Is the waiting the hardest part?

Israel Orozco, a senior forward/defender for Thornton co-op, would definitely say yes.

He spent most of his first two years in high school unable to play due to complications from a broken kneecap, but it made his varsity debut last season that much sweeter.

“I look back on it now, and it just made me more hungry to play,” he said. “The comeback was tough. If you love the game, you are going to do whatever you need to get back.”

Orozco, who scored 14 goals and had two assists as a junior, was back in the saddle again Tuesday as the Wildcats opened the season with a 2-0 victory over Marist in Chicago.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Orozco started the Windy City Ram Classic first-round game at a forward position, using his considerable size to create runs for Thornton co-op (1-0).

His positional flexibility came into play after the Wildcats took a 1-0 halftime lead. Orozco shifted to the back for the second half, denying Marist (0-1) any serious scoring chances.

Senior midfielder Luis Flores scored in the 13th minute and senior forward Alexander Lopez added a goal in the 67th minute for Thornton. Senior forward Matt Martineck generated the best opportunities for the Redhawks.

As a result, Orozco shadowed Martineck throughout the second half.

His two-way play was a revelation.

“We really needed him on our team,” Lopez said. “I mean, he’s a big guy who moves really well, and we always need a big guy on our team.

“It’s a really big advantage for us because not many teams have guys that can match up against him.”

Orozco loves the freedom and creativity that comes from playing multiple positions on the field.

“My natural position is striker or forward, but I will really play wherever the coaches need me,” he said. “With my size, the physical part is the strongest aspect of my game right now.

“The season just started, and I am looking to improve my conditioning.”

That size was an advantage in his ability to win balls in the air and playing through contact. He also has a massive leg, combining distance and power on free kicks.

Those plays out of the back helped to optimize scoring chances.

“It’s really great to have somebody his size who is that good and skilled, can jump and come in, defend like that,” Flores said. “In past years we were missing that kind of player.

“Now, he has made a big impact.”

With Thornton being a co-op program, personalities and styles need to be merged. Orozco is a student at Thornton. Flores and Lopez attend Thornwood.

Their chemistry brings together the soccer cultures of South Holland and Harvey.

“We all came up through either South Suburban or the Harvey Dragons,” Lopez said. “We have been playing together since we were little.

“I have been playing since I was 3, and this is a big part of our childhood. Because we have been playing for so long, it just connects the schools.”

Orozco, meanwhile, is the connective thread — a tough, intuitive player with an easygoing personality who leads by example.

“This situation is special because we grew up with all of these kids,” Orozco said. “Not everyone might be able to go to the same school, but this is one team and you get to see all the familiar faces.”

Even during Orozco’s physical rehabilitation, Thornton’s coaches were patient and helped him develop his skills.

“They have a system here where they built you up over four years,” Orozco said. “It was tough not playing high school for two years, but I have been playing my whole life.

“I’m ready for this time.”

Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.