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San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
The most powerful act at Napa's La Onda festival? It's not on the main stage
One of the most important performances at La Onda in Napa doesn't take place on any of the big stages. It isn't projected on jumbo screens, doesn't feature any dazzling pyrotechnics or conclude with an audience-requested encore. In fact, for the tens-of-thousands at the Napa Valley Expo on Saturday and Sunday May 31-June 1, for the second annual Latin music festival, it may happen quietly, without them ever noticing. Yet, it may arguably be the most essential act of the weekend. In the margins of the two-day festival's footprint, Callpuli Anahuak, a Northern California-based Aztec danza group, gathered in a circle and offered ancestral drumming and prayer. No microphones. No spotlights. Just feet against soil. Carlos Romero, who leads the group and has been dancing for Callpuli Anahuak for more than 20 years, describes it plainly: 'We're ceremonial.' 'It's a spiritual journey from our ancestors, from our people. When we bring ceremony, it feels like everybody connects — every culture,' he went on. 'I feel like every human being needs that.' Romero and his multi-generational dance and ceremony cohort returned after a stirring performance at La Onda's inaugural year, one that stood in quieter contrast to the festival's usual programming. Their presence, however, isn't just some cultural veneer for La Onda. According to Romero, to the organizers' credit, that was never the intention when they first approached them for the festival's inaugural year in 2024. But given the current political backdrop, all four of Callpuli Anahuak's La Onda performances (both days at 1:45 and 4:45 p.m. on the field by the Verizon Stage) may feel like a spiritual intervention, arriving at a moment when Latinx identity is being simultaneously marketed, marginalized and persecuted. It certainly served as a respite for LIlian Zepeda. A Napa native, she's Mexican and African American; watching her fellow festivalgoers cheer on the group on Saturday afternoon, she said, made her feel more at peace amid the current political climate. 'It feels like an acceptance in this country,' Zepeda said, adding that despite 'what's going on, (we're) still proud of who we are.' Perhaps inadvertent, but that's the kind of chord La Onda festival organizers hit this year. 'In these challenging times, it's gratifying to know that these Callpuli Anahuak ceremonial performances are resonating with our attendees,' Dave Graham, a partner at BottleRock Napa Valley, which also produces La Onda, told the Chronicle. The fear that lives just outside the gates of La Onda is not imagined. In the Napa Valley and greater Bay Area, anxiety has risen among the immigrant community under the Trump administration following renewed federal threats of mass deportations. It feels all the more significant since Grupo Firme — one of the most prominent and highly anticipated acts on La Onda's lineup — was forced to withdraw from the festival due to delayed visa approvals. In that context, Romero sees Callpuli Anahuak's performance not just as entertainment but a form of resistance. 'We're being attacked,' said Romero, who was born in Mexico and raised in Sonoma County. But he quickly added, 'our people never give up. We work all the hard jobs. We're the backbone of this country.' Standing on the field of the region's premier Latin music festival he also notes that Callpuli Anahuak isn't dancing this weekend in direct protest. They dance in defiance of invisibility. 'We forget to be present,' Romero said. 'We forget to be in the moment, and I think ceremony helps you with that. It reminds you that you're here, right now, and you're breathing and that's a blessing.' And presence, right now, is power. Julio Lara is a freelance writer.
USA Today
04-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Carlos Romero vs. Villarreal CF – Player props & odds to score a goal on March 3
Carlos Romero vs. Villarreal CF – Player props & odds to score a goal on March 3 [gambcom-standard rankid="4130" ] Will Carlos Romero score a goal when Espanyol and Villarreal CF play on Monday, March 3 at 3:00 PM ET? In the piece below, we analyze the updated stats, trends and odds for this match. Last time out, Espanyol earned a 1-0 victory away from home against Deportivo Alaves despite being outshot by eight in the match, 13 to five. Keep up with LaLiga action this season on Fubo! Carlos Romero's Odds to Score a Goal vs. Villarreal CF Odds to score a goal next game: +1350 Soccer player prop odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 12:39 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. [gambcom-standard rankid="4142" ] Carlos Romero's 2024-25 Stats This season, he has found the back of the net in two of 23 games. In terms of xG (expected goals), Romero is at 0.6, which is 1.4 lower than his actual goal tally of two. Thus far in the 2024-25 season, he has attempted 15 shots (0.7 per match), with three being on target. Espanyol vs. Villarreal CF Scoring Insights In LaLiga, Espanyol has put up 24 goals in 25 games (16th in league), and Villarreal has allowed 35 in 25 matches (10th). Villarreal has scored 48 goals in 25 matches this season (third in LaLiga), and Espanyol has conceded 36 goals in 25 matches (11th in league). Espanyol's goal difference (-12) ranks 16th in LaLiga. With 48 goals scored and 35 allowed, Villarreal is fifth in LaLiga in goal differential. Espanyol vs. Villarreal CF Match Info Matchup: Espanyol at Villarreal Espanyol at Villarreal Time: 3:00 PM ET 3:00 PM ET Date: March 3, 2025 March 3, 2025 Venue: Estadio de la Ceramica More Player Props: [gambcom-standard rankid="4338" ]
