Bloom’s Omar Ortiz is the rare soccer player who upends the positional stereotype.
The junior forward alters the perceptions about the selfish striker at the top of the formation. Rather, he prefers being the one who dazzles with his playmaking.
“Goals do matter, obviously,” Ortiz said. “I don’t feel like I need them individually, but the team does. I feel like what I need to do as a player is to help us score.
“So, my instinct is always to look for other people.”
After helping Bloom reach uncharted territory last season, Ortiz is now preparing to push himself — and the program — to an even higher level.
Ortiz sliced and diced opposing defenses last season with elite playmaking ability and superb finishing touch, helping to optimize one of the best scoring attacks in the state.
In the end, Ortiz scored 25 goals and recorded a remarkable 32 assists as Bloom (21-6-2) reached the first Class 3A sectional championship game in program history.
“I feel like my best attributes are my first touch and vision,” Ortiz said. “I have a really good vision to see things not a lot of other players do. I just make plays with the ball.”
He formed a devastating one-two punch with senior forward Jonathan Magana, who finished with 35 goals. Bloom totaled 105 goals as a team.
Fueling that goal-scoring fire is the 5-foot-11 Ortiz, who combines size with athleticism, excellent burst on the dribble and a highly creative style.
“I definitely use my size to my advantage,” he said. “Do as many different things as I can like get headers or play the ball in the air.”
Twelve of the 13 players who scored at least one goal last season are back for the Blazing Trojans.
But Ortiz is the catalyst, the one who makes the offense flow and hum, according to senior midfielder Miguel Vilchis.
“Omar is a great all-around player,” Vilchis said. “But I think what really makes him stand out is his ability to keep his composure on the ball when he is going forward on the attack.”
Senior defender Angel Sanchez has played soccer with Ortiz since they were kids just starting to learn how to play the game.
“Omar is a one-of-a-kind player you don’t see very often,” Sanchez said. “Even when he was 9, he was always playing above his age group because he was just that good.
“He is a pass-first striker who reads the game clinically and he finds the open man every chance he gets. Even with all of his assists, he never fails to score a ridiculous shot that will keep you in shock.”
The best players not only adapt to the game. They find the ways to make the structure and format fit their particular skills. Ortiz definitely does that.
“I think what I love the most about the sport is just how creative you can get,” Ortiz said. “You can dribble or do kickoffs with the ball, and there are so many different ways to get the ball past your defenders.
“You get to always choose what you want to do with the ball.”
Ortiz is part of a generational wave from his extended family that has deep and abiding connections to Bloom.
His parents, Francisco and Carmen, both played soccer at Bloom. Omar is also following in the path of his standout older sisters, Ashley and Sabrina.
That makes the school’s success resonate.
“My grandparents also went here and a bunch of my aunts and uncles,” Ortiz said. “It’s important for me to follow in their footsteps.
“I just feel like I need to keep it going — keep trying and really make something happen.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.