When he’s on the field of play, Edson Daniel Castillo Garcia plays like a man with a football field map in his head.
It’s a rare gift. One that is perhaps bestowed on a select few by the football gods, who pick and choose whom they confer on this kind of invaluable vision and insight.
After all, if a football match is a game of chess, then the pieces on this map are always on the move as they follow the ball’s tactical directions and instructions of a coach.
Therefore, a footballer who can keep abreast of these movements, stay calm while all are turning mad around him, pick the right pass or make the right decision is a talent that deserves to be coveted.
Edson Castillo, the Venezuelan, falls in this category, at least according to Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen.
WHO IS HELPING CASTILLO ADAPT TO LIFE AT NATURENA?
“He’s one of the players who can pick a pass out of nowhere,” Petersen told journalists recently. “I’m excited to play with him; just see him doing things for the team this season.”
Those who have watched Castillo turn on the style over the last few matches are, no doubt, wowed. It’s mainly how quickly he seems to have adapted to South African football.
The chorus of praise that has accompanied his performances in this early part of the season reached a crescendo over the weekend. This was after Castillo netted a 94th-minute winner to take Amakhosi over the line during an MTN8 quarterfinal encounter against Cape Town City on Sunday.
That goal seemed like a tiny step, but to the Chiefs faithful, it was a giant leap, as they could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, with hopes of ending an eight-season-long trophy drought now suddenly reignited.
Suddenly, Amakhosi seem to have the combination of steel and vision that their midfield has severely lacked over the last few seasons. And all of this is due to a man from South America. The Puerto Ordaz native seems to have adapted to South African football like a fish to water.
EDMILSON DOVE IS PLAYING INTERPRETER TO CASTILLO
However, for all his heroics and promise. Perhaps the 29-year-old midfielder would only be half as good without Edmilson Dove. The Mozambiquan defender is helping him adapt to life in Naturena. That’s only because every word being spoken is still largely foreign to him.
Castillo, after all, cannot speak a word of English. He relies on the Mozambique international to regurgitate some of the coaches’ instructions to him. While Portuguese and Spanish are different, the languages are similar. So, Dove’s interpreter role ensures that nothing is lost in translation whenever he steps into the field of play.
“Edson Castillo can’t speak a word in English,” revealed an official during the pre-season. “So, the club had an interpreter when he arrived who sat down with management as they laid down the vision and how he would fit in.
“Edmilson has been of great help to him because Portuguese and Spanish are almost the same. So, because of Edmilson’s Portuguese, he’s helping Castillo.”
For Rui Frois, a Mozambican academy owner and agent based in Johannesburg and a close friend of Dove, it is no surprise that he has taken up the task of helping bed in Castillo at Naturena.
Frois says Dove is as selfless off the field of play as he is on it and is always ready to step up for his friends or colleagues when necessary. Dove, it seems, is the kind of man one takes to war.
SPANISH IS PORTUGUESE SPOKEN WRONG
“Some words are similar [in Spanish and Portuguese]. We always joke and say Spanish is Portuguese spoken wrong. Of course, with some things, you’ve to pay attention to understand.
“Edmilson is helping Castillo because of the Portuguese. I’m not surprised because he’s an amazing, humble guy. He supports his colleagues, even outside the field. He’s got a good heart.
“You know, some players don’t want others to reach higher levels, but Dove wants to see them reach the stars,” Frois tells FARPost.
While Dove’s humanity can never be in doubt, being in awe of Castillo as a football player might explain why he has chosen to go beyond the ambit of his contractual duties at Amakhosi. As a man who also knows how hard it is to adapt to a foreign land, extending a helping hand comes naturally to him.
“He speaks highly of Castillo. I’m sure Castillo will do well with Edmilson around him. He knows what it’s like for a foreigner trying to settle in,” he adds.
For Petersen, who often has to marvel at the genius of Castillo from the safety of his own goal, the Amakhosi faithful are in for a treat if the Venezuelan continues on his current path.
“Quality. I haven’t seen a player like him in a while. His vision, just his understanding. There is a language barrier, but as soon as you explain something to him with the ball, he gets it like that and does it…. There is a lot more to expect from him,” he says.
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