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Castillo plays, Dike returns in Club America’s friendly victory at Portland

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While Angel Reyna's first-half strike provided the lone tally in Club America's 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers at Jeld-Wen Field Thursday night, the friendly stood out for U.S. national team and MLS fans for a couple of other reasons.

Attack-minded American left back Edgar Castillo started and played the first half for the Mexican side, which has sent him on loan to three clubs over the last two years. 21-year-old California-born midfielder Isaac Acuna also appeared for Club America.

Portland, which fielded a mostly reserve side, had attacker Bright Dike make his return from a torn Achilles just five months after suffering the injury. The initial timetable for his return was 6-to-9 months.

Highlights from the match can be seen here.

What did you think of the game? Want to see more of Castillo with the national team? What do you make of Dike's speedy recovery?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Does anyone know why castillo fell off the radar so quickly? There was a lot of excitment about him chaning to the US and then he got one shot, not even at left back.

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  2. He’s an up and comer playing with America’s first team this year, after a great season at Queretaro last season. A forward/ attacking mid that is one to look at for the Olympics.

    I don’t understand why we don’t schedule more friendlies for u-21’s like in Europe and under-22’s in prep for the Olympics?

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  3. Judging by the highlights it looked like Portland actually had more opportunities, so it was not a bad showing for a mostly reserve expansion side. Would love to know how Castillo showed however.

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  4. 5 months is an amazing recovery time for an achilles tear. I remember when it used to be 11-12 months for enough of a recovery just to get on the field (let alone full recovery). I don’t know much about Dike but I hate to see any player’s career ended to destroyed by a serious injury like that so I hope it makes it back and continues to build his future.

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  5. Lost on your lack of skills in the reading department: “Portland, which fielded a mostly reserve side (along with a player coming back from a serious injury)”.

    Truth be told, preseason or not – given Club America’s budget….winning 1-0 against a reserve side is rather troubling.

    Oh wait, yes this just in, it’s a friendly.

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  6. Can’t wait for Dike to get back to form. He was playing very well for the Timbers at the end of last season. He will make it in the MLS and the Timbers need his physical presence up front.

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  7. Good for Bright Dike. Went to high school with him, he scored a hat trick in the 2nd half of the state championship game after being down 1 at half. He was unstoppable, most dominant high school performance I’d ever seen. He may never make it in MLS, but he’s a good guy and deserves credit for making back especially after the Columbus fiasco.

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  8. The esteemed source of information that is Wikipedia indicates that Isaac Acuna has played for Mexico’s U-22 side. I’m guessing that’s a pre-Olympic thing.

    Should we care that he might be going to play for Mexico instead of the US, or is he not that big of a deal?

    Reply

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