Under-17 captain leaves Corinthians to pursue career in the United States | OneFootball

Corinthians Women had another departure in their youth ranks. Center-back Larissa Horn, 17, left the club after nearly five years and will move to the United States, where she will join Spire Academy, located in Geneva, Ohio.

The farewell was announced by the defender herself on social media last Sunday (31). Captain of the Under-17 team and wearer of the No. 3 shirt, Larissa ends her time at Parque São Jorge after developing through the Brabinhas’ youth system.

Photo: Reproduction / Instagram

In her farewell post, the player looked back on her time wearing the black-and-white shirt and highlighted the experiences she gathered along the way.

“It was almost five years wearing this shirt, living moments that I will carry with me forever. There were many titles, victories, defeats, lessons, tears, smiles and, above all, many dreams fulfilled,” she wrote.

Youth career and Brazil national team

Born in 2009, Larissa moved through different levels of Corinthians’ women’s academy before reaching the Under-17 team. During her time at the club, she won titles in the Under-14, Under-15 and Under-17 categories, in addition to taking on the captain’s armband.

The defender also gained experience with Brazil’s youth national teams. According to information released by Bolsa Atleta USA, which handled her move to the United States, Larissa received seven call-ups to represent Brazil.

One of her main experiences came at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. At the time, at 15 years old, the center-back was among the youngest players in that edition of the tournament.

For Corinthians, Larissa was also part of the team that won the Brazilian Women’s Under-17 Championship last season.

In 2026, the defender played in the category’s national championship again. The Brabinhas reached the semifinals, but were eventually eliminated by Ferroviária. The team is also competing in the Paulista Under-17 Championship this season.

Her new destination will be Spire Academy

After developing at Corinthians, Larissa will continue her athletic and academic growth in the United States. Her new destination will be Spire Academy, an institution located in Geneva, Ohio.

According to information released by Bolsa Atleta USA, the campus covers approximately 3.2 million square meters and offers extensive facilities dedicated to sports development.

The institution’s women’s soccer program is led by Paul Smalley, a professional with experience in English football who worked as an assistant coach for the England women’s national team in international competitions, in addition to spells with the Football Association and Portsmouth.

Women’s academy sees more departures

Larissa’s transfer adds to the list of players who have recently left Corinthians’ women’s youth setup to continue their development in the United States.

Before the center-back, Brunna Meer, Manu Olivan, Natália Pereira and Mariela Baiak also took that path. As a result, Larissa becomes the fifth recent departure from the club’s women’s academy to head to American soccer.

The move comes while Corinthians continue competing in the Women’s Paulista Under-17 Championship. The Brabinhas sit in second place in Group 2, with seven points earned in the first phase of the competition.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.