Francis Castillo
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Antonio Castillo Orellana | ||
| Date of birth | 7 November 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Pennsylvania, United States | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cádiz | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2022 | FC Delco | ||
| 2022–2024 | Philadelphia Union | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022 | Esperança de Lagos | 0 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Philadelphia Union II | 1 | (0) |
| 2024– | Cádiz | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024 | Nicaragua U20 | 8 | (7) |
| 2024– | El Salvador U20 | 3 | (3) |
| 2024– | El Salvador | 2 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:02, 19 September 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:02, 19 September 2024 (UTC) | |||
Francisco Antonio Castillo Orellana (born 7 November 2005) is a Salvadoran footballer who plays as a midfielder for the academy of Cádiz, and the El Salvador national team.
Club career
[edit]Castillo began playing football at age six with Lehigh Valley United. As a youth, he also played for Allentown United FC and FC Delco in MLS Next before joining the academy of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.[1]
At age sixteen, he left FC Delco and joined C.F. Esperança de Lagos of the Campeonato de Portugal.[2] He returned to the United States and joined Philadelphia Union II of MLS Next Pro for the 2023 season. He made one appearance for the club, coming on as a late substitute in a match against Chicago Fire FC II on 18 June.[3]
Later in 2023, Castillo was part of the International Soccer Academy team that integrated into the FC Schalke 04 youth system in Germany.[4] He had further experience in the country with trials at 1. FC Köln and Werder Bremen.[1] Following a trial in 2024, the player was signed to the academy of Cádiz CF.[5] Despite signing in March, the player was cleared to play for the Spanish club in August 2024 following a lengthy visa process.[6]
International career
[edit]Castillo was born in the United States to parents from Nicaragua and El Salvador.[1] He opted to play for Nicaragua in 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifying. He went on to become the top scorer in qualifying, tallying five goals and two assists over four matches.[7]
Despite playing for Guatemela in qualification, Castillo was part of the El Salvador under-20 squad for the 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. After missing most of the tournament through injury,[8] he returned scored in the team's match against Canada to close out the Group Stage.[9] In April 2024, he decided represent El Salvador at the senior level rather than Nicaragua.[10] He debuted for the nation on 6 June 2024 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Puerto Rico.[11][12]
International career statistics
[edit]- As of match played 9 June 2024.[11]
| El Salvador national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Vernier, Isabela. "18-YEAR-OLD FRANCIS CASTILLO ON TRIAL AT CADIZ CF IN SPAIN". Soccer Today. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ Encarnacion, Carlos. "Daniel Paquete e Francis Castillo assina pelo Esperança de Lagos" (in Portuguese). ojogo.pt. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "Philadelphia Union profile". MLS Next Pro. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "Integrated Academy Team 2023/2024" (in German). FC Schalke 04. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "El Cádiz CF refuerza su Cantera con la llegada del salvadoreño Francis Castillo" (in Spanish). Cádiz CF. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ Cerón, José. "Francis Castillo se incorpora a los entrenos de la cantera del Cádiz" (in Spanish). tscahora.com. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "International Soccer Academy's American Player Signs Contract to Play in Spain For LA LIGA's Cádiz CF". Yahoo!. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ Benitez, Jorge. "Francis Castillo, baja para El Salvador vs República Dominicana" (in Spanish). El Grafico. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "Canada, Haiti punch Men's Under-20 Championship tickets". CONCACAF. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ Valiente, Joshua. "Francis Castillo: "Me dio lástima y me dolio lo que pasó con Nicaragua; escogí a El Salvador"" (in Spanish). El Grafico. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ a b "NFT profile". National Football Teams. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ Escalante, Varinia. "Francis Castillo debutó con la Azul mayor" (in Spanish). elsalvador.com. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
External links
[edit]- Francis Castillo at National-Football-Teams.com
- Francis Castillo at Soccerway
- Francis Castillo at Global Sports Archive
- Philadelphia Union profile