Meet Santiago Castaneda, the Colombian-American shining in Bundesliga who could be next USMNT gem

The Tampa native has represented the U.S. at the youth level but is also eligible to represent Colombia The path of American soccer players has shifted over the years as there are now more Americans performing at high levels in Europe than ever before, but much of that is due to being able to build on the success of those who came before them. Few know that better than Santiago Castaneda, who has now made it from Tampa, Florida, to the Bundesliga with Paderborn, scoring his first goal this season and leading the club to their first Bundesliga victory in 2,431 days. It has been a long road for the club since being relegated in the 2019-20 season before Castaneda helped them get back to the top flight, and the club journey mirrors that of the Colombian-American midfielder.

Soccer is something that is in Castaneda's blood. His father, Carlos, played professionally in Colombia, and his brother also played, so at a young age, Castaneda was exposed to soccer and what it meant to be a professional, which was important when making the decision not to go to Michigan for college and instead take a trial with MSV Duisburg in the third division of Germany, which was one of many situations where Castaneda bet on himself and it worked out. "We