San Francisco Deltas stalwart midfielder Cristian Portilla has been lost for the season after suffering an ACL tear last weekend against the Jacksonville Armada.

Portilla was injured early in the first half when he went into a tackle.

“My knee is getting better from Sunday, I have never felt pain, so I’m ready to take the recovery process head on and will work to be back on the field as soon as possible,” Portilla said.

The Spaniard has been the glue for the team in the Spring Season converting defense into offense and seemingly always in the right place at the right time. He also has a deadly accuracy on free kicks, which has been one of the high points offensively for the Deltas.

He has played a team high 1464 minutes and twice was the NASL player of the week and once had the NASL play of the month.

“Cristian has been a crucial part of this team. He was able to build a name for himself in the league and help us get points,” said Deltas head coach Marc Dos Santos. “He’s an important loss for us.”

It is possible that defensive midfielder Matt Jordan could slide into Portilla’s position. Coach Dos Santos might also consider playing Tyler Gibson as well in the spot.

Portilla said he will stay with the Deltas through the end of the campaign as they try and qualify for an NASL postseason spot. “I will be in San Francisco until the end of the season,” he said. “I want to be close to my teammates and fight with them to get to our goal.”

The Deltas return to the field without their midfielder against the New York Cosmos tomorrow Saturday, August 5th at Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park. The game will start at 5 PM.