Sporting Kansas City II announced today that the club has signed 18-year-old Academy player Johann Ortiz to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract ahead of Sunday's match at St. Louis CITY2.
Ortiz, a crafty, attack-minded midfielder, becomes the fourth Sporting KC Academy product signed to SKC II's 2025 MLS NEXT Pro roster, joining Nati Clarke, Cielo Tschantret and Shane Donovan. The former member of Sporting Arkansas made 11 appearances for Sporting KC II as an amateur player in 2024, debuting last March and tallying two goals and three assists.
Sporting KC II 2025 Roster - as of Friday, March 21
(Players signed to MLS NEXT Pro professional contracts)
- Defenders (3): Nati Clarke, Pierre Lurot, Anthony Samways
- Midfielders (6): Bryan Arellano, Shane Donovan, Johann Ortiz, Gael Quintero, Cielo Tschantret, Beckham Uderitz
- Forwards (3): Medgy Alexandre, Maouloune Goumballe, David Zavala
Ortiz, an 18-year-old Arkansas native, played in all six of Sporting’s first-team preseason matches this winter after a strong first season with Sporting KC II last year. As an amateur player, he punctuated his 2024 MLS NEXT Pro campaign with two goals and three assists in 11 appearances.
Ortiz joined the Sporting KC Academy in 2018 and has represented the club at the U-12 through U-19 levels. The talented midfielder spent the 2023-2024 MLS NEXT season with the U-17s and U-19s, notably helping the latter team capture the 2023 UPSL Oklahoma-Arkansas regular season title. He was part of a Sporting KC U-14 side that won the 2021 US Youth Futsal National Championship before helping the U-15s qualify for the 2021-22 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs. In 2024, Ortiz helped guide Sporting's U-17s to both the GA Cup and MLS NEXT Cup Quarterfinals.
This season, Ortiz has started one of two MLS NEXT Pro appearances and earned minutes in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on an Academy Amateur contract.
Led by newly appointed head coach Istvan Urbanyi and returning assistant coach Ike Opara, Sporting KC II will continue their 2025 MLS NEXT Pro campaign with another matchup with St. Louis CITY2 at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. CT and the match will air on MLS Season Pass in the Apple TV App.
Johann Ortiz
Midfielder
Birthdate: 1/1/2007 (18 years old)
Height: 5-8
Weight: 165 lbs.
Hometown: Springdale, AR
Birthplace: Fayetteville, AR
Citizenship: USA
Instagram: @johann_ortiz10
