Nashua South's Jadiel Bomfim has developed into one of the best players in the state, helping the Panthers win a state title last season. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – When he was 5 years-old, Jadiel Bomfim was kicking a soccer ball against walls in lots of Brazil, barefoot because he couldn’t afford sneakers.

“A whole day in the street playing soccer, with friends and stuff,” Bomfim said.

And now Bomfim is playing competitive high school soccer in New Hampshire, scoring goals, sometimes in front of four-figure crowds on fabulous Field Turf.

“I just thank God,” he said. “I have the opportunity to play, at a nice scene, a nice school, and I can afford everything I have now.”

Yes, it’s a from-rags-to-riches story in a way. Bomfim has not just become one of the best players in the state, but also in the history of Nashua High School South, which has turned out some excellent talent. He was a key figure in the Panthers’ Division I championship last fall.

His goals are usually big goals, such as the one he scored with just over 30 seconds left in regulation to break the collective heart of Nashua North in a 1-0 Division I semifinal win in front of a packed Stellos Stadium crowd that will stand for a long time as one of the best games the city has seen.

“It’s one thing to score two or three goals in games that don’t matter,” Nashua South coach Tom Bellen said. “It’s different when you’re scoring in high school championship games and games that matter. He scored against Hanover last year, against Manchester Central. … Those are big deals.”

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FROM BETHLEHEM TO NASHUA

Bomfim has been in Nashua since he was an eighth grader, and for a few years prior he was in Bethlehem, Pa., where he played middle school soccer. Then his family moved to Nashua, and as he said, “Here we are. I’m glad that happened.”

Bomfim lives, eats and breathes soccer.

“I love everything,” he said. “Scoring, the feeling like when you score in the last minute,and I’ve made friends. A lot of friends.”

When Bomfim and his family first came to the U.S., it was understandably difficult, because he didn’t know much English. He made a couple who knew Portuguese a little bit, and then things opened up a bit when he began playing soccer with other kids.

When he arrived in Nashua, he met just the right person to help him assimilate into the local soccer culture – International Soccer Club of Nashua head Jared Barbosa, a guidance counselor at his school, Fairgrounds Junior High. A teacher told Barbosa about Bomfim and his soccer talent.

“We really want to get him assimilated to the area,” Barbosa was told. “You’re going to be his counselor, what do you think?”

Barbosa knew exactly what to do.

“Jared was my first coach here, I met him in middle school, I didn’t know how to say nothing at all,” Bomfim said.

Except, he added, five key words that he said right away to Barbosa: “I want to play soccer.”

“Those are the exact same words, you can ask him, that’s what I said,” Bomfim noted.

Barbosa was able to get Bomfim on an ISC U14 team just under the deadline, and Barbosa’s brother, Hayden, ran the first practice Bomfim was at and told his brother that he made the right move.

“I wasn’t able to make the practice, and my brother ran it,” Barbosa recalled. “He said to me, ‘Jared, we have a player on our hands. He’s good.’ The second practice I was able to watch and I said, ‘Wow.'”

His first taste competition was a couple of weeks later, and Bomfim’s scoring got Nashua the title in a Memorial Day weekend tournament, in which he was named the tourney’s top player.

“It makes me feel great,” Bomfim said.

As Barbosa said, “That’s when his name started getting out there. And he’s grown, matured, an awesome, awesome kid. … What’s great about the story is the game, soccer, helped him assimilate into the community.

“Like I said, I didn’t know nothing, (Barbosa) came and helped me out,” Bomfim said. “It was just fun.”

But a new level of fun awaited – a state high school championship.

“Oh man, it was amazing,” he said. “A crazy feeling.”

Was the goal vs. North the biggest of his soccer life so far?

“It’s got to be, because of the situation,” he said. “It was a semifinal, and Nashua (South) hadn’t won (in a while). I scored, it made me feel great. I couldn’t sleep. Oh man, I can’t believe that happened, especially me. Now I’m here, I can speak English with my friends. I’m here winning championship with my friends that I made with soccer.”

