Edgar Castillo wasn’t even supposed to be on the United States’ Copa America Centenario roster. If not for Timmy Chandler picking up an injury in his very last club match he wouldn’t have been. Yet, there he was. A late replacement call-up and the only natural left back on the entire roster. Surely that would give him a chance at some kind of playing time, right? False. He didn’t play a single minute all summer for the USMNT.
Games Played: 0
Positives
He’s probably just happy to be there and get a free trip across the country.
Negatives
Getting a call-up is nice. It means the manager believes you are one of the best 23 players to help him get the results he needs in important situations. However, for as great as it is for him to be on the roster, having a guy who has played little-to-no left back (Matt Besler) getting the start over you in a quarterfinal match has to be a tad bit embarrassing.
Castillo has performed well in Liga MX, but it’s clear that Klinsmann didn’t trust him to hold the left side of the back line down in his time of need. Couple that with the fact that the coach would rather play arguably his best player out of position than play you just adds to his disappointing standing this summer.
Copa Grade - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
He got to see a lot of good matches. He probably got paid to watch them too. It’s good work if you can get it.
What’s Next
Castillo has already began league play with Monterrey in Liga MX and has been their starting left back. There just isn’t much he can do on the club level to prove he deserves minutes. He’s done all he can do. It’s up to circumstance and his showing in national team training (assuming he still gets a call-up) if he’s going to earn minutes any time soon.