Dear friends, 2010 has arrived... Finally!
Of course, since weâÂÂre entering a World Cup year, I canâÂÂt wish you plenty of luck.
But except for that June/July bit in South Africa, please accept The Noise from BrazilâÂÂs best greetings for the year!
And, without any delay, letâÂÂs get busy â after all, the Brazilian football season has already kicked off.
While the pros are still to resume practising, itâÂÂs time for the youngsters to take centre stage: welcome to the Copa São Paulo of junior football, the countryâÂÂs main youth competition.
The 41st edition of the traditional tournament has started on Saturday and features 91 clubs from all around Brazil (plus Saudi Arabian guests Al-Hilal), whoâÂÂll battle till January 25âÂÂs grand finale.
This year, the rules were changed: only players under the age of 18 are now allowed â to stop 18 or 19-year-old 'veterans', who already play professionally, to join the kidsâ party.
Since 1969, the Copa São Paulo has been where big clubs â or, of late, agents â window-shop for unknown faces from smaller clubs.
The list of players first spotted in the Copa São Paulo includes Rivaldo, Falcão, Djalminha and Casagrande, among others. It was their first step from anonymity toward stardom.
Things have changed, though. Wiser clubs and agents donâÂÂt wait for well-known competitions to snap up fresh talent.
From Messi to Manchester United twins Fabio and Rafael, the examples are there.
And the Internet has come in handy to advertise early bloomers.
Fabio and Rafael. Or Rafael and Fabio
Take, for instance, 17-year-old Maycon Santana, aka âÂÂThe YouTube Kid.âÂÂ
Three years ago, a homemade clip in which a humble boy from a small city in Bahia showed his amazing skills swept the web.
Before you could say âÂÂbinding contract,â a group of Flamengo fans started a massive campaign to convince club directors to take the boy to Rio de Janeiro.
FlamengoâÂÂs emails were jammed with fansâ requests, and it paid off: the club invited the player to join its youth sides, and the following season, Flamengo secured the YouTube Kid by handing him his first professional contract.
This year, Maycon Santana will play in his first Copa São Paulo.
HeâÂÂs still a long way from stardom, as are all of his team-mates, but anonymity is history for him.
All the eyes are already on him to see if he lives up to the hype â at 17 years old.
It's a sign of the times.
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