How Castañeda and Carrillo fit Gabriel Milito’s game plan | OneFootball

There’s less and less time until the ball starts rolling in the 2026 Apertura, and the excitement surrounding Guadalajara keeps growing. El Rebaño will make its debut on July 18 against Toluca, and the 2 new signings have sparked expectations across the Rojiblanca Nation: Jordan Carrillo and Kevin Castañeda, Mexican players whose qualities promise to expand the range of options for Gabriel Milito.

Since arriving at Chivas, the red-and-white manager has built a team that takes the initiative, with a very clear identity and a recognizable style of play. Milito usually sets his team up with 3 center backs, 2 wing-backs, 2 midfielders, and 2 attacking midfielders behind the center forward, a setup that demands players with a strong understanding of the game, the ability to combine, and the skill to solve situations in tight spaces.

That is precisely where the biggest appeal of the new Rojiblanco signings comes in.

Jordan Carrillo, a specialist at making the difference between the lines

During his time with Pumas, Jordan Carrillo showed many of the qualities that best fit Guadalajara’s system. He is a player with a remarkable ease for playing with his back to goal, receiving under pressure, and turning quickly to speed up attacking moves.

His agility, changes of direction, dribbling, and ability to operate in tight spaces allow him to become a very valuable presence between the lines, right in an area of the field where Gabriel Milito constantly looks to create advantages.

That profile is similar to the role played by footballers such as Roberto Alvarado and Efraín Álvarez, who have been the team’s nominal attacking midfielders, in addition to the occasions when Santiago Sandoval has filled that same role. The arrival of Carrillo provides a new alternative with very particular characteristics for that position.

Kevin Castañeda, the talent to connect every area of the field

For his part, Kevin Castañeda arrives after showing an extremely complete profile as a playmaker at Tijuana.

He is a player capable of getting involved from the start of attacking moves, dropping closer to the build-up, appearing between the lines, and reaching the final third with danger. In addition, one of his main strengths is around the edge of the box, where he usually makes the difference thanks to his vision to thread the final pass and his powerful long-range shot.

While his qualities also make him a natural candidate to occupy one of the attacking midfield roles in Milito’s system, his versatility allows him to offer solutions starting a few yards deeper, linking different phases of play and providing very interesting tactical alternatives.

More talent, more options, and a squad with complementary profiles

With the additions of Jordan Carrillo and Kevin Castañeda, Chivas is not only adding individual quality. It is also strengthening a squad that stands out for the variety of profiles it has to compete throughout the 2026 Apertura.

Both players expand Gabriel Milito’s attacking options, whether by filling the attacking midfield roles or by offering different nuances depending on the needs of each match. The coaching staff will have more tools available to maintain the identity that has defined the team since his arrival.

Youth, Mexican talent, and qualities that complement each other make these 2 signings pieces that promise to fit naturally into the red-and-white model. Everything points to Chivas having even more resources to remain a team that takes the initiative and to seek another leap in quality in the 2026 Apertura.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.