Recent evidence may indicate otherwise, but Deyna Castellanos is a goalscorer. During her college years with Florida State, she averaged a goal every 1.7 games. After turning professional with Atletico Madrid, she hit the net once every 2.7 games.
Since then, though, her numbers have dropped off a cliff. She scored once every 7.2 outings for Manchester City, and last year she averaged one every 10.5 appearances for Bay FC.
At her very best, Castellanos makes ghosting runs in behind defenses. She combines speed with cunning, that old saying of a player with a ‘nose for goal’ applies well to the 25-year-old. She is at her best facing play, and has a sense of the attack unfolding around her. On top of all that, she strikes the ball well. Her compatriot and Venezuelan soccer legend Juan Arango once said that “there aren’t many players who can score the goals she does.”
Yet, in recent years, this former sharp-shooter has a hit rate that would resonate more with a moderate midfielder. After a disappointing campaign with Bay, Castellanos is on the…
