Soccer Capsules: "El Gringo" hopes to return home with U.S.

MEXICO CITY — Even when he was playing for Mexico’s national team, Edgar Castillo sensed he should be wearing the soccer jersey of the United States, the country of his birth. Despite perfect Spanish, his Mexican teammates playfully called him "El Gringo" — a nickname that stuck.

Castillo has always stood out, starting at Mayfield High School in Las Cruces, N.M., and he’s still hard to miss. His darting moves on the ball belie the fact that he’s a defender. And the striking tattoo on his left shoulder of the Virgin of Guadalupe — Mexico’s most revered religious icon — attests to his mixed roots.

"Even though I wore the Mexico jersey, I had that feeling I should play for the U.S.," Castillo said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I feel confident. They have to call me first, and then after that I know I have the capability of doing things right."

Because of a new rule, and because he holds both U.S. and Mexican passports, the left-footed, left-sided defender may get a chance to showcase his slashing runs for the United States.

The new regulation from FIFA — the governing body of world soccer — allows players of any age to switch countries once, provided they have dual nationality and have not played in an official match for the senior national team. The old rule prohibited players 21 and over from switching national teams.

U.S. coach Bob Bradley and United States Soccer Federation officials have declined to say much about Castillo’s potential impact. There’s the fear of speaking about a player who’s yet to take the field for the United States, and the wish to keep the move low-key in Mexico, where newspaper headlines have already described the 22-year-old Castillo as a "traitor" and a "deserter."

"Everything is open," U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said. "I don’t think Bob (Bradley) is ready to say that he’s coming into the team or not coming into the team. But, from our perspective, we’ve had some preliminary discussions with Edgar."

Bradley acknowledged last year in an interview that missing out on a player like Castillo was "frustrating."

Castillo could fill a need at left back, a position that was shared in the recent Confederations Cup by Jonathan Bornstein and Carlos Bocanegra, typically a central defender. Even midfielder DaMarcus Beasley was tried there in a recent World Cup qualifier. Heath Pearce and Marvell Wynne Jr. are other possibilities.

Castillo’s speed and deft moves on the ball would bring a bonus to the back line — like a catcher who can run, or a center who can shoot the 3-pointer. His younger brother, Noel, is also a left-footed, left back playing professionally in Mexico.

"I think if you were to talk about one position where the U.S. has been unsettled, it would be left back," said Eddie Rock, Castillo’s agent. "Edgar brings qualities that are special and unique, which is the ability to attack out of the back and take people on on the wing."

Assuming Castillo makes the jump to the U.S. team, he wouldn’t be eligible when the United States plays at Mexico City in a World Cup qualifier on Aug. 12 at 105,000-seat Aztec Stadium, where the Americans have never beaten Mexico. If he were on the field, it would certainly add fuel to an already heated rivalry.

"I can imagine that — putting on the U.S. jersey — and I can imagine the Mexican people’s reaction," Castillo said.

Castillo has played for a half-dozen unfamiliar coaches in the last several years. That carousel should end this season with Monterrey club Tigres, where he is united with Daniel Guzman, his old coach at Mexican club Santos Laguna.

By defenders’ standards, Castillo is tiny — only 5-feet-7 and 135 pounds. He’s wiry more than strong and has tried to bulk up. A forward for much of his career, he’d still prefer to run at opponents rather than run them down on defense.

"I’m a fast little guy," he said. "I like to go attack but I’m not very good defender yet. I have to work on that. I get in a little trouble for that, but not all the time."

FIFA’s new rule could give U.S. soccer another boost. Holding midfielder Jermaine Jones — another tough position to fill — has said he will switch from Germany to the United States. Jones, who plays for German Bundesliga club Schalke, is the son of a German mother and American father.

The U.S. Soccer Federation has been working to recruit immigrant, Hispanic and African-American players, an effort president Gulati — an immigrant himself — has stressed since taking office three years ago. Castillo is simply one who initially got away.

Castillo said he attended a national camp in Massachusetts when he was 14, thinking it might be a break. At the time he felt ignored. In hindsight, he recognizes there are many talented young American players, and he was only one.

"I thought I was overlooked, but now I hope I get the call up," he said.

Castillo left Mayfield High School during his senior year for a tryout in Mexico’s professional league, eventually becoming a starter for Mexican first-division club Santos, which won the 2008 Clausura championship — one of two league titles decided each year in Mexico.

En route, he got a call-up from Mexico’s then-national team coach Hugo Sanchez and played in four exhibition matches, which don’t count as official games.

In March, Sven-Goran Eriksson, who succeeded Sanchez, called up Castillo for his first official games — World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and Costa Rica. But he missed both, unable to attend because he’d lost his Mexican passport. Current Mexico coach Javier Aguirre also hasn’t used him in World Cup qualifiers.

