Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos was named the MLS Player of the Week last night. It would have been a travesty if he hadn’t.
After all, it’s not every day a player – even one as talented as New York City FC’s South American sensation – scores four goals in a single Major League Soccer match.
In fact, Castellanos is only the fourth man since 2009 to achieve such a feat. But as New York City put Real Salt Lake to the sword on Sunday – a thumping 6-0 win the perfect tonic to a difficult start to the new campaign – the division’s reigning Golden Boot winner went one giant step towards retaining his status as the most prolific forward in the whole of North America.
Trademark Taty
Castellanos’ first of the night was a classic poacher’s effort. Finding a pocket of space inside a penalty area more crowded than a Disney Land queue in the middle of the summer holidays, Castellanos crashed a close-range header into the bottom corner.
Then came two emphatic penalty kicks. There was a stroke of good fortune about goal number four, deflected in after a goalkeeping howler. but, as the old saying goes, you make your own luck. If you don’t buy a ticket, you won’t be winning many raffles any time soon.
“I saw a totally different Taty,” beams NYFC coach Ronny Deila, praising his striker’s bouncebackability after a difficult start to the 2022 campaign.
“He scores in training all the time. I’m not very surprised today that he scored four goals. He’s a top, top player. And he’s now back to being balanced mentally and physically.”
A spell of intense speculation over Castellanos’ future certainly took their toll following the turn of the year. More performances like the one on Sunday, however, and a striker compared to Didier Drogba and hailed by none other than Pep Guardiola will once again have to get used to life in the limelight.
Another Golden Boot on the way?
According to The Sun, an Everton side fearing the departures of both Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have identified Castellanos as a potential contingency plan. West Ham are also keen. As are a Leeds side who, according to reports, are ready to pay £10 million for his services.
“I think I have already completed a cycle here in the league. I want to grow,” Castellanos said recently. “To play in Europe would be to fulfil a dream.”
That ‘dream’ could become a reality sooner rather than later.
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