Jonathan dos Santos Joins Liga MX Side Club America

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jonathan dos Santos is headed back to his home country…

The 31-year-old Mexican professional footballer and former LA Galaxy captain has joined Club America, the Liga MX side announced on Thursday.

The deal would be for two years, according to ESPN reports, with the Mexico City side announcing on Thursday that the El Tri star had officially joined the team.

The Liga MX Clausura season kicks off on January 7. Las Aguilas finished atop the regular season table of the recently completed Apetura campaign but were ousted in the playoffs, with Atlas winning the title.

Dos Santos was a free agent after the Galaxy stated in late November that it had parted ways with the former designated player.

“I feel I’m in pretty good shape. I am 31 years old. People say that I am coming to retire here; that’s not true. I still have a lot to give in my career and to this club. I am hungry. I want to win titles with América and make the fans happy,” Dos Santos said.

During his time with the Galaxy that started in 2017, Dos Santos made 103 appearances for the club and was selected as an MLS All-Star in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. In his last two years, injuries took a toll on regular appearances.

The move to Liga MX is a first for Dos Santos, who has previously also played in LaLiga for Barcelona and Villarreal. Jonathan’s older brother Giovani, currently a free agent, previously played for Club America before being dropped over the summer.

“Since I was a kid, I dreamed that one day I would play in America. My father played here, Gio too, the Dos Santos’ already made history in this club,” Dos Santos said. “My dad always told us, you have to play for America, you have to fulfill that dream. It’s the best team in Mexico. I left the country 20 years ago, so having the opportunity to return and play for the best team is a big honor for me.”

Dos Santos’ move to Club America comes two days after fellow El Tri teammate Sebastian Cordova left Las Aguilas for Tigres UANL.

Julian Araujo Earns First Senior Call-Up for Mexico for El Tri’s Friendly Against Chile

Posted on December 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Julian Araujo is ready to make his Mexican debut…

The 20-year-old Mexican American professional footballer, currently playing for LA Galaxy, could make his first appearance for Mexico after he earned his first senior call-up with the national team ahead of a December 8 friendly against Chile in Austin, Texas.

Araujo is one of a number of youngsters and newcomers in the 23-player squad who will look to impress Mexico manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino.

Araujo has dual-nationality and represented the United States at youth level. He was a member of the provisional 2021 Gold Cup roster for the senior U.S. squad. USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter said in the summer that Araujo was “not ready to fully commit to the team” after he had made himself unavailable for selection for the Gold Cup.

In October, the right-back announced that he had made the switch to Mexico.

Fellow Galaxy teammate Efrain Alvarez has also been included in Mexico’s squad. Like Araujo, Alvarez switched to Mexico from the U.S. and made his senior debut for Martino during a friendly in March.

Another notable inclusion to Mexico’s squad is Arsenal youngster Marcelo Flores, who is also eligible to represent Canada and England. Flores, 18, had been cleared by the Premier League club to join the El Tri camp last week. The attacking midfielder was included in Canada’s provisional squad for the 2021 Gold Cup, but took part in the Revelations Cup tournament last month with Mexico’s youth national team. He has yet to make a senior debut for any squad.

Mexico also included Union Espanola‘s Benjamin Galdames to the squad. The 20-year-old midfielder is the son of former Chile international Pablo Galdames and eligible to play for both nations.

Other players who could earn their first senior cap for Mexico include: Emilio Lara, Mauro Lainez, Salvador Reyes, Israel Reyes, Omar Campos, Carlos Acevedo, Luis Malagon, and Luis Olivas.

The upcoming match will be Mexico’s first trip to Austin’s Q2 Stadium, and Mexico will look to close out the year with a win after losing to the USMNT and Canada in November during CONCACAF‘s Octagonal round of World Cup qualifying.

