Playing a position often overlooked, Victor Ulloa consistently stands out.
Some of that comes from his reliability.
Through six preseason games, Ulloa has produced solid performances while playing different roles alongside different central midfield partners. While others have lost time because of injury or national team duty, Ulloa’s been healthy and a consistent presence. He was the first FC Cincinnati midfielder to play a complete match last Saturday against the Charleston Battery.
But he’s also a vocal leader who commands from his role as a defensive midfielder. In his 2019 preseason debut against the Montreal Impact on Jan. 30, he wore the captain’s armband. On a team filled with international players, Ulloa communicates with players in both English and Spanish as if he’s speaking both languages at once.
“Victor’s been very, very good,” FCC Head Coach Alan Koch said. “I knew he’d be good before he came to us, but I’m even more impressed now getting to work with him every single day.”
Ulloa was traded to Cincinnati from FC Dallas the day after the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft. In Dallas, the 26-year-old midfielder made 144 league appearances, averaging almost 29 per season in each of the last five years.
A Homegrown Player for Dallas who originally signed with the club in 2010 as an 18-year old, he’s technically entering his 10th campaign as a professional and it shows in his quality.
“I try to do my job and what the coach likes,” Ulloa said. “Learning new things is important because you always have to strive to get better as a player, and that’s what I like to do. I just try to do what the coach wants me to do and try to keep growing.”
Recently, growing has meant adapting.
Against the Impact, he was the holding midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation. On Wednesday night against the Chicago Fire, he played 20 minutes in that same role, but in a 3-4-3 formation. In Cincinnati’s six preseason matches, Ulloa’s played in different formations and with six different center mids: Nazmi Albadawi, Fatai Alashe, Leo Bertone, Allan Cruz, Eric Alexander and Caleb Stanko.
Having that versatility is one of Ulloa’s strengths, he said.
“I would say absolutely,” he added. “I can play in different systems. I’m a very tactical and smart, organized player and I like to have the ball at my feet. There’s always room for improvement. I would like to connect more passes forward and break lines and give the team more options going forward.”
As a holding midfielder, Ulloa acts as the anchor to the midfield, connecting it to the backline. But his swift passes can also break lines to the forwards from his vision and accurate passing.
“Victor has proven in this league he’s a fantastic midfield player,” Koch said. “He’s very sound defensively. He’s very good in possession. He’s a guy who can help us stay all connected out of possession, but can also be a true platform for us to build off in possession.”
With FC Cincinnati being an expansion club, Koch said it’s crucial players are versatile on the field. Forming chemistry with new teammates is equally important. (The only FCC teammate Ulloa has played with before is Roland Lamah.) Ulloa is a clear example of the standard Koch hopes to see in 2019.
“We have to adapt as an expansion team because everybody’s new,” Koch said. “So, you have to be comfortable playing with all the different players that we’ve put into different pairings. Victor just comes to work. He’s a professional. He gets on with his job and he embraces whoever plays next to him.”
