No goals but plenty of optimism
Castellón's dominance in the first two games hasn't helped them find the net, but their play and the signing of Ousmane Camara from Auxerre means the fans have plenty to be excited about.
Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Oviedo was the first goalless encounter of Dick Schreuder’s Castellón’s tenure, after 45 games in charge. However the result was not a fair reflection of the action on the pitch, as was the case against Eibar the week before in the season opener.
In truth, the albinegros were dominant in both games, but failed to find the net, leaving them with just one point from six. VAR also worked against Douglas during the Eibar game, as the Brazilian’s goal was ruled out for offside in a close call. Despite the lack of finishing, the mood has been overwhelmingly positive, from the club, fans, and even neutrals who are seeing Castellón’s offering for the first time in the second tier.
The numbers don’t lie. Just to provide a few, Castellón are sixth in xGD/90, eleventh in xG/90 and third in progressive passes. All very different to their current position of 17th, which suggests that if they carry on in the same way, that difference should vanish as the season continues.
Of those who had significant playing time against Eibar and Oviedo, Daijiro Chirino has looked imperial in defence, and has all the attributes of a player who will end up amongst the elite. Álex Calatrava also impressed coming off the bench in both games, and was electric on the wing with his fearless dribbling. In his 52 minutes of playing time, the summer signing from Atlético B racked up 1.13 xG/90 to lead the team in that metric and feature in the league’s top ten. Raul Sánchez and Douglas Aurelio also looked like La Liga level players, and the Brazilian in particular will no doubt have plenty of suitors going forward.
A big commitment for a big signing
In the Bob Voulgaris era, the majority of Castellón’s signings have been relatively low risk (free transfers and one year deals), with the exception of Douglas Aurelio, where there was both a transfer fee for Riga FC and a four year deal for the player. Ousmane Camara can now be added to the list, after Castellón agreed a deal with Auxerre that will see the Guinean sign at Castalia for five seasons as one of the major summer signings.
The 23-year-old, who earnt his first cap for Guinea earlier this year, came up through the famed Auxerre youth setup and made his debut in Ligue 1 in 2022/23. After a lack of game time, he made the move to Annecy in Ligue 2 on loan last year, scoring 6 goals in 15 games, as well as two assists.
Albinegro fans are right to be excited, and if the club’s commitment is anything to go by, Camara has incredibly high potential. As well as his goals, the defensive aspect was probably also attractive - he ranks in the 99th percentile among strikers in similar level leagues for blocks and tackles, per FBRef. With Dick’s high pressing system, the ability for a striker to win the ball back high up the pitch is an added bonus that could help generate even more scoring opportunities.
Camara’s journey to European football is also worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster. Growing up in Conakry, he made the decision to chase his footballing dreams and travelled across Africa, ending up in prison in Libya before making it to Italy on a 60-person raft, seeing people drown in the process. He made it to France and Nîmes, where he was scouted by Auxerre, and where, finally, his career could begin.
While fans might have to wait a bit to see him make his debut due to an injury, Camara promises to light up Castalia once he is settled in and comfortable in Dick’s system.