The national team, though, has yet to turn its fortunes around. China is ranked 60th in the FIFA rankings, and despite some improvements in performances toward the ends of its qualification campaign, failed to reach next year's World Cup finals.

So China's strategists have decided to try to unpick the secrets of Brazilian soccer so that the next generation can get the missing edge.

"This exchange was created so that they can achieve a similar quality to that of the players here," Desportivo Brasil technical coordinator Rodrigo Pignataro told AFP.

"They are very disciplined, but they lack nous, cheekiness and flexibility and autonomy. That's what the Brazilian boys have."

Desportivo Brasil is not an ordinary club, but more like a training academy, so the Chinese are in good hands.

The club hosts another five Chinese players from the under-20 team as well as 130 Brazilian players ranging in age from 14 to the club's own third regional division professional team.

For the youngsters in Porto Feliz, where Brazilian and Chinese flags fly side by side, the future should be bright.

"This is the group the Chinese government wants to serve as the core of a team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the World Cup in 2022. We have a heavy responsibility," Pignataro said.

After swotting over history books and other academic classes in the mornings, the main focus is getting out onto the training field.

Vitinho, a skilful forward, has done three seasons in Porto Feliz and is now part of the under-20 team. Given how integrated the 18-year-old is－even becoming a fan of Brazilian funk music－few remember that his real name is Liu Chaoyang.

"I want to play in Europe, but I need to work a lot to improve," he said in fluent Portuguese.

The same might be said for the whole Chinese experiment, but Zhao Shuo, a 25-year-old assistant coach, says he's ready to take the time.

He's spent two months following his Brazilian counterparts around and says the only area where he might have the advantage is in the iron discipline associated with Asian teams.

"Soccer needs time because it's a kind of education and education is not a short-term thing. Maybe we will need 10 or 20 years or more," he said in English, pointing to Japan as an example.

"We have to learn from our neighbors and be patient," he said, never taking his eyes off the action on the field.

AFP