The degree of excitement of the Argentine Taty Castellanos when he arrived at his home in Girona on Tuesday was maximum. He shares a residence with his brother Agus and the motive is not that it rattled him, it is that he trembled at all times. Messages, congratulations, congratulations rained down on him. In his head the four fantastic goals against Real Madrid. A continuous dance of happiness in his mind that wouldn’t let him sleep. Who wants to sleep on a night like this? In the end he gave up and took a pill so he could rest for a few hours. Little. He had just become the third footballer in the 21st century to score four goals against Real Madrid, the first in the Spanish League in this century, and the tenth in all of history. The other two were big names in the area. Namely. Diego Milito, with Zaragoza, in a 6-1 Cup win in 2006, and today’s Barcelona player Robert Lewandowski with Borussia Dormtund in a 4-1 Champions League win, in 2013. Ten years later and, suddenly, Taty Castellanos (24 years old).
The same Taty who was left dry at the Camp Nou when he missed a clear opportunity and who provisionally closed his social networks in the face of the criticism that was beginning to sting him. He did it on the bus, with his eyes on the verge of tears, and on the return from Barcelona to Girona. He thought the world was coming down on him. But also the same Taty who has become an essential piece for the Girona coach, MÃchel Sánchez. 11 goals and 28 starts in 31 games. Only one substitution and two games out due to suspension. In the rest of the parties a fixed.
“I dreamed of scoring a goal for Madrid but I never thought of scoring four. He would never have imagined scoring four. It has been my night â€, declared the man from Mendoza after the meeting. And that something must have the month of April that brings you good vibes. A year ago, when he was still a member of the ranks of New York City, he already scored four goals. It was against another “Realâ€, the “Real Salt Lakeâ€, and on April 17. Many Argentines, friends of cabals, still take note.
Although Castellanos’s career would not be understood without passing through Uruguay. When he was 16 years old, he was rejected in his country by River Plate and by Lanús. He packed his bags and emigrated to the neighboring country. There he joined the ranks of Montevideo City Torque, one of the franchises that Manchester City has spread throughout the world. It was the beginning of his progression. Since then he has been linked to the Premier club, which later sent him to New York City. In the MLS he spent four seasons, made a name for himself and was the top scorer. In the Big Apple he coincided with the Asturian David Villa, with whom he still maintains contact. “I learned incredible things from him. His free kicks, his way of profiling, of facing the goal, you uncheck him, his one-touch game… â€, Taty pointed out a few weeks ago. They shared, of course, good times with a mate in between.
After forging himself on the banks of the Guaje, he landed in Montilivi, his first experience in Europe. He continues to belong to New York City and we will have to see what happens at the end of the season but for now he has been discovering the Spanish League at the hands of a competitor as tenacious as Stuani, an institution in Girona. The Uruguayan could have felt envy for the youngster who has taken away his title, but none of that. Instead, he’s taken him under his wing and is teaching him more than one old dog trick. “We are the ones who carry the weight of the team’s goal. Beautiful pressure that makes us grow together. We will achieve itâ€, Stuani tweeted along with a photograph with Taty a few days after the Camp Nou match.
It has been cooking without fanfare until its explosion against Real Madrid. With his four goals, he has exceeded double digits and feels that the best is yet to come.
At the moment it has entered the history of Girona, Real Madrid and it can be said that of football. It had been more than 75 years, since December 1947, that a footballer had not scored four or more goals against the whites in the League. It was the carbayón EchevarrÃa, who scored five with Oviedo. The others who achieved poker against the whites in the 20th century were Samitier, Bestit, Vantolrà , MartÃnez Català , EmilÃn and Eulogio MartÃnez. Records of other times brought to the present by Taty Castellanos.
