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Castillo seals full transfer to Tijuana

Castillo (Getty Images)

Edgar Castillo made a solid impression during his clausura campaign while on loan with Club Tijuana, so much so that he won't be leaving the club anytime soon.

Tijuana completed a full transfer for Castillo, purchasing his rights from Club America on Thursday. Castillo enjoyed a standout clausura season while on loan for Xolos, becoming a fixture in the lineup and earning his way back into the national team picture. Tabbed by Jurgen Klinsmann for the current five-game stretch, Castillo appeared as a substitute against Scotland and Brazil before being pressed into starting duty at left back against Canada after Fabian Johnson was hurt during pregame warm-ups.

The full transfer signifies stability for Castillo, something that he has been lacking during his club career. After moving to America from Santos Laguna, Castillo has spent the better part of the last three years on loan, playing for Tigres UANL, San Luis and Puebla before his loan to Tijuana, where he will remain teammates with Americans Joe Corona and Greg Garza.

What do you think of the move? Do you think Castillo is a viable left back option for the national team?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Goya,
    This is not correct. While he lined up at times at LM, he is the first choice LB for the Xolos. His STRENGTH is the havoc he creates with his runs…his weakness is his failure to close down space on his opponents, this can be learned.
    To often we interpret a couple of starts at LM as a permanent switch, but go back and see where he played when subs were brought on…he stayed in the game at LB.

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  2. That is an informative interesting comment. Did not know that, and does make you think that San Diego should be at the top of the list for the next MLS franchise.

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  3. San Diego has one of the most rabid soccer fan bases in the US that had the largest viewership of the WC and has supported teams in some pretty backward leagues… yet it has been pretty much ignored by MLS. If they aren’t going to tap into it, the Xolos certainly will and are. In fact, there are buses that will take you across the border and drop you off at their brand new stadium and advertising on radio and newspapers in SD. Shoot, T.J.’s roster is more American than most MLS teams, especially when it comes to viable USMNT prospects.

    Castillo… he has some talent for sure. Fact is, he’s young, has played little on the Internat’l level and w/ his teamates there. All that considered, he has done well. With some time to mature physically and as a player and he could become a mainstay.

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  4. Well – as the saying goes.
    Do what you love and the money will follow.
    You must follow the path of your bliss.
    If he doesn’t feel it for the USA, and he doesn’t bleed red, white and blue – then so it goes. C’est la vie.
    Die augen lugen nicht.

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  5. Castillo is still young. This move is good for him and should help him settle in as a returning starter. He is a bit on the slight side for a defender, and that showed vs Canada, still he managed to get good enough positioning that he did not make it easy for the attackers on the areal balls. He would not be the first back who was small, but succeeded nevertheless.

    Good for him!

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  6. Castillo looks really good at Xolos. I’ve seen some really impressive plays from him.

    BTW, Borsnstein just got sold to Atlante. If you follow him.

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  7. I guess I now have a team in Mexico to root for. As for Castillo, seeing him last year made me miss Bornstein…however, I trust Klinsmann and I think he definitely looked better last game.

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  8. I believe Guido will be with the first team with the new season. He signed to late for the second season. I believe the others will also see some time with the big club. I think it is interesting that Tj has as many Americans on that team as some MLS teams do.

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  9. Alejandro Guido is a reserve player, same as fellow Americans Stevie Rodriguez and Bryan de la Fuente. So with Corona, Castillo, and Garza, that makes six Americans at Club Tijuana.

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  10. +1 Chandler had promised us fans (and his fellow players) that he was committed to the USMNT and had no desire to play for Germany. It is now clear that he did not join this camp because he did not want to be cap-tied to the USMNT in order to leave the door open to Germany. The only chance of him now rejoining the USMNT is if he feels at some point in the future that the door to the German team is closed to him. As a former big fan of Chandler, I now think he is a pompous opportunist and has trouble telling the truth. We don’t that sort of person on the team. I would much rather have a full-back on the team with less talent but with true burning desire to play for the USMNT.

    And, yeah, I like Castillo a lot. I would like to see Klinsmann play him on left wing, where he plays for his club, with the great Fabian Johnson behind him at left back. That could be a good combination.

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  11. And Alejandro Guido is also at Tijuana. Though I’m not sure if he’s a reserve/academy player because he doesn’t show up on the webpage at all.

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  12. The funny thing is in Tijuana, the Xolos used Castillo not as a left back, but as a LM. When Castillo looked at his finest against Canada, where was he? Moving forward in attack. Castillo isn’t our answer to Johnson as a LB…IMO.

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  13. Look at Jurgen’s most recent comments about Chandler. He implied that Tim is waiting for a possible German call-up (or at least, not ready to close that door). He’s having trouble choosing between Mom & Dad, knowing that the decision will be permanent.

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  14. Good stuff. I hope he is able to build on last year and really own that LB position. If I could change three things about him it would be 1) increased tactical awareness, and 2) staying stronger on the ball, 3) improved crossing. If he works on those things, he could be very servicable at the national level.

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  15. my uncle was deported to tijuana too. keep hope alive edgarman! as for those responsible, why dont you put your suntan lotion on and leave us alone!!

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  16. He’s not, though.

    Frankly, I’m not that torn up about it either. You need players you can depend on; physically, emotionally, mentally in the grind of a tournament/World Cup.

    If I was a fellow player of Chandler, he would have lost my trust. That’s just me personally, though.

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  17. Yeah – I can’t totally wrap my head around the Tim Candler situation.
    Most authoritative soccer pundits say I have a better chance of laying a golden egg, than Tim Chandler does of ever donning a German national team jersey again. So what is he holding out for. He’s waiting for his English to get more comfortable?
    He has looked decent to outstanding in a US jersey, we have a German coach who is bi-lingual to help him (TC) with the cultural and language adjustment, and it seems US fans generally think highly of him (non-withstanding his two no-shows, Gold Cup and this run.)
    So, therefore WHAT? Why is TC in absentia?
    All that being said – Edgar Castillo has a lot of potential, and upside – I think he will continue to mature as a decent left back option, and may wind up on the World Cup roster in Brazil, looking good.
    It took some stones for Castillo to renounce his Mexican national team options and declare permanently for the US – he took a lot of flack in the Mexican press, an I’m sure he got more than spat on, in more than one game in Mexico – but there he is plugging away, learning Klinsman’s system, maturing, developing, getting to know the rest of the US team. Good stuff. The permanent move to Tijuana will be good for him as well.
    Mucho Edgar! Mucho! Adelante!

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  18. Good times for Castillo. I thought he did fine this go around at LB and while he is clearly behind Fabian Johnson, I think he will make the USMNT roster often.

    Chandler…dead to us. 🙂

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  19. If Timmy Chandler comes back then he probably doesn’t make the roster, but right now I don’t know who else besides Lichaj is a better backup to Fabian Johnson.

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