December 8, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Louisville City FC News Release
The 2023 USL Championship Defender of the Year will wear purple next season with Louisville City FC having signed Arturo Ordóñez to a multi-year contract, it was announced Friday.
Ordóñez, whose deal pends league and federation approval, joins LouCity after a breakout year for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, where he anchored a back line that conceded an Eastern Conference-fewest 29 goals in 34 games.
“We are excited to welcome Arturo to Louisville City,” said coach Danny Cruz. “We wanted to solidify our back line with someone hungry to succeed and willing to put the work in to achieve the goals that we have here at the club. In Arturo, we found a player that is an incredible professional and takes pride in winning every day.
“He fits the positional profile that we were looking for at center back in his ability to defend one on one, and he provides the calmness that we need on the ball. We believe Arturo is going to be a big addition, and are looking forward to integrating him into our group when he arrives.”
In his second year as a professional, Ordóñez numbered 239 recoveries and 106 aerial duels won – both ranking second in the league. He also chipped in five goals en route to the Defender of the Year vote and a spot on the All-League First Team.
The Salou, Spain, native made his move to the United States in 2019 to play for the University of Pittsburgh, which made its first NCAA College Cup appearance a year later 2020. After going 39th in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft to the Houston Dynamo, Ordóñez signed his first pro contract with the Riverhounds, starting all but three games as a rookie.
The 26-year-old Ordóñez joins LouCity after helping Pittsburgh claim its first silverware in the club’s USL Championship era: the Players’ Shield for best regular season record.
“LouCity is the right place for me because I feel this club has set the standard over the last nine years on and off the field,” Ordóñez said. “There’s a winning culture and a winning history within this organization. The facility and everything that surrounds this club is unbelievable. It gets me really excited to get started in preseason.
“There’s a very high standard, and that’s why I wanted to come here and challenge myself to be at that level.”
Ordóñez joins a strong core of returning players as LouCity looks to build on last season’s ninth-straight run to the USL Championship Eastern…
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