“Just think about it,” Barbosa said. “You come to the area, you don’t know anybody, and the one thing you want to do is find a team – and your guidance counselor is a coach. And four years later you’re a state champion.”

Barbosa said the support of the community helped Bomfim, and Bomfim responded by working to fit in. Especially with the language.

It’s a simple necessity, Bomfim said.

“If I can play, I’ve got to talk to my friends,” he said. “I gotta learn (English). As soon as I went to high school, I said I’ve got to learn, start studying. I’ve got to communicate. I’ve got to study and talk to my friends.”

Bomfim’s father, Daniel, plays the saxophone, and works weddings. He tried to get Jadiel to take it up, but he said no. It’s all soccer. But Barbosa says he still gets text messages once in a while from Daniel and Bomfim’s mom, Vanessa, thanking him.

“They’re just so proud of Jadiel, too,” Barbosa said.

And why shouldn’t they be? He has come long way in the last four years.

“He’s becoming more of a leader,” Bellen said. “The kids respect him because he’s such a good player. In my opinion, he should be the All-American. I don’t think there’s a better player in the state.

“Just by sheer play, kids respect him. He’s a good kid, a good teammate. He’s not even a captain in the team, but kids look up to him for direction.”

“His work rate has gotten better,” Bellen said. “He came in as a freshman highly touted. I said, ‘Dude, I’ve got to see it. I’ve got to see the work rate.'”

For his sophomore year, Bomfim came in in slightly better shape, and Bellen picked his spots in using him, but it was still clear he made a difference whenever he was on the field. “It was trying to build him,” the coach explained, “to be the player he is.”

However, the last two seasons Bomfim has come into camp in tip-top shape, and it started with his junior year.

“Last year was really the big change for him,” Bellen said. “He came in in good shape, ready to go, focused, comfortable, confident with me, confident with his play, his fitness, and it just has transformed how he played from sophomore to junior year.”

What does Bellen attribute the change to?

“I think he’s more mature,” the coach said. “He figures ‘If I want to play at that next level, I’ve got to be in shape and I have to have my mindset of not just playing in the back yard, but I have to be able to run up and down a 120-yard field, 75 wide.”

Bomfim said in the off-season between his sophomore and junior year, he was lazy. But the finality of his senior year gave him a fresh outlook.

“Just not going to the fields, not exercising in the off-season,” he said. “But this season, it’s going to be my last season, I’ve got to wake up, do my exercises and stuff and come into better shape. Now I can go up and down the field with now issues.

“Last year I had to do a lot of fitness outside of practice.”

That combined with the soccer ability, and you’ve got an impressive player.

“He’s confident,” Bellen said. “He’s probably one of the few kids who has two good feet. He can play righty or lefty. He’s supposed to be a righty, but I actually think he’s a lefty because he’s used it so much.

“He’s just become very, very confident in what he does, and that’s showing on the field. He doesn’t fear any player. He’ll take anybody on.”

Bellen thinks Bomfim could be more selfish around the goal, but that he tries to work his teammates into the mix.

“He’s giving great opportunities for other players to contribute on our team,” Bellen said, “so I’m never going to knock that.”

It’s clear Bomfim will play at the next level. Some feel Division III, but Bellen thinks higher.

“He’s definitely a Division I or II player,” Bellen said. “I help out at Saint A’s, (Saint Anselm), he can definitely play at Saint A’s, Division II, no doubt.

“But he’s going to get some looks Division I. As long as his academics are good, he’ll be getting some looks.”

Everything has fallen into place the last few years for Bomfim to

succeed.

“It’s mostly him,” Bellen said. “I’m just giving him the environment to do it. And hopefully the confidence to do it. But he has done all the work to be the player that he is.”

From hitting a soccer ball alone against a wall along the streets of Brazil, to bringing crowds to their feet at Stellos Stadium: Jadiel Bomfim’s journey has been one to remember.

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