AFC Champions League 2021: Jorge Ortiz - FC Goa have to win a game to show our level

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Ortiz will shoulder the responsibility in the final third in the absence of star striker Igor Angulo...

Jorge Ortiz is expected to play one of the leading roles for FC Goa in the 2021 AFC Champions League (ACL).

With Indian Super League (ISL) season 7 Golden Boot winner Igor Angulo and midfielder Alberto Noguera among the excluded foreigners in head coach Juan Ferrando's 28-member squad for the Asian competition, Ortiz explained to Goal what he expects from himself and the team.

Having been preferred over Igor Angulo, the 28-year-old said, "It's the decision of the coach. I've played in various positions in attack this season. My aim is to try and do my best, whether on the wing or in the attack."

In fact, it will not be the first time that Ortiz will be starting upfront in the absence of Igor Angulo. He was deployed as the number nine in Goa's 3-0 win over Jamshedpur from when Angulo started on the bench for three consecutive games. Ortiz was picked above his compatriots in the second leg of the semi-final against Mumbai City as well.

Speaking of his best display in the recently concluded ISL season, the traditional winger who scored six times and registered an assist has picked out the goalless draw against Mumbai City as one that pleased him the most.

"I think the obvious one people would expect me to say is the game against Jamshedpur because I scored a couple of goals but from the perspective of overall performance and how happy I was, I would say the two semi-finals because (against Mumbai City) the team showed how well we can play and we matched them toe-to-toe. I think we were more superior to them. So I think that was the best performance we had this season," he reasoned.

Ortiz acknowledged that the ACL is a level above what FC Goa have been used to playing in the ISL while giving his opinion on the absence of Angulo in the squad.

"This tournament is obviously a level above everything we have been playing in so far. We are going to try and do what we do best but it's not just about us. It's about understanding what the other teams are capable of and making sure that we give them competition in every single game.

"It's a tough decision to leave somebody out and we'll obviously miss all the players who might not be selected because of the rules or injuries. Obviously, we are going to miss players with quality but our aim is to try and do the best we can with the players available.

"We have to try and win a game in the (Asian) Champions League for us to demonstrate our level and that's the challenge we are going to face as a team, not individually," he concluded.

2021-04-13 23:00:08

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