ball. It curled around the wall and hit the top corner of the net.

"Yes, well, you could practice more but tonight you should go home and get some rest for tomorrow." Juni said as he slowly walked off towards the reception area. Jason was confused.

"What do you mean? What's happening tomorrow?" Jason ran after Juni and was surprised at how quickly he caught him.

"Oh didn't you hear?" Said Juni, grinning at Jason. "You're in the team for the game against Santos in the Campeonato Paulista."

And with this piece of news Jason looked up and roared to the sky. He was going to be playing competitive football against one of the biggest teams in Brazil.

this is awesome because it is about a guy called jason I have been reading it and congrats on making the team for a big match

Fantastic start!!

That last update reminded me of the Goal movie where Santi Munez was doing the exact same thing when his coach told him. I really like this and thanks for reminding me about that movie

Match Day came and Jason was in a strange mood, he could not wait to pull on an Ituano shirt and go up against such a formidable opponent such as Santos, but he was also a bit scared of messing his big opportunity. His morning was just like a normal day, he woke up, had a shower, ate breakfast and got a taxi to Itu. Jason grabbed his bag, got out of the taxi and entered the stadium. All of a sudden Jason came over with a flash of nervousness. He had no idea where he was supposed to go and started to panic until he heard someone shouting his name. He looked over to who was shouting for him, it was Juni.

"Thank god you're hear, I have no idea where I am supposed to be going!" Jason said as he crossed over to Juni.

"Aha I had the same problem when I played my first game here, if you follow me I'l take you to the changing rooms." Juni said in his ever-calm voice. "So how are you feeling for the big game?"

"I don't know, sometimes I feel confident like I want to go out there and tear them apart. Then all of a sudden I come up worrying about having a bad game." Jason said, this was true. Jason had stayed up all night in different moods about the game.

"I know the feeling but as soon as you get that shirt on and get on the pitch you will be fine, the football pitch is where you feel at home, no?" Juni said as they reached the changing rooms. He looked at Jason in an all-knowing way.

"Oh god yes. Football is my life." Jason answered passionately as he turned away and entered the changing rooms. As he walked in he heard Juni shout "Good luck Jason!" and then the door slammed shut. It was just him and the team.



Ituano FC have defeated Santos FC to reach the Campeonato Paulista Final against São Paulo FC with the help of 2 goals by debutante Jason Newell. Ituano have beaten Bragantino and Palmeiras so far in the knockout stages of the competition and will be looking to upset the odds and claim the trophy.

The game started with immense pressure by Santos for the first 15 minutes, however Ituano were able to keep the ball out of the net somehow. Ituano then started to push slowly up the pitch and soon enough were making chances of their own. In the 35th minute disaster struck for Santos as 18 year-old Jason Newell scored his first goal for Ituano in what would end up as a dream debut. A perfect through ball by Jackson Caucaia found Newell on the edge of the box and the new lad certainly couldn't of hit the ball any sweeter as it flew into the top corner.
Newell then put Ituano 2 up in the 57th minute after he made a run and was found one-on-one with the keeper. Newell kept his cool and rounded the keeper before slotting it home. Ituano managed to hold onto the 2 goal lead until the end of the game and find themselves through to the final.

The mood in the Ituano camp in training the next week was fantastic. Everyone was laughing and smiling about how they beat Santos to get into the final and how the new lad was going to score a hat-trick in both legs to help Ituano lift the Campeonato Paulista trophy. Everyone was having a great time training, apart from Jason. He hated how everyone thought he could just magically tear apart a team with the stature of São Paulo and he was scared of having that extra pressure heaped onto his shoulders. Jason couldn't sleep in the nights leading up to the first leg of the final and the day's seemed to go all to quick. All of a sudden, it was game day. Jason woke up early, the first leg was away at the Estádio do Morumbi and Jason had the intention of walking to the ground and so he grabbed his stuff and set off. Half-way down the road leading down from his house to the center of Morumbi Jason heard a car sound it's horn behind him.

He turned to look just as the car pulled up beside him and heard a voice he recognised. "Hey Jason! What are you walking for? You need to keep your legs for the game!" Jason suddenly realised that the voice belonged to Marcelinho, a striker at Ituano.

"I thought that it would be good to walk, I only live down the road." Jason remarked.

"Do you want a lift? Trust me you will want to keep all the energy you have for the game." Marcelinho said as he stretched across the car to open the passenger door. "Get in, I'l drive you."

Jason realised that arguing with him was going to be useless and he didn't want to put the morale of the team in jeopardy by falling out with one of the players. As he got in Marcelinho put his foot down and sped off down the road. "You looking forward to play at the stadium? I know I am!"

Jason didn't know what to say. He didn't want to worry Marcelinho by telling him the truth, however he didn't want to lie and tell him how he is really feeling. "I don't know. I can't wait to get stuck in but the pressure that people are putting me under is immense. I'm feeling a bit scared to be honest."

As soon as Marcelinho heard this he slammed on the breaks and pulled up on the side of the road. "No! I don't want to even think that you will crumble under pressure. You had a fantastic debut and everyone saw that, we have all watched you in training in awe. You have fantastic ability and I can't wait to watch how you develop. You can become anything you want to be because you have the skill, all you need is the attitude." Jason was took back by this. He knew that people rated him, but he thought that it was just a fluke. He didn't realise that the squad looked at him like that and a small smile came across his face, he was ready. And with this Marcelinho put his foot back down on the accelerated and sped off towards the stadium.



São Paulo have been held to a draw by underdogs Ituano in the Campeonato Paulista on a fine day in Morumbi. It all started early as Luis Fabiano put São Paulo one up in the 10th minute with a wonder-strike from 30 yards. Ganso dispossessed Marcelinho too easily as Ituano failed in a counter-attack attempt and then found Fabiano with a pass. Fabiano then looked up and hit a powerful shot which swerved in the air and dipped under the bar. São Paulo went on to dominate possession, however they never were able to seal Ituano's fate with a second goal. Lucas Evangelista coming closest by hitting the bar in the 68th minute. They were then punished for not converting their chances when the ball was gave to young lad Jason Newell, who has started cropping up as a potential transfer for big clubs, whom took the ball past 2 defenders and went one-on-one with the keeper. He then rounded the keeper and unselfishly dragged the ball back to Marcelinho who tapped the ball into an unguarded net. The second leg will be played at the Ituano Stadium and it really is all to play for.