It appears Jason Kreis liked what he saw from Uruguayan defender José Aja in 2016. Orlando City signed the 23-year-old center back to a four-year deal, which would make him a Lion through 2020.
Aja, a 6-foot-4 native of Montevideo, Uruguay, appeared in 10 matches (nine starts) with the Lions after joining the club on loan from Racing Club de Montevideo on July 21. He played 830 minutes, mustering only one shot on goal, committing 16 fouls, and picking up four yellow cards.
But the physical defender also paired with David Mateos to improve Orlando’s defense down the season’s final stretch.