ɪn hɪz pɹˈaɪmɹə lˈiːɡə deɪbjˈuː ˌɔn ˈeɪt dʒˈuːn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈaɪv, ˈɔːɹɾɛɡə skˈoːɹd hɪz fˈɜːst ɡˈoʊl ɐɡˈɛnst vˌɛɹəkɹˈuːz sˌoʊ bɪɡˈæn ɐn ˈeɪtiːnjˈɪɹ kɚɹˈɪɹ ɪnwˌɪtʃ hiː ɹᵻmˈeɪnd ɪnðə klˈʌb æmˈeɪɹɪkə mˈɪdfiːld.
In his Primera Liga debut on 8 June 1975, Ortega scored his first goal against Veracruz - so began an 18-year career in which he remained in the Club América midfield.