Los Angeles FC: Andre Horta must earn it
Andre Horta went on loan to Braga because of a lack of opportunities at Benfica. Those opportunities produced interest. Now he is set to sign with Los Angeles FC, he must earn that interest.
On July 1, Los Angeles FC officially closes the designated player rumor mill when midfielder Andre Horta joins the team. The player was on loan to SC Braga.
Horta leaves a Portuguese team that planned to make him their most expensive player ever. He instead invests his future in the momentum of MLS and Los Angeles FC.
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Nevermind the money, Horta said LAFC wanted him enough to work five long months with parent club Benfica for a deal. That made him want LAFC back.
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On loan from Benfica, Horta played on the left wing and sometimes in central midfield in Braga’s 4-4-2 double diamond formation. With training, he will adjust and fit well in LAFC formations: 4-3-3, 3-4-3, or 4-2-3-1. This is especially true given his experience at the top level in Europe, his positional versatility and spatial intelligence.
His value at SC Braga, however, didn’t come entirely from scoring. In 17 games, he scored one goal with six assists. Scouts list key passes and taking set-pieces among Horta’s greatest talents. Add to that strong passing and through balls. Finish the scouting report with Horta’s style of shooting from distance and swarming to long balls. Then the interest from LAFC gets very clear.
Head coach Bob Bradley and company don’t want to wait for Horta to finish maturing in Europe. At the earliest, they’d get him somewhere in his 30s. Instead, whatever development he still needs, he’ll get on the LAFC pitch.
Horta acknowledges that he still has some maturing to do to reach his potential. And he’s confident he can get that at LAFC – a new club, new stadium and new training center. He’ll reach his potential among great players in a league on the rise. What more could a young talent want?
The interest that Horta garnered was because of the game time that he was afforded by being loaned out. He was unused at Benfica. Not needed. Merely a prospect for the future, an afterthought for the present. But in his willingness to go and find opportunities, namely at Braga, Horta established himself as a contributor in the here and now. LAFC took not.
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The loan move for Horta has paid off big. LAFC are the ones that are paying it. All Horta has to do now is earn it.