Santos enjoys no soccer for few days

Chelsea FC Soccer School Hong Kong technical director Leslie Santos hasn’t been thinking about football for almost a week now since arriving on Saipan last week.

Chelsea FC Soccer School Hong Kong technical director Leslie Santos chases the ball as he joined the CNMI men’s team’s training session yesterday at the Oleai Sports Complex football field. (Jon Perez)

Santos, one of Hong Kong’s best attacking midfielders, arrived on Saipan last July 24 for a weeklong vacation under the invitation of Northern Mariana Islands Football Association president Jerry Tan.

“So far, I’ve toured the island. Went to Managaha. Watched a magic show. Rode an ATV. And swam with some marine animals at Sea Touch. As much as possible, I want to try everything. I’m on vacation, no work or soccer for a few days,” said Santos, who is of Portuguese descent but was born and grew up in Hong Kong.

Santos first visited Saipan four years ago when he conducted clinics and training sessions as part of NMIFA’s partnership with Chelsea FC Soccer School Hong Kong.

“The first time I was only here for five days. It was all work as part of our arrangement with NMIFA. We send coaches here where they spend six weeks training the kids,” added Santos in an interview with the Saipan Tribune.

Fishing, however, was the thing that the two-time Hong Kong Footballer of the Year recipient enjoyed most as he again looked forward to cast a few lines today.

“I’ve never tried fishing before and you can’t go fishing in Hong Kong. There are not that much fish. You can fish for five hours but the biggest one you could get is this big,” Santos showed the size of a fish about 5 to 6 inches.

He was a bit disappointed when Tan Holdings executive assistant Owen Ji Long Wen informed him that last weekend was the 31st Annual Saipan International Fishing Tournament.

And like a kid inside a toy story, his eyes widened when Wen said that some of the fish caught in last weekend’s fishing derby were more than 5 feet in length.

He joined one of the training sessions of the CNMI men’s team yesterday at the Oleai Sports Complex football field.

Looking back, Santos said the CNMI’s football program, particularly the women’s side, has grown rapidly since the first time he came here on Saipan.

“The last time, the CNMI women’s team played great. Chelsea FC School was the defending champions but they won against our women’s team. That is a huge improvement,” said Santos.

That was the CNMI women’s All-Star team’s lone win in the Luen Thai Cup in Hong Kong as they dropped consecutive matches against South China Agricultural University Women’s Football Club, 3-2, and the Singapore National Women’s A Team, 2-0.

Chelsea FC Soccer School Hong Kong coaches have been alternately coming to Saipan to help NMIFA’s various grassroots development programs. Coach Tang Chi Ming is currently on island and will end his tour of duty on Aug. 5.

Santos said another coach from the Hong Kong-based soccer school is set to arrive on Aug. 8 to replace Tang.