The final frontier for young Americans in Mexico? The Big Two

Las Cruces, N.M., native Edgar Castillo now plays for Mexico City giants Club América. Mexsport Luis Bueno's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Luis. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

Club Deportivo Guadalajara and Club América will renew their hostilities at least three times in 2009, the first meeting set to take place Saturday in Houston. And for these upcoming meetings, the clubs will add a new wrinkle that could potentially capture the attention of a new audience.

For the first time in the storied history of the Superclásico, each side will feature an American-born player. Chivas, a club that traditionally fields only Mexican-born players, features San Jose, Calif., native Jesús Padilla, while América landed New Mexico-born Edgar Castillo in the offseason.

Padilla and Castillo are part of a small contingent of Americans in Mexico, and while others have had as much or more success and longevity in the Mexican First Division than the duo, playing for the two most popular Mexican clubs separates the young Americans from their respective counterparts.

That the two largest and most successful Mexican clubs count on Americans likely is a sign that Mexican clubs will continue to rely on the U.S. as a source of talent. Already, rising talents such as José Francisco Torres and Michael Orozco have established themselves with Pachuca and San Luis, respectively, and have played key roles for successful teams.

Pachuca also may have unearthed another budding American talent, as a club executive recently boasted about Washington, D.C., native Jonathan Barron, who is part of the club's Under-14 squad. Pachuca, of course, unearthed Torres after plucking him from Longview, Texas, as a 16-year-old high-schooler.

Barron's own path towards development will be a fast one if he follows in Torres' footsteps. Torres quickly rose through Pachuca's ranks, earned playing time for the first team, became a starter and eventually earned a spot on the U.S. national team.

Still, for as much of an accomplishment that playing for the likes of los Tuzos is, earning a spot on the Mexican behemoths that are Chivas and América is an even more unique achievement. Playing for either club brings with it unique experiences as both are under an enormous spotlight no matter where they play.

América won its 10th league championship in the Clausura 2005 season and has also been a regular participant in the Copa Libertadores, reaching the semifinals three times in club history.

Chivas, meanwhile, has a Mexican league record 11 championships and twice reached the Libertadores' final four. That said, the Guadalajara giants last won a league title in '06 and have longed for a return to glory since.

Chivas and América have done battle in the Mexican postseason many times and have even squared off in the Libertadores, having played each other when CONMEBOL opened the door to Mexican clubs for the first time in '98.

Now, the two historic clubs are going to battle in InterLiga for the first time. Though the clubs have played in the same tournament in the same year, the fates have never aligned in the way they have ahead of this edition. InterLiga '09 marks the first time these two teams were drawn into the same group, and the glitzy matchup will be part of a doubleheader in Robertson Stadium in Houston on Saturday.

InterLiga will give the opportunity for both teams to pursue South American glory, as the winners get a direct ticket to the Copa Libertadores group stage (which begins next month); to the winner of the other final goes a play-in berth to the prestigious tournament.

For Castillo, the chance to play in the Libertadores would be new. Having spent his entire career with Santos, he has seen action internationally only in the CONCACAF Champions League. Playing in South America would represent a new challenge for the budding Mexican national team hopeful. Castillo's mentality, though, must also develop. Playing for Santos is one thing, but joining an América side that is desperate to reach the postseason and establish itself in league once again will be a challenge.

But the speedy left back has all the tools for success on a different scale, and should South America be in his future, he should shine there as well. After all, Castillo has already played a role for a Mexican league champion. The Las Cruces, N.M., native was a standout for Santos during its successful Clausura '08 campaign.

As for Padilla, playing in the Libertadores would actually mean a repeat performance. A year ago, he appeared in two Copa games as Chivas reached the group stage of the tournament, but failed to advance beyond it. Padilla, whose American birth was revealed by SI.com last February, has failed to establish himself on the team despite continued success with reserve side Tapatío. Perhaps playing time and success in InterLiga could lead to more appearances in the upcoming Clausura '09 season.