Colombian Connection: Tracking Fabian Castillo

A busy summer of soccer culminates this month with the U-20 World Cup, held this year in the South American country of Colombia. FC Dallas' own Fabian Castillo, who was acquired from Deportivo Cali in March, has been a regular fixture on various U-17 and U-20 Colombian teams through the years and was selected to the host nation's U-20 World Cup roster in July.

Colombia is drawn to Group A with France, Mali and Korea Republic. All group stage matches will be broadcast on ESPN3.com, along with select showings on ESPNU. FCDallas.com will feature extensive coverage of Castillo's U-20 World Cup journey, including results, standings and highlights from his individual performances.

Colombia's U-20 World Cup Schedule

Match Recaps:
Mexico 3, Colombia 1

FC Dallas forward Fabian Castillo's Colombian side was eliminated from the U-20 World Cup Saturday night after suffering a 3-1 quarterfinal loss to Mexico in Bogota, Colombia.  Castillo came on as a second half substitute in the match, relieving forward Juan Cabezas in the 72nd minute.

Mexico dominated the game in the first half by creating multiple scoring chances, but an inability to finish their chances in the early stages of the match cost the home side their chance to advance.  The crowd was silenced seven minutes before the break, when Erick Torres buried a penalty kick that Diego Reyes earned for Mexico when he was taken down in the box by Juan Cabezas.

Los Cafeteros managed to tie the game in the second half off an outstanding effort by Duvan Zapata.  In the 60th minute, Zapata fired a blast from 30 yards out that managed to squeak just under the legs of Mexican goalkeeper Jose Rodriguez.

The tie would only last for nine minutes though, as Mexican forward Edson Rivera headed home the game winner in the 69th minute off a corner kick serviced by Ulises Davila.  Rivera sealed the game in the 88th minute when he earned a brace off the counter-attack.

With the win, Mexico advance to the U-20 World Cup semifinals where they will face Brazil on Wednesday.  The winner of that match will face the winner of the semifinal match between France and Portugal in the championship game this Saturday.

Colombia Starting XI: Bonilla, Ospina, Franco, Arias, Quinones, Moreno, Ortega (Calle 76'), Muriel, Rodriguez, Zapata (Valencia 84'), Cabezas (Castillo 72')

Mexico Starting XI: Rodriguez, Acosta (Valencia 71'), Araujo, De Buen, Orrantia, Torres (Pinon 87'), Davila, Enriquez, Ibanez, Pulido (Rivera 36'), Reyes

Scoring Summary
MEX - Torres 38' (PK)
COL - Zapata 60'
MEX - Rivera 69'
MEX - Rivera 88'

Colombia 3, Costa Rica 2

FC Dallas forward Fabian Castillo and his Colombian teammates narrowly defeated Costa Rica on Tuesday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the U-20 World Cup. Castillo did not see time in the thrilling 3-2 win, but will get another chance on Saturday when the host nation faces Mexico in the quarterfinals.

Los Cafeteros needed stoppage time heroics to seal their improbable comeback in front of a sell-out crowd in Bogota, and got it in the form of a coverted penalty in stoppage time. Colombia failed to score in the first half of the match for the first time in the tourney, but finally broke through in the 56th minute when leading scorer Luis Muriel took a through pass from Michael Ortega, outsprinting the defense and poking the ball home for his fourth goal of the tournament.

A scrappy Costa Rican side would not go quietly however, equalizing in the 63rd minute before stunning the home crowd by taking the lead only two minutes later. Mynor Escoe was the temporary hero for Los Ticos as he evaded the opposing defense to fire home from from the edge of the box, giving Costa Rica the lead.

Colombia managed to tie the game in the 79th minute when team captain Pedro Franco headed the ball home from close range, but as stoppage time neared it seemed certain the game would go into overtime. But with mere seconds remaining, second-half substitute Duvan Zapata was felled inside the box, prompting a game-winning penalty kick from James Rodriguez - his second PK of the tourney and third goal overall.

The host nation now moves into the quarterfinals to face a strong Mexican side that advanced by virtue of penalty kicks over Cameroon (Saturday, August 13 at 8 p.m.; ESPNU and ESPN3.com).

Colombia

Starting XI: Cristian Bonilla, Pedro Franco, Santiago Arias, Hector Quinones (Javier Calle 46), Didier Moreno (Duvan Zapata 67), Michael Ortega, Luis Muriel, James Rodriguez, Juan Cabezas, Jeison Murillo, Jose Valencia (Sebastian Perez 60)

Costa Rica Starting XI: Aaron Cruz, Jordan Smith, Ariel Contreras, Rafael Chavez (Deyver Vega 59), John Ruiz (Bryan Vega 82), Mynor Escoe, Juan Golobio, Joel Campbell, Joseph Mora, Ariel Soto, Pablo Martinez (Francisco Calvo 87)

Scoring Summary
COL — Muriel 56'
CRC — Ruiz 63'
CRC — Escoe 65'
COL — Franco 79'
COL — Rodriguez 90'+3 (PK)

Colombia 1, Korea Republic 0

FC Dallas forward Fabian Castillo did not see time in Colombia's final group stage match of the U-20 World Cup, but the host nation did finish undefeated atop Group A heading into the Round of 16.

