The Future of the Blue and White Dragons with Porto’s Rising Star Rodrigo Mora

FC Porto has a new kid on the block, and it looks like he might be one of the next big players. Portugal’s Rodrigo Mora is helping to get Porto back on track, something they desperately need in Liga Portugal right now. At 17, he’s already becoming one of the star sensations from the country, looking to become the next big thing.

The importance of getting to know players

While knowing the nuance of a player’s style, form and history may not be something you’ve ever considered, it is a necessity. This is especially true if you’re following teams and clubs closely with the intent of taking part in online football betting. Keeping updated on the way players are playing, new players, their stats and impact are all essential when it comes to making informed betting choices. With that in mind, here’s a look at Rodrigo Mora, and how he’s got on so far.

Starting young

At 17, Mora is the youngest debutant in the history of Portugal’s professional football. After doing well in the Under-17 Euros, he’s already doing great things for his club. After being identified as a player to watch, he’s lived up to the hype in style. He scored the winner for Portugal against Spain right in the opener. And then he helped in the 4-1 game against England scoring two of the goals. Moving to the quarter-finals against Poland saw him score a game-deciding goal, which he followed up with a 89th minute effort to get Portugal into the final. While Portugal ended up losing to Italy, Mora did get the Golden Boot, which is really impressive as he’s actually an attacking midfielder.

Where is he now?

While he began in Porto’s B team, he was very quickly moved from that spot. The new coach of Porto, Vitor Bruno, saw how well Mora was performing and instantly made a move to add him to the first-string team. He made his proper debut in the final moments of the Europa League loss to Bodo/Glimt. Then, he had a more major role for Porto against Arouca and followed this with a first senior goal against AVS.

Finally, in December, he was given a first start, and he truly made the most of it. He scored one goal and created another, helping the side win 3-0. And it didn’t end there. The 17-year-old continued this winning streak with a goal at home and a total win of 4-0 over Boavista. As such, he was finally able to cement his place on the team.

What makes him great?

Apart from his excellent goal scoring skills, Mora has a great ability to read the game. It means that he’s quick-thinking and can make decisions speedily, a skill that’s not often found in the younger players. Additionally, his physicality also makes him a great player. With quick feet and low centre of gravity, Mora is able to get out of tight spaces and make himself as elusive as possible. He’s one of those players that can play between lines while also being bold in all the moves that he takes. Not only that, but he is confident, and unburdened even playing at such a high level. He also works very hard to maintain his form.

Of course, there is plenty of room for improvement. He can be a little selfish, taking too much out of the ball, but at 17, this is still encouraging. Additionally, he tends to make situations more complicated, holding onto the ball longer than necessary, missing opportunities or worse, leading to turnovers. Mora himself recognizes that he can still learn and grow, which is only going to make him into a better player.

The future is bright

Thanks to his rapid development and strong performances, Mora already has a lot of interest. Some of Europe’s top clubs have shown that they might want to take him on including teams like Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain. If he takes either of these options, then he’s in for a step-up and will be able to improve and grow even more. Right now though, it appears he’s in no rush to leave Porto behind, playing with pride for his home town team.