Edgar Castillo

Professional fútbol player Edgar Castillo was born and raised in the U.S. but when he suits up to play, the badge on his jersey reads "Federación Mexicana de Fútbol."

The wiry 21-year-old is a native of Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he stood out as a member of the U.S. Olympic Development Program long before he hit puberty. Though a star player at Mayfield High School, the five-foot-nine Castillo says he stopped receiving calls from club coaches because he was "too small."

Undeterred, Castillo attended an open tryout organized by Santos Laguna of the Mexican Primera División. The squad from Torreón, México – the former home of Castillo's parents – signed the speedy forward along with his younger brother.

The bilingual left-back played well enough to earn a call-up for the Mexican national team, "El Tri." But Castillo, who holds dual citizenship, admits he would have played for the U.S. if given a chance: "I never got a call from the U.S. …If things go well here in México, I'll stay." American national coach Bob Bradley has acknowledged the loss.

Like most professional futboleros, Castillo dreams of playing in Europe, but says he's open to the possibility of playing in Major League Soccer, home of British soccer icon David Beckham.

Update: Despite playing in friendly games for México, Castillo says he is strongly considering playing for the U.S. as soon as this summer. United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati confirmed he and coach Bob Bradley have had "preliminary discussions" with Castillo, who currently plays for Monterrey squad Tigres.

Updated July 10, 2009.