Asia’s best await lads

BY SCOTT MORGAN

Four young footballers are off on the trip of a lifetime.

Twelve-year-old Western Springs club mates Isaac Moffat-Young, Orlando Kwok-Cameron, Moses Dyer and Oscar Ramsay are all part of the Wynrs squad off to the Asia Cup in Japan next year.

Wynrs was set up by New Zealand’s most famous soccer player Wynton Rufer to foster the game’s young talent.

Orlando says taking on teams from China, Korea and Japan will be a real eye-opener.

"We’ll see the level of other teams and how New Zealanders compare to them."

The Ponsonby youngster says the speed of football has kept him in the game.

"In rugby it’s so stop-start, but in soccer it’s always going."

Herne Bay resident Oscar says he’s even more excited about the trip after attending the All Whites’ World Cup qualifying victory over Bahrain in Wellington.

"When Rory Fallon missed his first chance at goal, but scored the second one it was pretty unreal."

The side’s co-coach Leigh Kenyon says the trip will allow the players to test themselves against some of the world’s best young footballers.

"We know where these kids are in terms of New Zealand skill levels.

"An environment like Japan is like another level again.

"It’s about exposing them to that opportunity and seeing where they are on the world stage."

Along with developing as football players, Kenyon says the boys learn life skills off the pitch.

"We try and make it as professional an environment as we can.

"We give the kids responsibilities and chores to do that they don’t have at home."

During the trip the side will play a number of games in the Asia Cup, followed by short stints at professional Japanese clubs including Yokohama FC.

"We’re quite excited about the team we’ve got this time," Kenyon says.

"Usually when we go we take a couple of older boys to bolster it, but we haven’t had to do that this year."

The trip marks the 10th time a Wynrs team will make the trip to Japan, with last year’s side making the quarter-finals of the Asia Cup.

- © Fairfax NZ News