Ex-Rev Castillion Lands in Romania
- Updated: January 10, 2015
Photo credit: Chris Aduama/aduamaphotography.com
So much for the high hopes surrounding former Revolution forward Geoffrey Castillion.
A month after he was jettisoned to the Colorado Rapids, who subsequently declined his option, the 23-year-old Dutch striker signed an 18-month deal with Universitatea Cluj of the Romanian First Division on Wednesday.
“I’ve known Geoffrey since the time when he was one of the top players got Ajax’s Academy,” Cluj coach George Ogararu told the club’s official website, according to an online translation service. “(He’s) a very strong and experienced football player, even though he is only 23 years old. I am glad that, together with (Cluj Technical Director) Alfons Groenendijk, I convinced him to come here.”
Photo credit: FC Universitatea Cluj
Castillion was signed by the Revolution on a free transfer on Aug. 25, and was met with heightened expectations. A former Ajax Youth Academy talent with four years of pro experience in his native country, the Dutch striker’s size (6-3, 170 lbs.) and pedigree appeared to give the Revolution the kind of target man they’d craved in the wake of Juan Agudelo’s departure.
“Geoffrey is a big, strong target forward with several years of experience in the Dutch first division,” Revolution general manager Michael Burns said in a club release at the time. “He will add a different dynamic to our attack and also give us more options up front.
Castillion’s price tag didn’t exactly temper those expectations, either. The Dutch striker commanded a $329,000 salary (pro-rated), making him the third-highest paid player in the Revolution locker room.
But with the club in the midst of its postseason push, Castillion only saw the field once, coming on as a 76th minute substitute for Charlie Davies in the Revolution’s 2-1 win over Montreal. He was limited to nine touches, and completed four of his six passes. After the match, he mentioned that needed more minutes to showcase what he was truly capable of.
“Yeah, I can be much better,” Castillion said at the time. “I’m training fit but games are different than training. When I play a lot of games, it will be better.”
The only other occasion in which he saw significant action came in a scrimmage against Western Mass Pro Soccer during late September.
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