Category: Latino

Why Piojo’s Summer Tournament Goalkeeper Choices Make Sense

mexico_ecuador_2015_011
Ochoa, right, on the bench against Ecuador, March 2015.

It’s unofficially official: goalkeeper Jesus “Chuy” Corona of Cruz Azul will guard Mexico’s goal during the Copa America tournament in June. Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa will do the same the following month for the Gold Cup tournament, which coach Miguel “Piojo” Herrera has prioritized as a must-win.

The selections make sense. Corona had a great game against Ecuador last month where he made a number of key saves including stopping a penalty kick in his team’s 1 -0 victory. Corona and Mexico will face Ecuador again in the C.A. group stage alongside Chile and Bolivia.

His regular spot in La Maquina’s starting XI guarantees he’ll be in fine form entering the tournament, which will be packed with World Cup-caliber CONMEBOL teams looking to win the Copa and its coveted 2017 Confederations Cup spot.

mexico_ecuador_2015_008
(l – r) Andres Guardado, Corona, Miguel Layun in the starting lineup against Ecuador, March 2015.

Meanwhile, Ochoa’s move to La Liga hasn’t turned out as promising as he and fans his had hoped. The keeper who stunned the planet with his breathtaking saves at the 2014 World Cup has spent much of his time with Malaga CF as its secondary keeper behind Idriss Kameni.

His spot in CONCACAF’s Gold Cup will give him a month between the end of La Liga and the start of the aforementioned tournament to train with his World Cup squadmates. That could help boost his morale given his current situation.

The tournament would also provide an avenue for Ochoa to regain any form he’s lost on Malaga’s bench. Mexico’s G.C. opposition is on a competitively lower level with El Tri set to face Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala, and Cuba in the group stage. It’s a far cry from Corona taking on Chile, Ecuador, and possibly Brazil or Colombia later on.

Those early matches c/should help the keeper regain his footing and form in time for the next round of matches against tougher CONCACAF opposition (possibly Honduras, Costa Rica, and the USA).

Corona will get to show off his skills in South America against tough competition and Ochoa will rejoin his World Cup squad for an opportunity to show the world he hasn’t lost a step despite his role as a secondary goalie.

Photos From Mexico vs. Ecuador International Friendly Match

The national teams of Mexico and Ecuador met at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday March 28th for an international friendly match. Mexico won the game 1 – 0 thanks to a goal by Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, his 39th for the national team which moved him past Cuauhtemoc Blanco as Mexico’s second leading goal-scorer.

It goes without saying I attended and got some great photos in the process. The full album of photos is on my flickr. Below are some of my favorites from the event.

mexico_ecuador_2015_004

mexico_ecuador_2015_006

mexico_ecuador_2015_011

mexico_ecuador_2015_019

mexico_ecuador_2015_022

mexico_ecuador_2015_026

mexico_ecuador_2015_029

mexico_ecuador_2015_035

mexico_ecuador_2015_036

mexico_ecuador_2015_041

mexico_ecuador_2015_042

ZZK Celebrates Life of Bolivian Singer Luzmila Carpio with Remix EP

Buenos Aires-based label ZZK has long been a champion of both traditional Latin American sounds and modern digital works. The label’s latest foray into both worlds is a celebration of the life and work of one of Bolivia’s most beloved artists. Luzmila Carpio Meets ZZK is a seven-song EP of remixes of four tracks from her upcoming album, Yuya Jap’ina Tapes, by some of the best names in digital cumbia/electropical.

Read the rest of this story at MTV Iggy, my first for the site.

Delantero Sin Equipo: The Embarrassing Saga of Alan Pulido

Alan Pulido
Alan Pulido

There are easy ways and difficult ways for a football player to cut his teeth and cleats in Europe. Mexican forward Alan Pulido has chosen, to quote the ancient knight from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, quite “poorly” and has now placed his “current” club Levadiakos FC against his “former” club Tigres UANL in a legal battle over his contract.

At the heart of the matter, is Pulido who has claimed free agency since his return to Mexico from the World Cup in Brazil (as one of the substitutes.) The drama began on July 31st, 2014, when Pulido released a public statement that claimed he was no longer a player at Tigres and was actually a free agent. The announcement arrived days after he skipped a number of training sessions with the team. On August 6th, Tigres president Alejandro Rodriguez claimed/clarified that Pulido’s contract is binding until June 30th, 2016.

READ THE REST AT REMEZCLA

Ladder Match at Lucha Underground

Back in early October, Remezcla sent me to a warehouse in Boyle Heights for a story. That warehouse turned out to be the set for Lucha Underground, a lucha libre show produced by the El Rey Network. There, the audience and I were treated to a 10-man battle royale and the company’s first ladder match. I had to wait until the episodes aired (Dec. 3rd & 10th) to share photos from the event.

lucha_underground_001

lucha_underground_002

lucha_underground_003

lucha_underground_004

lucha_underground_005

lucha_underground_006

lucha_underground_007

lucha_underground_008

lucha_underground_009

lucha_underground_010

lucha_underground_011

lucha_underground_012

lucha_underground_013

lucha_underground_014

lucha_underground_015

lucha_underground_016

lucha_underground_017

Video: Ceci Bastida In The Studio With M.I.S. & Toy Selectah

A little over a month ago, Billboard announced a large bit of news: a partnership between Camilo Lara (a.k.a. Mexican Institute of Sound) and Toy Selectah (formerly of Control Machete) as Compass. The duo visited and recorded in seven different cities with a grand total of 90 collaborators for an album that will be released some time next year.

I actually spent a day at Red Bull Music Studios in Los Angeles this past summer while the duo worked on a few tracks. Below is footage I shot of Lara and Toy working with singer/musician Ceci Bastida on some vocals.

The duo will also tour the world together next year and will be part of Mexico’s Vive Latino festival.

A todo volúmen: así vivió Panamérika el Supersónico

No sé las razones por las que los fans de la música alternativa de Latinoamérica en Los Ángeles tuvieron que esperar tanto tiempo para poder gozar de un festival como el Supersónico. Han sufrido por muchos años viendo a campos, estadios y salas promoviendo festivales con grupos de Rock en Español cuyos días alcanzaron sus puntos máximos al fin del siglo. Por favor, ¡ya no inviten a Maná!

 Por algún tipo de milagro que desconozco, todas esas quejas por fin fueron calladas el sábado, 10 de Octubre cuando las puertas del Shrine Auditorium se abrieron al Supersónico Festival. El evento organizado por Cookman International y Goldenvoice unió a artistas famosos, como Café Tacvba y Calle 13, con artistas independientes, locales, y no muy conocidos, como María Y José y AJ Dávila, de la música hispanoamericana. Por primera vez, Los Ángeles tuvo su primer festival al estilo Vive Latino o un Fuck Yeah Fest (FYF) Latino.

 El día comenzó con grupos Angelinos en cada escenario. El DJ/músico Gomez Comes Alive tuvo el honor de abrir el festival como el primer artista del programa en el Illuminati Lounge (nombrado así porque el fundador del Shrine era un Masónico, jojojo). No era tanto un salón sino un pasillo largo y ancho donde también uno podía salir a un vestíbulo a comprar camisetas y discos de los mismos artistas del día por precios de festival.

Esta nota continua en Panamérika.