\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t Lan\u00fas won its second international tournament on Saturday, crowned 2025 Copa Sudamericana champions on the last kick of the ball. El Granate may not have as storied an international record as other Argentine teams, but it has come a long way since becoming an established First Division team in the 1990s.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the final at Asunci\u00f3n, it waved goodbye to a beloved player who was key in that process when Lautaro Acosta announced his retirement. Yet, while Acosta donned the team\u2019s maroon jersey for the last time at the Copa Sudamericana final, the match was also the crowning moment for a new star: Rodrigo Castillo.<\/p>\n
Lan\u00fas\u2019 favorite son Born in Glew, in Buenos Aires\u2019 southern outskirts, Acosta spent the vast majority of his professional career at the club, coming up through the youth ranks.<\/p>\n
For the 37-year-old, Lan\u00fas is more than a club, as he admitted in a 2018 interview with P\u00e1gina12.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was only able to break through thanks to the club,\u201d he said. \u201cThey paid my expenses and didn\u2019t charge me membership fees. When my father lost his job, right before the 2001 crisis, the club hired him to do maintenance work and coach the kids teams. My family was going through some rough times and the club was there to help.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lautaro Acosta on the pitch at the Copa Sudamericana final in Asunci\u00f3n, Paraguay, before announcing his retirement. Cover photo: Lan\u00fas celebrate victory. Photos: Diego Von Vacano Affectionately known as \u201cEl Laucha,\u201d Acosta was handed his first team debut in 2006, aged 18. The following year, he was a mainstay in the starting eleven of the team that lifted the 2007 Torneo Apertura, the first top-tier league title in Lan\u00fas\u2019 history.<\/p>\n
An agile and skilled winger, his unpredictability and hard work made him a pain for defenders. His performances got the attention of Sevilla FC, where he moved for US$11.7 million in 2008. However, wasn\u2019t able to replicate his form in Spain, struggling with injuries. He eventually returned to Lan\u00fas in 2013, where he led the team to the 2013 Copa Sudamericana.<\/p>\n
That was when Acosta became a cult hero at Lan\u00fas, not only for his performances on the pitch but also for his brash, outspoken nature. Never one to shy away from a fight, he openly criticized referees, rivals, and even the competition\u2019s organizers whenever he felt Lan\u00fas were put at a disadvantage.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery game is a life or death affair, so you\u2019ve got to protest about everything, complain about everything,\u201d he said in a 2018 interview with Ol\u00e9.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His role with the team declined with the years, as time slowly robbed him of the speed and flair that had made him such a dangerous player.<\/p>\n
He spent most of Saturday\u2019s final on the bench. After entering as a substitute, he missed the penalty that could have given Lan\u00fas the title earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m grateful to this team, life, and my people,\u201d said an emotional Acosta after the final. With six titles, the win made him the most successful player in Lan\u00fas\u2019 history. \u201cIt is the dream ending to my career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Who is Rodrigo Castillo? Luckily for Acosta, Rodrigo Castillo, who inherited his spot in the attack, is the ideal man to carry the torch.<\/p>\n
Standing at nearly 190cm, Castillo is a goalscorer who can also help pass the ball, provide assists, and create chances.<\/p>\n
Rodrigo Castillo wrangles for the ball during the 2025 Copa Sudamericana final between Lan\u00fas and Brazil\u2019s Atl\u00e9tico Mineiro in Asunci\u00f3n, Paraguay. Photo: Diego Von Vacano Unlike Acosta, the 26-year-old didn\u2019t come through the Lan\u00fas youth ranks, and had to fight his way through Argentina\u2019s lower tiers.<\/p>\n
Born in Venado Tuerto, Santa Fe province, Castillo was plucked from his local club by Argentine football giants River Plate aged 19. Having never played youth football professionally, he had to adjust fast to life in Buenos Aires.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It looked like he had hit the ground running when he won his age-group title with River in his first year, scoring plenty of goals. However, a promotion to the Reserve squad didn\u2019t pan out as expected. He never got minutes with the first team, and was let go by the Millonarios aged 21.<\/p>\n
From there, he was picked up by Gimnasia Esgrima La Plata, and sent on loan to Deportivo Madryn in the Argentine second tier. It was there that he finally burst through as a clinical striker, scoring 12 goals in 36 games.<\/p>\n
After finding success on loan, Gimnasia retained his services. He went on to score 12 goals and provide five assists for El Lobo before earning a move to Lan\u00fas for US$1.3 million in June 2025. So far, he has scored 10 goals in 24 games with El Granate, including three in the Copa Sudamericana.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy family always had my back during the toughest times,\u201d he said in an interview after the final, standing alongside his mother, sister, uncles and girlfriend. \u201cI\u2019m incredibly proud to have them here with me today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rodrigo Del Castillo shows off his medal post-match. Photo: Diego Von Vacano At 26, Castillo has just started his Lan\u00fas stint, but he could start adding titles to his tally very soon. The Granate will take on Tigre in the 2025 Torneo Clausura playoffs on Wednesday, and their goalscorer will surely look to imitate his departing teammate and lead the team to more trophies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lan\u00fas won its second international tournament on Saturday, crowned 2025 Copa Sudamericana champions on the last kick of the ball. El Granate may not have as storied an international record as other Argentine teams, but it has come a long way since becoming an established First Division team in the 1990s.\u00a0 In the final at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":12321,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4183,66,67],"tags":[4182,1368,1369],"class_list":["post-12320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-2025-copa-sudamericana","category-football","category-sports","tag-2025-copa-sudamericana","tag-football","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12320"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12320\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}