View source for Chory Castro

{{short description|Uruguayan footballer (born 1984)}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Gonzalo Castro|Gonzalo Castro Randón]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{family name hatnote|Castro|Irizábal|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Chory Castro
| image = CC (17126659531) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Castro with [[Real Sociedad]] in 2015
| fullname = Gonzalo Castro Irizábal
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|9|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Trinidad, Uruguay]]
| height = {{convert|1.76|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
| position = [[Midfielder#Winger|Winger]]
| currentclub = Porongos
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 1998–2001 | youthclubs1 = Porongos
| years1 = 2002–2007 | clubs1 = [[Club Nacional de Football|Nacional]] | caps1 = 81 | goals1 = 21
| years2 = 2007–2012 | clubs2 = [[RCD Mallorca|Mallorca]] | caps2 = 131 | goals2 = 23
| years3 = 2012–2016 | clubs3 = [[Real Sociedad]] | caps3 = 94 | goals3 = 12
| years4 = 2016–2018 | clubs4 = [[Málaga CF|Málaga]] | caps4 = 71 | goals4 = 6
| years5 = 2018–2020 | clubs5 = [[Club Nacional de Football|Nacional]] | caps5 = 67 | goals5 = 6
| years6 = 2021–2023 | clubs6 = [[Club Atlético River Plate (Montevideo)|River Plate (UY)]] | caps6 = 72 | goals6 = 7
| years7 = 2023 | clubs7 = [[Club Nacional de Football|Nacional]] | caps7 = 9 | goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2024– | clubs8 = Porongos | caps8 = 12 | goals8 = 5
| totalcaps = | totalgoals = 
| nationalyears1 = 2005–2013 | nationalteam1 = [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] | nationalcaps1 = 5 | nationalgoals1 = 0
| club-update = 15:43, 8 October 2024 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update =
}}
'''Gonzalo "Chory" Castro Irizábal''' (born 14 September 1984) is a Uruguayan professional [[Association football|footballer]] who plays as a [[Midfielder#Winger|left winger]] for Porongos.

He started his career at [[Club Nacional de Football|Nacional]], but played mostly in [[La Liga]] after arriving in Spain at the age of 22, totalling 296 matches for [[RCD Mallorca|Mallorca]], [[Real Sociedad]] and [[Málaga CF|Málaga]] over 11 seasons and scoring 41 goals.

Castro won five [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for the [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay national team]] in eight years.

==Club career==
===Early years and Mallorca===
Born in [[Trinidad, Uruguay|Trinidad]], [[Flores Department]], Castro was a product of [[Club Nacional de Football]]'s youth ranks. He made his professional debut on 13 July 2002 in a 3–1 win over [[Central Español]], going on to become an important first-team member and helping them to two [[Uruguayan Primera División]] titles while finishing in the scorer charts' top three in the [[2005–06 Uruguayan Primera División|2005–06 season]].

On 7 August 2007, Castro signed a five-year contract with [[La Liga]] club [[RCD Mallorca]].<ref>[https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/01c4-0f84b494ad23-e1a8608ab370-1000--castro-coming-to-mallorca/ Castro coming to Mallorca]; UEFA, 7 August 2007</ref> Rarely used in his [[2007–08 La Liga|first year]], the same occurred in the [[2008–09 La Liga|2008–09 campaign]];<ref name=UF>[https://diariouf.com/2020/05/14/el-glorioso-paso-del-chory-castro-por-el-rcd-mallorca/ El glorioso paso del “Chory” Castro por el RCD Mallorca ("Chory" Castro's glorious spell at RCD Mallorca)]; Diario UF, 14 May 2020 {{in lang|es}}</ref> however, during a week in March 2009, he managed to score in a [[2008–09 Copa del Rey|1–1 home draw]] against [[FC Barcelona]] in the [[Copa del Rey]],<ref>[http://www.marca.com/2009/03/04/futbol/copa_rey/1236207434.html Messi decide el destino (Messi seals fate)]; [[Marca (newspaper)|Marca]], 4 March 2009 {{in lang|es}}</ref> adding a brace in a league 3–3 home draw with [[Real Betis]] after [[Substitute (association football)|coming from the bench]] as the [[Balearic Islands]] team trailed 2–0 (and eventually 3–0).<ref>[https://archive.today/20130102223343/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=252820&cc=5739 Mallorca 3–3 Real Betis]; [[ESPN FC|ESPN Soccernet]], 8 March 2009</ref>

In [[2009–10 La Liga|2009–10]], Castro finally beat competition from veteran [[Fernando Varela (Spanish footballer)|Fernando Varela]], starting most of the campaign and scoring six goals in 35 matches as Mallorca finished fifth and [[2010–11 UEFA Europa League|qualified]] for the [[UEFA Europa League]] (fourth until the last minute of the last matchday). On 23 October 2010 he netted twice at [[Valencia CF]] in a 2–1 victory, opening the score with a seventh-minute [[Penalty kick (association football)|penalty kick]];<ref>[http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/301994?cc=5739 Valencia 1–2 Mallorca] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024121212/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/301994?cc=5739|date=24 October 2012}}; ESPN Soccernet, 23 October 2010</ref> he scored five times in 33 games during [[2010–11 La Liga|that season]], helping his team barely avoid relegation.<ref name=UF/>

