Cristian Ortiz Lives out International Dream with Dominican Republic

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Tampa Bay Rowdies

Cristian Ortiz Lives out International Dream with Dominican Republic

August 8, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release


Baseball is the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic by leaps and bounds. That wasn't really the case for Tampa Bay Rowdies forward Cristian Ortiz's father Charlie, though. Despite spending the early years of his childhood growing up in the Dominican Republic, and even though his father had been a standout pitcher on the cusp of breaking into the professional ranks, Charlie's true passion was for soccer.

So it didn't come as much of a surprise when Charlie nudged his son Cristian toward soccer rather than baseball or any other sport.

"Sports have always been a big part of our family. I mean, Charlie didn't give Cristian much of a choice," Cristian's mom Janet joked when the youngster signed for the Rowdies earlier this year. "He was sort of like this is a soccer ball, this is what we do in this family, so get kicking."

Both of Ortiz's parents played sports in college in New York. Charlie was a member of SUNY Morrisville soccer program in upstate New York, while Janet played softball at Lehman College in the Bronx. When it came to what sport their son would pursue, there was a clear winner in the Ortiz household.

"I don't even remember how old I was when this happened, but I remember when I was very young that I was playing tee-ball at the park with my mom, and my dad was not a fan at all," Ortiz recalls while laughing. "I think baseball may have been a little boring for him. It didn't take long for him to start steering me toward soccer instead."

Ortiz took to soccer like a true natural, thanks in no small part of his father's support. With limited options for organized youth leagues in the family's hometown of White Plains, New York, Ortiz would hone his skills with his father throughout the week.

"In White Plains, there was a little indoor place to play soccer that we would go to," says Ortiz. "My dad always took me there. It was really more of a basketball court, but they would bring in two little goals and we would play futsal for hours. That was so much fun. I remember just loving every minute of it. So my dad definitely encouraged my love for soccer."

Charlie left the Dominican Republic at a young age with his family to start a new life in New York. When Charlie eventually started his own family with Janet, the two young parents found a strong support system in his family.

"When we lived in New York, my grandma lived down the street from us and I would always be at her house," says Ortiz. "She would babysit us all the time, and I loved it because she makes the best food ever; rice, beans, chicken, avocado, with platanos. To this day, any time she cooks, it's always amazing. I have three uncles on my dad's side and they are some of my favorite people in the entire world. I love going back up to New York and seeing my family up there in New York. My family has always been an important of who I am. I couldn't achieve any of the things I have without them."

As Ortiz progressed through the youth soccer ranks in New York and then Tampa Bay with Florida Premier FC, his aspirations of someday becoming a professional player and playing on the international stage no longer seemed so far-fetched. That first goal became a reality in May when the 17-year-old became the Rowdies first USL Academy player to sign a professional contract with the club.

Ticking off that box of his first professional contract then set Ortiz up for the next step. Shortly after inking his Rowdies deal, the Dominican Football Federation called up to bring the young forward into the fold for the U-20 CONCACAF Championship tournament in July.

"I really always wished to represent the Dominican Republic," says Ortiz. "It was a goal I had in the back of my head. I never thought it would come this early for me. I thought it would come later, but I'm so excited that the opportunity came when it did. It's something I can take a lot of pride in, something my family can take pride in."

Ortiz was the youngest player on the Dominican Republic's U-20 squad for the tournament. Coming in as the youngest player in your first international call up could be intimidating for some. Not for Ortiz, though. He's used to being the young kid on the block, as he's the second youngest player on this year's Rowdies roster. U.S. youth international Nate Worth is the youngest but only by a couple of months.

There was definitely a learning curve for the youngster, though. For starters, Ortiz is not a native Spanish speaker. With a few lessons from his Rowdies teammate Manuel Arteaga and some help from the rest of the Dominican Republic U-20s, he's started to get a better handle on the language. The language barrier didn't seem to be a major impediment for Ortiz while with the U-20s. After earning a roster spot for the tournament in training camp in Mexico, Ortiz was handed the coveted number nine by the staff. Hen then went on to start in all three of the country's group stage matches.

"That was an awesome feeling," Ortiz says of taking on the number nine role for the Dominican U-20s. "Right when I found that out, I knew it was serious. I knew they wanted to use me and have me play an important role with the team."

Ultimately he Dominican Republic fell short of advancing past the group stage of this year's tournament. However, as the only player who will still be eligible for the squad when the next CONCACAF U-20 Championship rolls around, Ortiz is already looking forward his next shot at the tournament and any other opportunities on the international stage that come his way.

"The whole tournament was such a great experience for me," says Ortiz. "I was ready for something like that at this point in my career. We just got unfortunate with some results. The next time I get an opportunity at the international level, I'll be much more ready now that I know what it's like to be in that environment. It'll be a lot more comfortable for me the next time around. Overall, it was a really great learning experience with the group and I had a lot of fun."

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