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To the Runner-Up Goes the Left Back

Jun 30, 2009, 8:35 PM UTC

â†µFresh off the heels of almost -- but not quite -- doing somethingâ†µawesome, the U.S. National Team is poised to see oneâ†µof its weakest areas reinforced: â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥“I would play for the United States,” [Edgar] Castillo said during aâ†µâ‡¥recent phone interview from Mexico, where he is preparing for theâ†µâ‡¥upcoming Mexican League season with Tigres. “I’d want to talk to themâ†µâ‡¥first, but I want to play for the U.S. I think it would be a very goodâ†µâ‡¥opportunity for me, for my career. If they call me I would play forâ†µâ‡¥them.”â†µâ†µâ†µCastillo is a left back from New Mexico, the son of Mexicanâ†µimmigrants, and chose Mexico over the U.S. a few years back when he wasâ†µgoing gangbusters at Santos. Those circumstances weren’t Rossi-esque,â†µthough: the youth national teams had virtually ignored Castillo, who wasâ†µscooped up by Mexican scouts before his high school career had evenâ†µfinished. Three coaches later, however, Castillo is feeling on the outs:â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥“It’s been hard for me because (Mexico) switched coaches threeâ†µâ‡¥times,” said Castillo. “Hugo Sanchez, he seemed to like me. He gave meâ†µâ‡¥my first games. Then (Eriksson) played me in one (friendly). Aguirreâ†µâ‡¥called me into one camp but I didn’t play and I haven’t been back. Iâ†µâ‡¥don’t think I’m in his plans.”â†µâ†µâ†µThus the sudden openness to a switch back. â†µ

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â†µThis is not a switch akin to that of Jermaine Jones, the Germanâ†µcentral midfielder who announcedâ†µhe'd play for the U.S. a few weeks ago. Jones is one of the betterâ†µstarters on one of the better Bundesliga teams and was on the fringes ofâ†µone of the best national sides in the world largely because of frictionâ†µwith its current coach. He's 27, in the heart of his prime and lookingâ†µat two choices: assured 2010 World Cup with the States or not making theâ†µGerman team in 2010 and being a creaky 32-year-old in 2014. It madeâ†µsense for him to switch now even if breaking into the next Germanâ†µcoach's squad was a possibility. Jones is a major addition and it willâ†µtake an injury for him to miss the World Cup.â†µ

â†µâ†µCastillo, on the other hand, has seen his star dim considerably sinceâ†µhis transfer to Club America. It’s hard to tell if that’s entirely hisâ†µfault, as America has fallen into shambles despite being the Mexicanâ†µequivalent of Barca or Rangers. They finished dead last in the Clausuraâ†µlast year. While Castillo didn’t cover himself in glory there it’s oftenâ†µhard to tell just who or what is responsible for the flailing of anâ†µinept club. This year he’ll be loaned out to Tigres, where he’ll rejoinâ†µhis old coach from Santos and hopefully recapture some of that attackingâ†µmagic.â†µ

â†µâ†µEven with Castillo’s recent fall, though, he’ll provide options to anâ†µAmerican left wing that badly needs it. Heath Pearce has fallen out ofâ†µfavor with his club and performed poorly for the national side recently,â†µand Jonathan Bornstein frequently looks out of place outside MLS. Jayâ†µDemerit’s stellar Confederations Cup allowed Carlos Bocanegra to slideâ†µoutside, but that’s a rickety solution, especially when the center-backâ†µpositional depth reads “Danny Califf.” Even if Castillo can’tâ†µbreak past Bocanegra into the starting eleven, he could provide depth inâ†µcase of card trouble or injury. He’s certainly a more attacking optionâ†µthan Bocanegra on everything except set pieces.â†µ

â†µâ†µLike Jones, the earliest that Castillo can join the national teamâ†µwill be for the qualifier at Azteca in August. There’s zero chanceâ†µCastillo gets thrown into the fire in that snakepit, but the U.S. willâ†µprobably call him up for the training time with an eye towardsâ†µcap-tying him in a pair of October qualifiers against less intimidatingâ†µfoes. â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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