FC Dallas team have bolstered their young squad with the signing of an experienced veteran for their defensive midfielder position.
Juan Esteban Ortiz, a seasoned player with 241 Colombian first-division matches under his belt, has signed with FC Dallas, the club announced Wednesday.
“He’s bringing 200-plus games of experience into a position where games are won and lost,” FCD technical director Fernando Clavijo told FCDallas.com. “It gives us exactly what we didn’t have (last season) -- somebody who is physically imposing, a ball-winner and he’s a guy that is going to lead by example."
The 28-year-old Colombian has played in the country's top-level Categoria Primera A since he began his career in 2008. He logged over 100 appearances each for Independiente Medellín and Millonarios and comes to FC Dallas from Atlético Huila, where he appeared in 25 matches in 2015.
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“I think Ortiz brings expertise, leadership and experience into a very key position for us,” Clavijo said. “He’s somebody that through leadership is going to help those players develop, but also take some of the pressure away from the young players that were put in positions to make mistakes throughout the games and learn as they go – which is not always the right thing to do.”
Ortiz launched his career at Medellín, the same club that FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja started out with in 1987 – the year Ortiz was born.
