Key Points
- Former Brazilian footballer Mineiro and Japanese player Kentaroh Ohi are sharing their experience at the grassroots level in Australia.
- The two faced off as coaches at the U13 level in Melbourne recently.
- Australia is 'incredibly lucky' to have players of such calibre involved in the sport, says one of the match organisers
Former Brazilian international midfielder Carlos Luciano da Silva, nicknamed Mineiro, was capped 24 times by his country.
Shizuoka-born defender Kentaroh Ohi amassed more than 250 appearances in the J-League, the top flight of Japanese football.
The two footballers never shared the same pitch during their illustrious careers.
But on Sunday, 16 July, they came together at a suburban ground in east Melbourne for a friendly match between the two U13s teams that they coach.
Football bringing together communities Credit: Kentaroh Ohi
"I never really had a chance to (play overseas), but then I received an offer from Eastern Lions (Victoria's NPL2)," he told SBS Japanese.
Ohi was a key figure in the J-League across two decades, making over 400 appearances across the top two tiers with Jubilo Iwata, Albirex Niigata and Shonan Bellmare, often as captain.
He also obtained his B coaching license in Japan.
Things have moved rather quickly for Ohi since settling into Australia.
"I met some Japanese parents, and they were very keen for their children to be coached as they would be in Japan," the 39-year-old said.
"It started with private lessons, but as the numbers grew, I challenged myself to start a school," he added.
”I feel that in Japan, coaches give more detailed guidance in training."
But Ohi said this is not to say that children are given instruction for everything - the ability to think for themselves is also a crucial skill.
"Once the game of football starts, although coaches may be able to scream from the sidelines, it is the players who need to think and make their own decisions. So I really value a player's imagination."
Credit: Kentaroh Ohi
On the opposing bench this Melbourne winter's day was a figure who can claim to have played at the top level in Brazil, Germany and England.
Mineiro was part of the Brazilian squad that contested the 2006 World Cup alongside the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos. He also took part in the country's 2007 Copa America triumph.
Mineiro arrived in Melbourne in 2020 after relocating from Recklinighausen, Germany, the place he called home for 13 years.
The 47-year-old former defensive midfielder has since dedicated his life to coaching football at the grassroots level.
"I loved the infrastructure for sports and the mindset of the society. It brought my attention to the opportunities available to begin some work related to football in Australia," , reflecting back to 2014 when he first visited down under.
"I saw many ex-athletes and coaches teaching the kids (in Australia). It´s not really common in Germany, where they have their own closed system to teach the young."
The score on the weekend ended up 7-2 to Ohi's side, but "the match wasn't about results", according to Michael Ong, one of the event organisers.
"It was about bringing the community together, and for the love of the sports," he told SBS Japanese.
"Like Les Murray once said, I believe that football brings people together, it is a common language."
Ong said the atmosphere both on and off the field was positive, with Mineiro even organising pizza for the children to enjoy after the match.
"It was lovely to see such a nurturing match. Unfortunately in Melbourne, there are many aggressive games. Coaches yelling, parents yelling and referees being yelled at .... That's why there is such shortage of referees in Melbourne."
Mineiro organised pizza for the children after the match. Credit: Kentaroh Ohi
Ohi said he was "truly thankful" to the many people who gathered to make the event possible.
"As a coach, I was pleased to see the kids applying what they have learnt in their game," he said.
Ohi added that he hopes to "set a good example" to his fellow J-League professionals through matches like these.
"In Japan, the second careers of football players [when they retire] are becoming a huge issue."
While many may pursue coaching, the professional positions are limited, explained Ohi.
"The number of retiring players will continue to rise, while there is no definite retiring age of a coach."
"I hope to show that opening a school [in a foreign country] is one option you have."
Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Sat from 10pm
You can listen to our past stories from our