GOALKEEPERS: Alfredo Talavera (Pumas UNAM), Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna), Luis Malagon (Necaxa)

DEFENDERS: Julian Araujo (LA Galaxy), Emilio Lara, Salvador Reyes (America), Jordan Silva (America), Luis Olivas (Guadalajara), Israel Reyes (Puebla)

MIDFIELDERS: Erik Lira (Pumas UNAM), Erick Aguirre (Monterrey), Alfonso Gonzalez (Monterrey), Uriel Antuna (Guadalajara), Fernando Beltran (Guadalajara), Omar Campos (Santos Laguna), Alan Cervantes (Santos Laguna), Sebastian Cordova (America), Marcelo Flores (Arsenal)

FORWARDS: Eduardo Aguirre (Santos Laguna), Benjamin Galdames (Union Espanola), Santiago Gimenez (Cruz Azul), Mauro Lainez (America), Efrain Alvarez (LA Galaxy)

Hirving “Chucky” Lozano Among Players Called Up by Mexico for World Cup Qualifiers vs. U.S., Canada

Posted on November 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is getting called up…

The 26-year-old Mexican professional footballer, who plays for Napoli, will headline a strong squad when Mexico faces its last World Cup qualifiers of 2021.

Lozano will be joined by Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez and 24 other players by Mexico manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino to face the United States and Canada for two tough road games to close out their 2021 schedule.

El Tri will face the Stars and Stripes on November 12 in Cincinnati before facing off against the Canadians four days later in Edmonton.

In total, Martino named eight Europe-based players to the squad, with Lozano, Jimenez and Porto winger Jesus “Tecatito” Corona once again expected to head Mexico’s attack.

Atletico Madrid‘s Hector Herrera was also recalled, along with veteran central midfielder Andres Guardado (Real Betis).

Edson Alvarez (Ajax), fresh off qualifying to the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League, is another star named to Martino’s squad.

Johan Vasquez (Genoa) and Nestor Araujo (Celta Vigo) are expected to anchor the central defense.

Among those who’ll miss out on this window include Betis winger Diego Lainez and Genk defender Gerardo Arteaga. Lainez has been slowly coming back into the fold for Betis after an injury sidelined him for the first months of the season.

Arteaga, on the other hand, has featured regularly for the Belgian side but has reportedly received the ire of Martino for declining a previous call-up. In Arteaga’s absence, Liga MX stars Luis Rodriguez (Tigres) and Jorge Sanchez (Club America) are expected to start in the full-back positions.

Veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa (Club America) heads the goalkeeping position, along with Rodolfo Cota (Leon) and Alfredo Talavera (UNAM).

Other Liga MX-based forwards named to the team include Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey) and Henry Martin (Club America).

With 14 points in six matches, Mexico currently sits first in CONCACAF‘s final round of World Cup qualifying, three more than second-place U.S. and four more than Canada.

Gonzalo Pineda Named Head Coach of Atlanta United

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gonzalo Pineda is the head of the class…

The 38-year-old Mexican former soccer player, who has played for Mexico’s International team, has been appointed as the new head coach, of Atlanta United.

Pineda had agreed to personal terms with the Major League Soccer club and signed a contract that would run through the 2024 season.

“This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m really excited to become Atlanta United’s head coach,” Pineda said in a press release. “I want to thank Arthur Blank, Steve Cannon, as well as Darren and Carlos for entrusting me in this position.

“I’m arriving to a club that already has a system in place to help the players and coaching staff deliver good results for the supporters. I’m looking forward to arriving in Atlanta and meeting with everyone at the club.”

Pineda will join the team in Atlanta next week while assistant coach Rob Valentino will be in charge of the club’s next two matches.

Pineda has long been touted as manager-in-waiting within MLS, and was reportedly a finalist for the D.C. United job that eventually went to Hernan Losada.

His first managerial stint will see him take over one of the biggest jobs in MLS, with Atlanta winning three trophies in its first three years of operation, including an MLS Cup triumph in 2018.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Gonzalo as the head coach of Atlanta United,” club president Darren Eales said.”Building off an illustrious international playing career, Gonzalo joined Seattle‘s coaching staff and played an integral role in the club’s success over the last few years.

“He has a thorough understanding of MLS and has proven to be one of the top assistants in the league. He is a great fit for our club from a cultural and technical perspective, and we’re excited to have a long-term commitment in place.”

