Next Stop Is Brazil for Agustsson

Kenjo Agustsson has never been selected to the All-Southern Section boys’ soccer team, or the All-Bay League squad for that matter.

But the central midfielder from Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula has a dream of playing professionally in Brazil, the soccer-mad nation that has won a record five World Cup titles. So Agustsson will go through a graduation ceremony at Peninsula in June -- a year ahead of schedule -- and head to Brazil two months later to pursue his dream, no matter how far-fetched the idea might sound to others.

Agustsson admits there are no guarantees that he’ll make it in Brazil. He would then enroll in a U.S. college and attempt to play at that level.

“I just like how they make soccer a lifestyle there,” said Agustsson, who has made five trips to Brazil as a member of various club or all-star teams. “They live it. They eat it. They drink it. Everywhere you turn down there, people are playing soccer, whether it’s barefoot kids playing in the streets or people playing on the beach.”

Agustsson, who has four goals and six assists for a Peninsula team that is 8-5-5 after a 4-0 victory against Manhattan Beach Mira Costa on Friday, has been playing soccer since he was 4 or 5. But the third son of an Icelandic father and a Japanese mother hadn’t given much thought to playing professionally until a year ago.

That’s when Xaxa (pronounced Shasha), a former professional player in Brazil and Portugal and a private trainer in the South Bay, asked Agustsson if he was interested in trying to catch on with a first division professional team in the South American nation.

Although the 5-foot-6, 120-pound Agustsson had just been promoted to the varsity level at the time, Xaxa felt he had the potential to play at the professional level in Brazil, a country where he says soccer is played with more finesse than in the United States.

“In America, soccer is more physical,” said Xaxa, who began working with Agustsson four years ago. “In Brazil, they use more skills.”

Xaxa figured Agustsson would benefit most if he began playing in Brazil when he was 17. So Agustsson, a straight-A student, increased his class load so he could fulfill all the requirements for a high school diploma -- save for one summer-school class -- by the end of his junior year.

“Some people have asked me why I would want to skip my senior year,” Agustsson said. “They’ve said, ‘Your senior year is supposed to be really fun. Why would you want to miss that?’ But playing soccer in Brazil will be really fun too. I know how much I’ll enjoy that.”

Agustsson’s parents support his decision.

Tomas Agustsson, Kenjo’s father, says he has always told his children that they can do whatever they want if they put their minds to it. He adds that Kenjo, whose paternal grandfather played professional soccer in Iceland, did not make his decision hastily.

“He has always had vision when it comes to things,” Tomas said. “He analyzes things a great deal before he makes a big decision.”

For the time being, Kenjo is trying to help Peninsula win its fourth consecutive Bay League title. A Panther squad that has only two returning full-time starters has played inconsistently this season but was only three points behind first-place Santa Monica in the Bay League standings entering play Friday.

Agustsson had two assists in a 5-0 victory against North Torrance on Wednesday and Peninsula Coach Jim Lillie says Kenjo’s ability to see the game and to distribute the ball will serve him well wherever he ends up playing.

“Strength and being more selfish are the areas where he needs to make the most improvement,” Lillie said. “He needs to get in the weight room on a regular basis, and he needs to be more selfish on the field. There are times when he needs to take the shot instead of passing it off to a teammate. If he improves in those areas, he’ll be OK.”

Regardless of the outcome, Agustsson couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try to play the game he loves in a country where soccer is almost a religion.

“They’re just so passionate down there,” Agustsson said. “You listen to people singing in the stands. And they’re yelling at the referees like they want to kill them because they made one mistake. It’s like it’s the end of the world, but I like that.”