Castillo was ripped by the Mexican media over the lost passport, which appears to have been a stroke of fortune. Had he played, he would have been ineligible to switch national teams.

Castillo and his agent said they had no idea the rule change was coming when Castillo lost his passport. He said he never found it and had it replaced.

"I don’t know what happened when I lost my passport," Castillo said. "Then the months went by and all of a sudden Eddie (his agent) told me there was a new rule."

Rock said Castillo was "gutted" to have missed the two matches, but said the incident may have changed his career — and his outlook.

"I think what happened added some maturity to him," said Rock, who hopes Castillo will be eligible for the U.S. in two months. "He took a beating in the press for what happened, and rightfully so."

Gold Cup

U.S.-Mexico soccer history "a dangerous cocktail."

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Mexico coach Javier Aguirre isn’t touching one very volatile subject among his countrymen: How poorly his nation has done recently in games hosted by the archrival Americans.

When asked Saturday how he broaches the record of no victories in the United States this decade, Aguirre shakes his head and frowns.

"I don’t tell that to my players," he said. "Or how important this game is to their country or the history of this (series) or about the United States. That’s a very dangerous cocktail."

Instead of feeding such material to his players as they prepare for Sunday’s sold-out CONCACAF Gold Cup final against the hosts, Aguirre emphasized the positives. And he’s seen many from his players, and from the Americans.

"It’s been a generally very positive experience, more because of the continual progress of my players," he said. "There have been ones who have surprised me very positively; I won’t mention any names here.

"Physically, we are good, better than ever. Mentally, we are our best ever. Thirty-five days ago in Mexico, I told them we’d get to the final, so we’ve been progressing mentally for being in the final and winning it."

Winning it would erase a whole lot of pain for the Mexicans, who are 0-9-2 on U.S. soil since 2000. That includes a 2-0 loss in February in frigid Columbus, Ohio, to open World Cup qualifying. And while the United States used that victory as a boost and stands second in qualifying behind Costa Rica, Mexico has struggled and is fourth overall — the top three countries automatically advance to South Africa 2010.

Aguirre wants to completely separate any World Cup news from the Gold Cup, even though the Americans visit Mexico City for a qualifier on Aug. 12.

"It’s 90 minutes of soccer for the Gold Cup," he said of Sunday’s match at Giants Stadium, where as much as two-thirds of the 70,000-plus fans figures to be cheering for El Tri. "On Aug. 12 it will be a different U.S. team, a different Mexico team, a different circumstance."

Mexico has won four Gold Cups, as has the United States, and lost to the Americans States 2-1 in 2007 for the crown. The Americans seek their third straight regional championship, and despite bringing an inexperienced squad to the tournament, they have grown and improved throughout the event.

The top U.S. players finished a stunning second in the Confederations Cup earlier this summer, upsetting top-ranked Spain before falling to powerful Brazil in the final. Coach Bob Bradley allowed those players to skip the Gold Cup for a variety of reasons, and what he’s seen from their replacements has been eye-opening.

"This is a good group, and you could tell they are very proud of what the players did in South Africa, and they are excited about the opportunity they’ve had," Bradley said. "A number of guys have taken advantage of playing in several games in a row. Hopefully, this experience will help them in future games."

As for this game, there’s always extra juice when the Mexicans and Americans meet.

"There are no friendlies against these guys," said Brian Ching, the only true U.S. veteran of major international games like this. "Mexico vs. the U.S. is Mexico vs. the U.S.

"It’s another game to prove ourselves, but doing it by continuing to do what we’ve been doing."

What they’ve been doing is distributing the scoring throughout the roster: 10 players have gotten the 12 goals the Americans have put into the net. And avoiding early-game mistakes, something that plagued the ‘A’ team at times this year. And keeping opponents far away from close range of goalkeeper Troy Perkins, who has played well when tested.

The names will be different in 2½ weeks at Azteca Stadium, of course. Bradley will have his top players there. So will Aguirre.

But the Gold Cup final adds a little spice to the buildup for that qualifier.

"In any great rivalry around the world, the emotions come out," he said. "I’m sure that will be the case here."

-- Barry Wilner

MLS

Revolution send Dynamo to first home loss

HOUSTON — Kheli Dube scored in the 76th minute and the New England Revolution beat Houston 1-0 on Saturday night, sending the Dynamo to their first home loss of the season.

New England (6-5-5) extended its unbeaten streak to three games and avenged a 2-0 home loss to Houston on May 3.

The Dynamo (9-5-5) head into the All-Star game with the league’s best record.

Steve Ralston took a pass on the upper right box from Kevin Alston and forced Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad off his line before feeding Dube in front of an empty net for his third goal of the season.

New England’s Matt Reis made eight saves, including a jumping stop to bat Houston’s Julius James’ header in the 91st minute.

Onstad finished with four saves.

Mexico Soccer

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Elsewhere

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