During his playing career, Pineda represented some of Mexico’s biggest clubs, including Pumas, Guadalajara and Cruz Azul on loan. He was also loaned out to San Luis, Puebla and Queretaro. He spent the last two years of his career in Seattle, helping the side to U.S. Open Cup and Supporters Shield double in 2014.

At international level, Pineda made 44 appearances for Mexico, scoring one goal. He was also selected to El Tri‘s 23-man roster for the 2006 World Cup.

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs to Perform at Next Year’s Chicago-Based Ruido Fest

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs are ready to make some ruido…

After a year away, Chicago’s Ruido Fest is set to return in August with a star-studded lineup that includes the Argentine ska band, Café Tacvba and Panteón Rococó as headliners.

Marking the return of one of Latin music’s biggest festivals to the Midwest since the COVID-19 pandemic, the alt-rock fest is set to take place on August 20-22 at Union Park. Other artists set to perform throughout the three-day event include Moenia, Los Amigos Invisibles, La Doña, Lido Pimienta, Mexican Institute of Sound and Little Jesus, among others.

The announcement arrives as cities across the country are beginning to loosen COVID restrictions, including Chicago, which is currently in its “bridge phase” of its reopening plan.

Max Wagner, co-founder of Ruido and owner of event production company Metronome, tells Billboard that production will follow state and city guidelines.

“The hope is that by late August things are somewhat back to normal,” Wagner says. “We will try to keep everyone safe. There will be more people cleaning and all of our staff will be required to have masks across the grounds. With fans attending, we’ll follow CDC guidelines and whatever they’re saying at the time of the festival in terms of mask or no masks outdoors.”

Launched in 2015, Ruido Fest has featured an array of Latin artists, including Enanitos Verdes, Hombres G, Zoé, Molotov, Vanessa Zamora, Bomba Estéreo, Intocable, El Tri, Los Tigres del Norte and Maldita Vecindad.

For more information on the festival and how to buy tickets, visit ruidofest.com.

Here’s the Ruido 2021 lineup in alphabetical order:

Ambar Lucid
Café Tacvba (Sunday headliner)
El Chisme
El Shirota
Evil Empire
Inner Wave
Kaina
La Armada
La Doña
Las Nubes
Lido Pimienta
Little Jesus
Los Amigos Invisibles
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs (Friday headliner)
Margaritas Podridas
Maye
Mexican Institute of Sound
Moenia
Nahuales Underground
Nanpa Básico
Panteón Rococó (Saturday headliner)
Rosalba Valdez
Silverio
The Mini Projects
Tone Zone Skam

Eugenio Pizzuto Signs with Ligue 1’s Lille OSC

Posted on August 1, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Pizzuto is headed to France…

The 18-year-old Mexican professional footballer joined French Ligue 1 club Lille OSC, the team has confirmed.

Pizzuto captained Mexico at the under-17 World Cup in 2019 and was awarded the Bronze Ball for his performance as El Trireached the final.

“I feel confident in myself,” Pizzuto said at a news conference. “I think I’ll be able play this year without any problem.

“Like in any team, if you are the new guy you have to come in and work really hard so you can win a place in the starting 11 or on the bench, but I’m just going to work and do my best to be on the field.”

Pizzuto joined Lille on a free transfer after coming through thePachuca youth system.

Hector Herrera and Hirving Lozano also came through the youth system and were signed to European clubs.

Pizzuto only made one appearance in Liga MX, fracturing his fibula and dislocating his ankle in a horror injury just nine minutes after coming off the bench against Leon last January.

“About the injury, I’m much better, I’m just finishing the last things to be back on the field, but I’m 100% to play for Lille,” Pizzuto added.

The Ligue 1 season begins on Saturday, August 22 with Lille taking on Rennes at home.

The team was in fourth position when the 2019-20 Ligue 1 season was ended on April 28 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Victor Manuelle to Perform at the Los Dells Music, Art and Food Festival

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Victor Manuelle is headed to the Midwest…

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican salsa singer is set to perform at the second annual Los Dells Music, Art and Food Festival.

Manuelle is among the new wave of artists confirmed for the two-day music event that’s known as the largest Latin multi-genre music fest in the Midwest.

