Republic FC Acquires Veteran Midfielder Justin Portillo from FC Tulsa Through Transfer
June 6, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sacramento Republic FC News Release
Republic FC announced today that the club has reached an agreement with FC Tulsa to transfer Justin Portillo to Sacramento, pending league & federation approval. Per club policy, the terms of the contract were not disclosed. The midfielder will be available for selection this Saturday.
"Justin is a proven winner who brings a Championship pedigree and over a decade of experience to our club," said Republic FC President and General Manager Todd Dunivant. "He dictates play and loves getting on the ball, and those qualities, combined with his leadership abilities, will be a welcome addition to our group."
The 11-year pro signed with FC Tulsa ahead of the 2024 season following two years with New Mexico United where he led the Black and Yellow to back-to-back postseason berths. In 10 appearances in Tulsa, Portillo recorded one goal and two assists. In two seasons with New Mexico, he scored 14 goals and added 10 assists in 71 appearances across all competitions. He led all New Mexico players with 119 chances created from 2022-2023 and ranked fifth across the league during the two-year period.
The New Orleans native made his professional debut with Charleston Battery in 2014 where he played for four seasons, making 113 total appearances 19 goals and 10 assists. After Charleston, Portillo signed with Real Monarchs, where he played under current Republic FC Head Coach Mark Briggs and was named Team MVP in his first season. The following year, he played a key role in Monarchs' title-winning run, adding two goals and four assists, with one assist coming in the USL Championship Final. The following year he became the eighth player to make the jump from Monarchs to its MLS affiliate Real Salt Lake. He spent three years in MLS, maintaining an 81.5% passing accuracy across 472 minutes
Portillo's career numbers place him among the league's top 15 in minutes, assists, and appearances - 244 all-time appearances, 20,139 minutes played, and 38 assists. He has also created 306 chances with an 86.9% passing accuracy rating across his career.
Republic FC will play on the road this Saturday with a quick road trip to face off with regional rival Monterey Bay F.C. The two Northern California clubs most recently met in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32, with Sacramento taking a 2-0 win. Kickoff from Cardinale Stadium in Seaside, California is set for 7:00 p.m. and the match will be broadcast live in English and Spanish on Antenna TV 40.2 as well as streaming on FOX40.com, the FOX40 News mobile app, and ESPN+.
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