Coach Luiz Uehara has announced his Southern United squad, signalling accelerated interest in the ASB Premiership.
Southern United (formerly Otago United) opens its campaign against Waitakere at Forsyth Barr Stadium on November 10.
There have been keen attendances both at Tahuna Park trainings and at regular early-morning gymnasium sessions as players try to hone their skills and build fitness for the national league.
Brazilian coach Uehara has named 20 players, and more could be included later due to the blurring of lines with a large youth squad, which trains under the experienced eyes of Mike McGarry and Andrew Brook and will have Invercargill-based coach Ken Cresswell as coach when the national youth league starts.
There is a distinct samba flavour in the Southern United squad. As well as Uehara, Brazilian goalkeeper Jefferson Potrich is still to arrive, and striker Henrique Alves Viana (21) has played for the Corinthians club in Sao Paulo.
Another key player will be the highly experienced Patrick Ebanda, from Cameroon, who honed his midfield skills in several seasons as a professional in the Ukraine.
He could be partnered by David Low, another midfielder with extensive experience of professional football in Singapore.
Uehara hopes a solid core of experience will allow local talent to flourish.
''We will be aiming for an effective blend of experience and youth, building on patterned play and patience.''
Certainly, there are local players who have been selected that have skills to spare, notably Regan Coldicott, whose pace has unsettled opposition defences. Even from a wide winger's role, the Mosgiel player usually chimes in with several goals each season.
Moving forward from defence, Geordie Mansford will also get a chance to test his pace and skills out wide.
Better known as an attacking futsal player, Peter Rae has always shown tight control, and in his first season at senior level, striker Taylor McCormack will compete for a front-running role with the more stable targetman Daniel Morris, who has been quietly effective in training matches.
Matt Joy is likely to anchor central defence, and the University club's Peter Overmire is also a defensive candidate, as is Campbell Attwood. Wide defenders David Hayman, David Low, Nick Hindson and possibly Logan Wright-Webb and Cam Higgins are capable of both guarding flanks and getting forward.
Competition will be fiercest in midfield, where locals Sam Mepham, Morgan Day, Aajay Cunningham, Andrew Ridden and Henry Flood will hope to join Ebanda.
Goalkeeping coach Tony Boomer also has a squad of his own, as Potrich, former Canterbury keeper Tom Batty and several youth keepers such as Josh Dijkstra perform intensive shot-stopping, handling and goal-kicking drills.
Uehara, who in the past played professionally in Japan, admitted he was ''quite Japanese'' in his attention to minute detail and planning.
''So much of football is about preparation, and that is how I see training, and the effort that players apply in midweek,'' he said.
''Providing players apply themselves, it should all produce results in the game itself.''
Southern United
The squad
Tom Batty, Jeferson Potrich, David Hayman, Mat Joy, Peter Overmire, Campbell Attwood, David Low, Nicki Hindson, Patrick Ebanda, Henry Flood, Morgan Day, Sam Mepham, Aajay Cunningham, Andrew Ridden, Regan Coldicott, Taylor McCormack, Geordie Mansford, Peter Rae, Daniel Morris, Henrique Alves Viana.
