Welcome to Rose City Joao Ortiz!

Photo Credit Major League Soccer

The Portland Timbers have officially acquired defensive midfielder Joao Ortiz from Ecuador after playing for powerhouse Independiente del Valle as the club announced today.

The 28-year-old Ecuador international is under contract through 2027 with an option for 2028. He arrives with a $15 million transfer fee and is targeted Allocation Money (TAM) signing.

“We are enthusiastic about adding Joao to the team, and we see him being an important contributor within our midfield group going forward,” said general manager Ned Grabavoy.

“Joao has great experience in South American competitions with both club and country, and we believe can make an immediate impact to raise the level of our group.”

Before joining Portland, Ortiz accumulated eight goals and 15 assists in 229 professional appearances – mainly featuring in Ecuador for Independiente del Valle, Delfín SC, and LDU Quito.

“We are pleased with the signing of Joao, a player that has great competition in the midfield. We’ve looked at him and been impressed with his time playing with the first team in Ecuador,” said head coach Phil Neville. “He’s strong, physical, and good on the ball, and I think he will be an outstanding addition to our team being the profile that we’re looking for.”

Ortiz has played nine times for Ecuador and was on their 2024 Copa América squad. Ortiz joins a Timbers midfield group that includes Diego Chara, David Ayala, and Cristhian Paredes.

The Portland Timbers 2025 season begins on February 23rd against the Vancouver Whitecaps as this match is an immediate rematch of last year’s Western Conference Wild Card defeat.

The Esmeralda, Ecuador native began his professional career with the Ecuadorian side CD Universidad Católica in 2014. Ortiz went on to play for Deportivo Quito (2015-16), CD Clan Juvenil (2017), Deportivo Cuenca (2018-19), Delfín SC (2020-21) and LDU Quito (2022) from LigaPro Serie A as well as spending a season with Uruguayan side Club Plaza Colonia (2015).

Internationally, Ortiz has made nine appearances (four starts) for the Ecuadorian Men’s National Team. Ortiz made his senior debut as a starter in Ecuador’s 3-0 win over Mexico on Oct. 28th in 2021. Notably, he made five appearances in Ecuador’s 2023 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, logging a 90-minute performance in their 2-1 win over Bolivia. Most recently, Ortiz was called into Ecuador’s Copa América 2024 squad in the summer.

Source: Portland Timbers Communications