György Orth — Gyuri —, one of the best players ever produced, a pearl, a true work of art made on Hungarian soil. Orth was an extremely complete player. For many who saw him play, both on Hungarian and international soil, this was the best player the eyes have ever witnessed. For Hungary, Orth played 32 matches and scored 13 goals.

Orth's personality was aimed at a true scholar, as Orth had unique learning characteristics and was never satisfied with his performances. While sounding somewhat arrogant to some, even in his best match, Orth claimed that he could always improve on his performances — he was never satisfied with his performances. When he was younger, he was in the habit of asking his master, Jimmy Hogan, about stories of the former sovereign English football and its key players. Later, Orth wrote articles mentioning these same players and their characteristics. Perhaps, because of Hogan's teaching on every aspect of the greatest English players of all time, Orth had acquired remarkable and identical traits from players like Ernest Needham, G.O. Smith, Bob Crompton, Jimmy Crabtree, Vivian Woodward and others.

This was a different player, a player uniquely molded to play football. He possessed the main characteristics and aspects of the great English names of the past. The ease with which he handled the ball was impressively frightening. Blessed with divine technique in both feet and head, perfectly calibrated and precise. The ball obeyed master Orth in every possible aspect of the technique.

Orth was a physically remarkable player. It was easy to distinguish him on the pitch, given his height, his way of walking — calm, serene but always paying attention to the aspects of the match — as well as his notorious baldness at such a young age. He wasn't a strong player, but he was very tall. Measuring 188cm, Orth excelled in aerial play. His physique was not robust, but he was very well built and conditioned. Orth was not very fast either, yet his stamina, due to the fact that Orth was always a player very well conditioned, was impressive.



Orth was a passer, at first, of the same style as G. O. Smith was. He always put passing above individual actions — dribbling, for example. He always put combinations as a priority for a player's trait. His simpler passes were accurate, quick, punctual and aimed at an opponent's movement, as it's like the great passers have always mentioned: a well-executed pass is one that moves the opponent at the right time. In addition, his combination passes, quite incisive, were perfectly directed to the correct spot where the eventual teammate would receive in excellent position. Morevover, with an arsenal, a completely rich repertoire of unexpected and ingenious passes, Orth excelled at passing the ball accurately using his head, heel, or the outside of his feet.

Orth's dribbles were artistic paintings by the most skilled painter. When Orth performed an individual action, he excelled with his quick, necessary movements, always aimed at an incisive side of the play. He dribbled with both feet, spun when he didn't have space, juggling moviments and artistic tricks worthy of a true master. With a series of juggling moves, Orth staggered his opponent and created a space for one more action out of nowhere. Going against Orth without a mere perception of the play was an opponents mistake. With just a few natural body movements, Orth's feints brought the mere opponent to the ground.

The ball, and it's always stuck to his feet, obeyed his most extensive commands. Orth's mastery of the ball was extraordinary, whether it was bringing it to the ground, mastering it in a tricky situation, or even just a simple touch. His ball conducting was splendid, and his change of direction, effected with both feet, was abnormal.

His shot, always accurate, fulminating and punctual, caused terror to opposing goalkeepers. Orth could finish off perfectly with both feet, as well as possess perfect technique with his head. Whether in the air or on the ground; whether in short or long range, Orth was an absurdly dangerous player. Furthermore, he was an excellent free kick taker, taking even his weak foot on several occasions.


THE GENIUS

He was a player for whom it was completely rare for the public and even the most intellectual and careful defender to guess his actions. Simply but effectively, Orth would take an unexpected action and resolve the situation with an artistic touch, a magic touch, a trace of true genius. It was football at its finest semantic value. And even when the situation seemed unthinkable to another player, Orth lightened the play as if a high-level equation was solved with extreme ease. He was a different player, an extremely difficult version to reproduce.

It was impressive how even before the action was carried out, the genius Hungarian already had a map in his head, made in a few moments with a simple purpose: to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and in an unexpected way.

He was always the focus of attention. Often the spectators would stop watching the rest of the match just waiting for the ball to reach master Gyuri. Whenever this unsurpassed football artist entered the field in full possession of his physical condition and mental balance, he drove his comrades and opponents to the yoke of his will with almost hypnotic force, forcing his audience to focus most of his attention on him, on his play. At the peak of his football knowledge, he was just blessed with incomparable performances which made him unstoppable.

TACTICAL MASTER

György Orth possessed extensive tactical knowledge in each position he played. In a standard tactical organization, Orth operated flawlessly in almost every position in Cambridge's ancient pyramid, from goalkeeper to the center of attack. He knew perfectly well how to draw the adversary to him; causing an eventual space that a teammate could explore. Without the ball, Orth knew perfectly well where to position himself. Furthermore, his choices, whether individual or altruistic, were always tactically advanced, a true genius. It seemed that he had a paranormal sense of where his companions were or would be.

As much as he was positioned as a half-back during his years in the youth teams of MTK, Orth stood out more, alongside Gyula Feldmann, as a full-back, insider while Kálmán Konrád was injuried, and, mainly, centre-forward when Alfréd Schaffer went abroad. It was leading the offensive actions of MTK — Hungária — that Orth most demonstrated his football; a perfection of the offensive axis. Whether playing on every offensive system at the time, Orth led the way with splendor. MTK suited his style.


He was unsurpassed in recognizing situations and preparing for them. In vain was he caught many times by two or three, after a move and a trick, he deceived his opponents by standing wonderfully uncovered in a second or two. That was enough for him to give the ball to his best-placed partner in the blink of an eye. If then someone scored from his pass, Orth was the first to rush to the goal-scorer and congratulate him from the bottom of his heart.

Gabór Kléber on Orth


The centre-forward Orth would move across the entire free space or get rid of a opponent with just a few split-second touches. When an opportunity closed in on Orth, he took it in other ways. Orth was of a more creative, combinative and scientific style of play. Orth was the center of ideas, of offensive actions, of offensive command — he was the brains of his teams.



Isaque Argolo: Generally, these player profiles are made based on reports of those who have seen them and videos in private archives about these same players. The articles are made completely accurate and detailed with how the player acted; not specifically with my opinion.

» However, I, Isaque Argolo, for the first and probably only time, would like to leave my report on what I saw of this player in private archives: It will be very difficult for a player like this to even be replicated in history. There never was, there is not, and it will probably take many, many decades for this blessed sport to come up with a player who possesses at least half the technical and tactical ability of György Orth. A pity that in 1925 his fate was sealed, as Orth's longevity would be compatible with his exceptional peak. In fact, Orth is the epitome of what a player can perform objectively and artistically. A true genius.