Jorge Ortiz turned in a breathtaking performance on Saturday to help FC Goa record a 1-0 win over Odisha FC. Whilst Igor Angulo marked the game with the winning goal – his 6th in 5 games – Ortiz ran the show on the wings and the attacking third.
The Spaniard, who earned his first Hero Of The Match award for his performance against Odisha, showed the ability and willingness time and again to add both flair and directness to the FC Goa attack. Ortiz ended the day with 5 shots on target, 3 successful take ons, 8 crosses and 87 touches, emphasising his impact on the proceedings.
Speaking to fcgoa.in following the game, the 28-year-old expressed his delight on helping his side to a second win on the trot and discussed as to how the team is coming together.
“I am very happy with the way the team is playing and my contribution to the cause when I am on the field. Yesterday, I missed out on scoring a goal despite my best efforts. I hope it comes in the next game. The most important thing, though, is that we got all 3 points,” said the Spaniard.
“(Getting the three points) again was important to us. I think we can still improve and we will keep working to find our best version.
“The team is adapting well and we feel we are getting better with each passing day. We are a team with many new people and we are getting to know each other better. We are working to improve every day, for ourselves and for each other.”
Dominant display
Although it was a 1-0 win, the Gaurs were dominant against Odisha throughout. The designated ‘away’ side ended the game with nearly 700 passes completed at more than 80% success rate and 20 efforts on goal. Mohammad Nawaz, on the other hand, did not have to make any save of note.
Add in the other metrics, and there was ample proof throughout the 90 minutes and beyond that this team was not only explosive going forward, but also had an assuredness with their play and confidence of delivering in different situations and facets of the game.
So what was the plan heading into the game against Odisha?
“The plan was to control the game with the ball and take advantage of the spaces that were going to appear if we were mobile enough to create them and thankfully, we were,” Ortiz explained.
“We wanted to take charge of the game and be patient because any mistake could see us get punished as Odisha has some really good players. I think we did very well. We were able to win the game, but what was important was the way we did. We controlled the game. I was happy with how the team was hungry for more even till the last minute.”
The Gaurs had to settle for just a slim 1-0 win at the end against Odisha. They will now look to satiate their hunger for goals on Wednesday when they take on ATK Mohun Bagan on Wednesday, December 16.