Darwin Castillo

Central Defender - Estudiantes de Caracas
6 Mar 2027
Saturday
Process

Marked for Darwin Castillo

27 Edition

The Estudiantes de Caracas Gazette

1 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

The wait goes on for Estudiantes de Caracas

6 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.

Market

Junior Soteldo hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Estudiantes de Caracas can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Miguel Savarino says Estudiantes de Caracas went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

José Cadenas in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Estudiantes de Caracas this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Oscar Soteldo

Successful dribbles: 20. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Market

No place for Salomon Arango in the plan

“The manager did not use many words, and he did not need to.” Salomon Arango has his answer from Estudiantes de Caracas; what he does with it is the next window’s story.

Squad

Words at Estudiantes de Caracas training over how hard people work

Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Andres Murillo is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.

Squad

No hiding place for Andres Murillo

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Andres Murillo, and the manager let it.

Match

Estudiantes de Caracas share the spoils with Atletico Venezuela

A 1‑1 draw with Atletico Venezuela leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

In brief

Back issues
15 Edition

The Estudiantes de Caracas Gazette

9 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Juan Rondon damages knee ligaments — 43 days out

The words a physio says slowly. 43 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.

Market

Junior Arango puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Estudiantes de Caracas, and it is not being withdrawn.

Squad

Darwin Castillo in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Estudiantes de Caracas this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

In brief

8 Edition

The Estudiantes de Caracas Gazette

21 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Juan Rondon damages knee ligaments — 92 days out

The words a physio says slowly. 92 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.

Squad

Words at Estudiantes de Caracas training over how hard people work

Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Salomon Arango is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.

Squad

Tempers go at Estudiantes de Caracas

Darwin Castillo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

In brief

1 Edition

The Estudiantes de Caracas Gazette

3 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Junior Soteldo asks to leave Estudiantes de Caracas

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Player ratings

Oscar Soteldo runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 24. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Market

Sanfrecce Hiroshima join the queue for Salomon Rondon

Add another name to the list: Sanfrecce Hiroshima have asked the question everybody in the game has been asking about Salomon Rondon. The answer from Estudiantes de Caracas has not changed — yet.

Squad

Carlos Savarino signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Carlos Savarino and Estudiantes de Caracas agree another 2 years.

Squad

Tempers go at Estudiantes de Caracas

Darwin Castillo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

Juan Rondon gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Andres Murillo falls out with a teammate over standards

The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.

Player ratings

The game went through Miguel Ramirez — 6.67

Marked 6.67 on 9 actions at both ends of the pitch. Midfielders like this get described as unspectacular by people who have never tried to play against one.

Match

Estudiantes de Caracas share the spoils with Portuguesa

A 2‑2 draw with Portuguesa leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

In brief