Cristhian Ortiz in 2023 (Orense SC) – Scout Report

Cristhian Ortiz is a 15-year-old versatile midfielder of Orense U-19. The young Ecuadorian is also a U-15 international. Ortiz mainly played for Orense U-19, but also had a handful of appearances for the U-15s and U-17s in the finals of the domestic league. I’ve seen the midfielder play as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder and attacking midfielder. I have not previously written about Orense’s youngster.

The midfielder stands at around 1.70m – 1.75m with an average upper body build and strong legs. Ortiz displays a good burst of speed over short distances and has good speed over longer distances. At just 15, he will likely become even faster in the upcoming years. Cristhian Ortiz protects the ball well, using his strong legs to maintain his balance and not getting pushed off the ball easily. He is quite athletic; Ortiz is capable of using quick and good feints to put his opponent on the wrong foot and he is relatively agile.

Cristhian Ortiz has a very nice technique, although he is not as technically gifted as the Quintero brothers. The midfielder’s passing technique over short and long distances is very clean. Ortiz likes to spread play. He sporadically mishits the ball but he will become more consistent over time. Playing in a more advanced position, Ortiz relies more on his creativity to play high-risk passes with both feet. His success rate is inconsistent but the fact he displays such good vision makes me think he has a high ceiling.

The midfielder dares to take on opponents in first-phase possession, displaying a good burst and quick feints to dribble past his opponent. He can sporadically be a bit too casual in attacking 1v1s on his own half, losing the ball and getting into trouble. Ortiz’s first touch under pressure is quite good. He strikes the ball really well from both close and long range. Ortiz is also a set-piece specialist, scoring free-kicks and delivering dangerous crosses from corners and free-kicks. Defensively, he looks quite responsible at the age of 15, being at the right place at the right time in most situations. He also displays good decision-making in transition, making important interceptions in midfield.

Orense SC are doing a great job promoting young players like Erick Zambrano and Cristhian Ortiz to the U-19’s or even the first team. It shows their commitment to developing young players for the first team. My expectation for 2024 is that Cristhian Ortiz plays another full season for the U-19s. He potentially will make his first-team debut in the latter stages of 2024. The midfielder has the potential to make a transfer to Europe when he turns 18.