One of FC Cincinnati’s newest stars joined the club this offseason both with excitement about the opportunity to compete in a new environment, and with the chance to continue the legacy of a friend, teammate and compatriot.
Bryan Ramirez is off to a hot start with The Orange and Blue and has quickly made an impact on the team with his play. The 25-year-old Ecuadorian has started all three MLS matches and earned an assist in his league debut on opening day.
The opportunity to join FC Cincinnati this winter was one that came up quickly for Ramirez – who was playing LDU Quito prior to joining The Orange and Blue – but was a decision he made without hesitation. As a standout in the Ecuadorian League (LigaPro Serie A), Ramirez was open to new opportunities. When FC Cincinnati expressed interest in him, he was already familiar with the club and was confident about how he could fit into it.
“The club's seriousness is what stood out. It was the first club that showed me its proposal and its project, and I think that really caught my attention in this very competitive league, and I'm very happy to be here,” Ramirez told FCCincinnati.com earlier this year. “I had followed many matches and I've seen that they have a very good club, very good players; there's a reason they got where they did last season, which I saw was very good.”
As a professional player Ramirez has taken an atypical pathway. First playing the game in his neighborhood on the streets, at 11-years-old he decided to leave home to join a club in pursuit of playing as a professional. Two years later though, he decided to take a step back and focus on school.
“I think it was a very beautiful childhood, having spent a lot of time at school…just kicking a ball around in the street, all over the rocks in my neighborhood,” Ramirez explained. “It wasn't until I was 19 that I picked up this path again.”
After years away from the sport – or at least away from the level that we come to expect professional athletes to come from – Ramirez resumed his journey as an adult. He joined a second division side, Cumbayá FC, and quickly caught the eye of LDU Quito (or Liga Deportiva Universitaria), earning an opportunity to play at the highest level.
“I highlight Liga Deportiva Universitaria, which was the club that gave me the opportunity to keep growing,” Ramirez said while at FC Cincinnati preseason in Clearwater, Florida. “It's been a wonderful journey with its ups and downs, but I'm very happy to be able to realize my dream.”
With LDU Quito he would help “La U” win the 2023 Ecuadorian Serie A Championship and the 2023 Copa Sudamericana. Ramirez would also cross paths with FC Cincinnati midfielder Marco Angulo, who was on loan from FCC to the Quito. The pair connected in their time together before Angulo tragically passed away near the end of 2024. Ramirez says his late friend and teammate would speak highly of FC Cincinnati and regularly share stories of their 2023 Supporters’ Shield victory.
“When I heard of the opportunity, my first thought was of Marco,” Ramirez shared. “He spoke very highly of the city and the club, which he always said was very beautiful.”
“So for me, it was an honor to come and play here,” Ramirez added. “I was excited to play in the league, but even more excited to play for a club where there had already been an Ecuadorian player with an Ecuadorian legacy.”
Off the pitch Ramirez has been described as “Serious Casual” and brings intensity to his work. That said, FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan has said that with time, Ramirez has started to show his personality more and praised the Ecuadorian of having a good sense of when to be serious, and when to have fun.
“You're starting to see a little bit of his character behind the scenes. He's getting more comfortable with his teammates, with the staff members,” Noonan said of Ramirez settling in. “(You’re starting) to see him smile…joking around. I think he just knows when to turn it on and turn it off.”
On the pitch, Ramirez describes himself as a player who is cheerful when he plays – that in his eyes, competing and all the hard work that goes into winning is fun…and he loves to have fun. Ramirez also credits street football for his sporting education and carries that with pride, using it as motivation and inspiration.
“I try to show what the neighborhood taught me—that street football style I come from,” Ramirez explained. “It started when I was very young, around 5 or 6 years old, kicking a ball around in the street, all over the rocks in my neighborhood…(but) whenever I step on the field I try to bring that joy. I think I have good characteristics and others to improve, but I think I consider myself cheerful, very cheerful on the field.”
That neighborhood style, played on the streets of his hometown of Esmeralda, extends far into his philosophy about the game. He prioritizes winning, finding ways to help winning teams so as to play longer, and isn’t much for personal pomp and circumstance. For example, Ramirez wears number 29 because “it was the number they gave me,” when he arrived at LDU Quito, so why bother changing?
“I pride myself on being a player that can play in multiple positions,” Ramirez adds as to what he takes pride in on the field. “For me, it's just about being in a position to help the team.”
His new Head Coach has already praised Ramirez for his intelligence and instincts, particularly pointing to his ability to move with the game, operate inside a formation but improvise on the fly.
“He’s not a robot,” Noonan said in praise. “He just reads the game, moves with the play, very well…he can think for himself and make plays (that) you analyze and say 'that's a smart player.’”
With the season underway, Bryan Ramirez will continue to get settled in with the team and with his new home. Joining a new club can be hard, both on and off the pitch, but in his first season with The Orange and Blue, Ramirez is looking to take in the experience to its fullest and win as many games as possible.
“The truth is, it will be my first year away from home, but I think it's going to be a very beautiful year, a very blessed year,” Ramirez said. “We have to set very big goals, and I think that's good. Let's work to give everything in every game to get many victories!”