===Real Sociedad===
After leaving Mallorca in May 2012, Castro continued competing in the Spanish top flight, joining [[Real Sociedad]] for four years as a [[free agent]].<ref>[http://www.goal.com/es/news/21/fichajes/2012/06/01/3142191/la-real-sociedad-ficha-a-chory-castro La Real Sociedad ficha a Chory Castro (Real Sociedad sign Chory Castro)]; [[Goal (website)|Goal]], 1 June 2012 {{in lang|es}}</ref> On 19 January 2013, he scored two of his six goals during [[2012–13 La Liga|the campaign]]<ref>[https://www.mundodeportivo.com/20130501/real-sociedad/el-arma-secreta-de-montanier_54373049465.html El arma secreta de Montanier (Montanier's secret weapon)]; [[Mundo Deportivo]], 1 May 2013 {{in lang|es}}</ref> to help the hosts come from behind 2–0 and defeat Barcelona 3–2.<ref>[http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/deportes/2013/01/19/liga-bbva-sigue-real-sociedad-barcelona-directo/00031358611739900553521.htm Liga BBVA: Real Sociedad 3 – Barcelona 2 (BBVA League: Real Sociedad 3 – Barcelona 2)]; [[La Voz de Galicia]], 19 January 2013 {{in lang|es}}</ref>

Castro appeared in seven out of the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basques]]' eight matches in the [[2013–14 UEFA Champions League|2013–14 edition]] of the [[UEFA Champions League]] – all rounds included – going scoreless in the process as the team exited in the group stage.<ref>[http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2013/11/25/champions/1385386658_847716.html 'Chory' Castro: "No es imposible clasificarse, ni mucho menos" ('Chory' Castro: "It's not impossible for us to qualify, not by a long shot")]; [[Diario AS]], 25 November 2013 {{in lang|es}}</ref>

===Málaga===
On 6 January 2016, Castro terminated his link (which was about to expire) with Real Sociedad and moved to fellow top-tier side [[Málaga CF]] for two and a half seasons.<ref>[http://www.elmundo.es/andalucia/2016/01/06/568d5a4946163fee788b45f7.html Chory Castro refuerza al Málaga (Chory Castro strengthens Málaga)]; [[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]], 6 January 2016 {{in lang|es}}</ref>

==International career==
Castro made his debut for [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] on 17 August 2005, playing the first half of a [[Exhibition game#International football|friendly]] against [[Spain national football team|Spain]] in [[Gijón]].<ref>[http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/2005/08/18/pagina-20/709435/pdf.html Un paso adelante (One step forward)]; Mundo Deportivo, 18 August 2005 {{in lang|es}}</ref> He was selected for a provisional squad for the [[2014 FIFA World Cup]] by coach [[Óscar Tabárez]], but eventually did not make the final cut.<ref>[https://espndeportes.espn.com/news/story?id=2086479&s=mundial&type=story Tabárez prescinde de siete jugadores que fueron al Mundial de Sudáfrica (Tabárez cuts seven players that went to South Africa World Cup)]; [[ESPN Deportes]], 12 May 2014 {{in lang|es}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Castro's younger sister, [[Juliana Castro (footballer)|Juliana]], was also a footballer. A [[Forward (association football)#Striker|striker]], she played for several clubs in her career including the [[Missouri Valley College]] in the [[United States]], and also represented the [[Uruguay women's national football team|Uruguay national team]].<ref>[http://www.sociedaduruguaya.org/2009/08/futbol-femenino-river-plate-y-rampla-juniors-prevalecieron-sobre-nacional-y-huracan-buceo.html Fútbol Femenino: River Plate y Rampla Juniors prevalecieron sobre Nacional y Huracán Buceo (Women's football: River Plate and Rampla Juniors prevailed over Nacional and Huracán Buceo)]; Sociedad Uruguaya, 31 August 2009 {{in lang|es}}</ref>

==Honours==
'''Nacional'''
*[[Uruguayan Primera División]]: [[2002 Uruguayan Primera División|2002]], [[2005 Uruguayan Primera División|2005]], [[2005–06 Uruguayan Primera División|2005–06]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{BDFutbol|4038}}
*{{NFT player|pid=9085}}
*{{UEFA player|250016010}}
*{{Soccerway|gonzalo-castro-irizabal/1893}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Castro, Chory}}
[[Category:1984 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Flores Department]]
[[Category:Uruguayan people of Spanish descent]]
[[Category:Uruguayan people of Basque descent]]
[[Category:Uruguayan people of Galician descent]]
[[Category:Uruguayan men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football wingers]]
[[Category:Uruguayan Primera División players]]
[[Category:Club Nacional de Football players]]
[[Category:Club Atlético River Plate (Montevideo) players]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:RCD Mallorca players]]
[[Category:Real Sociedad footballers]]
[[Category:Málaga CF players]]
[[Category:Uruguay men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Uruguayan expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]