Other additions include Flo Rida, El Tri, Zion & Lennox, El Haragan & CIA, Mau y Ricky, and Jesse Baez.

Organizers of the event also revealed that Farina, Descember Bueno, Jarina de Marco, Raquel Sofia, Gadiel,and Oscarcito will all perform at the Toyota Music Denat the festival.

They will be joining already-confirmed acts such as Karol G, Aterciopelados, Porter, Wisin & Yandel, Bad Bunny, Molotov, Chiquis Rivera and La Original Banda el Limon.

Los Dells Festival will take place over Labor Day Weekend on September 1-2 at Woodside Ranch in Madison, Wisconsin.

For additional festival details, visit LosDells.com.

Neymar Leads Brazil to Victory Over Mexico at the FIFA World Cup

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Neymar is makin’ his mark on the global stage’…

The 26-year-old Brazilian soccer star helped propel his national team into the quarterfinals at the FIFA World Cup by scoring the winning goal against Mexico.

It was Neymar’s second goal at the 2018 World Cup, and his sixth overall in World Cup competition.

Roberto Firmino put it away near the buzzer to seal the 2-0 victory, ending a tournament for El Tri that started perfectly and ended horribly.

The talented Brazilians were by far the stronger team in the match, but Mexico had chances to make it more of a game. In the end, Mexico leaves Russia with consecutive scoreless matches. Brazil had 21 shots, 10 on frame, but a fantastic performance from keeper Guillermo Ochoa kept Mexico in it.

Mexico saw plenty of the ball in the box, recording 13 shots, but only one tested Alisson in goal.

With the match going back and forth, the winner came on 51 minutes off a stellar bit of play by Neymar. He got the ball to Willian, and the winger returned the favor in front of goal to open the scoring.

Brazil will next face Belgium in the quarterfinals.

Brazil finished fourth in the cup in 2014, but crashed out in the quarterfinals in 2006 and 2010.

Guardado Leads Mexico to 3-1 Win Over Jamaica in CONCACAF Gold Cup Title Match

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Andrés Guardado is returning south of the border as Mexico’s new soccer hero…

The 28-year-old Mexican futbol player, who plays for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and the Mexico national team, scored his fourth goal of the knockout rounds to help propel Mexico to its seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup title Sunday with a 3-1 victory over upstart Jamaica.

Jesus Corona and Oribe Peralta contributed goals as El Tri scored twice early in the second half to ensure this match wouldn’t come down to any calls in the final minutes.

It was a convincing performance for coach Miguel Herrera and his team after some rough play and contentious moments in the previous two games.

Jamaica had made a rousing run to the final, stunning the U.S. in the semis to become the first Caribbean nation to reach the Gold Cup’s championship match. And they looked as though they belonged in the opening minutes, keeping the pressure on Mexico with several promising scoring chances but never putting a shot on goal.

Jamaica hadn’t trailed since early in the second half of its Gold Cup opener before a yellow card helped lead to Mexico’s first goal.

Darren Mattocks scored in the 80th minute to pull the Reggae Boyz within 3-1.

El Tri will face the U.S., the 2013 Gold Cup champions, on October 9 for CONCACAF’S spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

The only way Mexico had been able to score in the knockout rounds before Sunday had been on penalty kicks, all three by Guardado. And two of those came on late, questionable calls.

Against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, a scoreless game was moments from going to a shootout when Guardado converted his penalty in the final minute of extra time. Mexico had been the better team that day, but that wasn’t the case in the semifinals. Down to 10 men, Panama was on the verge of victory when a disputed hand ball set up a penalty for Guardado in second-half stoppage time, and he scored on another for the winner in extra time.

Mexico had gone 272 minutes since one of its players scored on anything other than a penalty when Guardado put El Tri ahead for good Sunday. Jonathan dos Santos found Paul Aguilar out wide on a free kick, and Aguilar crossed it to Guardado, whose left-footed volley made it 1-0 in the 31st minute. It was his sixth goal of the tournament, one behind Clint Dempsey of the U.S.

Guardado came off to a thunderous ovation from the pro-Mexico crowd of 68,930 at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL‘s Philadelphia Eagles.

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