Los Cafeteros continued their trend of first-half scoring when Luis Muriel got on the board in the 37th minute with his third goal of the tourney. Muriel received a long range through ball and then capitalized on the Korean goalkeeper's hesitancy, rounding No Dong Geon and firing home into the empy net. The game belonged to Colombia from that point on, with the home side creating many more scoring opportunities they were unable to convert in the second half.

Colombia now moves into the Round of 16, where they will look to continue their dominance against a resilient Costa Rican side (Tuesday, August 9 at 8 p.m.; ESPN3.com).

Colombia

Starting XI: Cristian Bonilla, Pedro Franco, Hector Quinones, Didier Moreno, Michael Ortega (Javier Calle 68), Luis Muriel, James Rodriguez (Yerson Candelo 69), Juan Cabezas (Jonny Mosquera 72), Juan Diaz, Jeison Murillo, Jose Valencia

Korea Republic Starting XI: No Dong Geon, Rim Chang Woo (Kim Jin Su 52), Choi Sung Guen (Yun Il Lok 79), Baek Sung Dong, Lee Yong Jae, Jung Seung Yong (Moon Sang Yun 71), Kim Kyung Jung, Min Sang Gi, Lee Ki Je, Kim Young Uk, Jang Hyun Soo

Scoring Summary
COL — Muriel 37'

Colombia 2, Mali 0

FC Dallas forward Fabian Castillo saw his first action of the U-20 World Cup on Tuesday night, entering Colombia's group stage match against Mali in the 61st minute of the host nation's 2-0 victory.

Los Cafeteros went on the attack early, but it took until the 23rd minute for Colombia to break through against a physical Mali side. Michael Ortega started the sequence with a lob into the path of Jose Valencia, who side-stepped the Mali 'keeper but had his attempt blocked by an onrushing defender. Valencia calmly collected the rebound and chipped the ball in to give Colombia the 1-0 first-half lead.

Colombia owned the bulk of the possesion for the match despite hard challenges from the Mali side, resulting in eight yellow cards handed out including a second yellow to Mali's Kalifa Traore in the 89th minute, sending the forward to the locker room early.

The host nation sealed the deal in stoppage time when the side's NO. 10, James Rodriguez, tucked home his second goal of this U-20 World Cup off a feed from substitute Javier Calle. The win made Colombia the first team to reach the knockout phase of the tourney. They lead Group A with six points heading into their final group match with Korea Republic (Friday, August 5 at 8 p.m.; ESPN3.com).

Colombia Starting XI: Cristian Bonilla, Pedro Franco, Santiago Arias, Hector Quinones, Didier Moreno, Michael Ortega (Yerson Candelo 71), Luis Muriel (Javier Calle 85), James Rodriguez, Juan Cabezas, Jeison Murillo, Jose Valencia (Fabian Castillo 61)

Mali Starting XI: Cheick Abdul Cadry Sy, Amara Konate, Boubacar Sylla, Moussa Coulibaly, Mohamed Konate, Cheick Fanta Mady Diarra, Kalifa Coulibaly (Ibrahima Diallo 64), Adama Toure, Soumaila Sidibe (Moussa Guindo 56), Ibrahim Kader Coulibaly (Ibrahim Kalil Diakite 59), Kalifa Traore

Scoring Summary
COL — Valencia 23'
COL — Rodriguez 90'+

Colombia 4, France 1

Los Cafeteros got off to a bright start in their World Cup opening match vs. France, with several scoring chances in the early going that included a rocket off the crossbar in the opening moments. It was France, however, that got on the board first when Gilles Sunu struck from distance in the 21st minute. Colombia, with the backing of the sold out, yellow-bedecked crowd, drew level in the 30th after a penalty kick was awarded to the home side. James Rodriguez buried the attempt and the two sides headed into the locker room for halftime at one apiece.

The second half, however, belonged entirely to Colombia, who struck for three goals in 20 minutes, silencing Les Bleuets and sending the favorites away with a 4-1 loss. FC Dallas forward Fabian Castillo was not in the Starting XI, but was in the 18 as an unused substitute. The win gave Colombia a commanding edge in Group A, boding well for Castillo to see time in the remaining two group stage matches. 

Colombia Starting XI: Cristian Bonilla, Pedro Franco, Santiago Arias, Hector Quinonez, Didier Moreno, Michael Ortega, Luis Muriel, James Rodriguez, Juan Cabezas, Jeison Murillo, Jose Valencia

France Starting XI: Sebastien Faure, Gael Kakuta, Gueida Fofana, Gilles Sunu, Antoine Griezmann, Kalidou Koulibaly, Francis Coquelin, Thimothee Kolodzieczak, Cedric Bakambu, Maxime Colin, Jonathan Ligali

Scoring Summary
FRA — Sunu 21'
COL — Rodriguez 30' (PK)
COL — Muriel 48'
COL — Arias 64'
COL — Muriel 66'