Al Bawaba
19-02-2025
- Sport
- Al Bawaba
Have Referees Favored Barcelona? 3 Moments That Left Real Madrid Fuming
In recent weeks, Real Madrid has found itself at the center of heated debates over a series of controversial refereeing decisions, with many believing these calls have negatively impacted their La Liga title race. Frustration has been growing within the club and among its supporters, as these questionable decisions appear to be influencing the competitive balance of the league. The controversy initially erupted during Real Madrid's clash against Espanyol, where a highly disputed call altered the course of the game. Since then, tensions have only escalated. Refereeing Controversies Against Real Madrid The issue began in Real Madrid's match against Espanyol, when defender Carlos Romero made a last-man tackle on Kylian Mbappé in what appeared to be a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Surprisingly, the referee opted not to show a red card. To make matters worse, Romero later scored the equalizer, denying Madrid a crucial victory in their pursuit of the La Liga title. However, the most infuriating moment for Madrid came in their recent clash against Osasuna. Jude Bellingham was shown a controversial red card after what seemed to be a minor disagreement with the referee. The incident appeared to be a misunderstanding rather than an act of aggression, yet the referee did not hesitate to send him off. This decision had a major impact on the match, further fueling Madrid's frustration over the officiating. Is Barcelona Benefiting from Refereeing Decisions? While Real Madrid feels it has been unfairly targeted by refereeing mistakes, some argue that Barcelona has been on the receiving end of favorable calls in recent matches. This has sparked further debate about the integrity of the competition. Below are three key moments where Barcelona appeared to benefit from refereeing decisions at Real Madrid's expense: Disallowed Goal Against Rayo Vallecano One of the most controversial decisions involving Barcelona came during their match against Rayo Vallecano. Jorge de Frutos scored what seemed to be a perfectly valid goal, only for referee Melero López to rule it out for offside in a highly debatable call. The reasoning given was that Randy Nteka had interfered with Iñigo Martínez while being in an offside position. However, many analysts believed that the interference was minimal and should not have warranted the goal's disallowance. Despite protests from Rayo Vallecano players, VAR upheld the referee's decision, allowing Barcelona to maintain their lead. This decision proved crucial, as a legitimate goal at that moment could have drastically altered the match's outcome. Instead, Barcelona retained control, while Rayo Vallecano was left frustrated. Unawarded Penalty for Rayo Vallecano In the same match, Barcelona was awarded a penalty after Iñigo Martínez was fouled by Pathé Ciss inside the box. The referee reviewed the incident through VAR and confirmed the decision, which led to Barcelona scoring the only goal of the game. However, controversy arose when Rayo Vallecano was denied a penalty at the other end, despite clear contact between Pau Cubarsí and Héctor Fort on an opposing player inside Barcelona's penalty area. The referee chose not to intervene, ruling that the contact was insufficient to warrant a penalty. This inconsistency in decision-making further fueled Real Madrid's concerns that officiating standards were not being applied equally across the league. The Girona Penalty Controversy Another questionable refereeing decision occurred in Barcelona's match against Girona earlier in the season. In the 44th minute, with Barcelona leading 2-0, a handball incident involving Iñigo Martínez inside the penalty box led the referee Muniz Ruiz to initially award a penalty to Girona. However, the decision was overturned after a VAR review, with referee Valentín Pizarro arguing that the ball had first deflected off Alejandro Balde's foot before hitting Martínez's hand. While this explanation was technically valid, it raised concerns about consistency, as similar handball incidents had previously resulted in penalties against other teams—including Real Madrid. Is La Liga's Integrity Being Compromised? These incidents have strengthened Real Madrid's belief that the team has been unfairly treated by referees this season. While mistakes are a natural part of football, the inconsistencies in decision-making have raised serious concerns about the fairness of the competition. Madrid's vocal complaints have also encouraged other La Liga clubs to demand improved officiating standards. As criticism mounts, the call for greater transparency and consistency in refereeing decisions is growing louder.
New York Times
05-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Spanish FA calls meeting to address refereeing issues, Real Madrid to not attend
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has called an extraordinary meeting of La Liga and Segunda Division teams to address recent refereeing issues — but Real Madrid will not attend. The RFEF is set to meet with representatives from clubs, La Liga and Spain's technical committee of referees (CTA) on Thursday to discuss refereeing issues, new competition formats and financial distribution of the federations income. Advertisement The meeting was called a number of weeks ago and Madrid initially communicated their intention to be present. However, following their criticism of the refereeing decisions during Saturday's loss to Espanyol, they have since informed the RFEF that they will not attend. Madrid have frequently been critical of the standard of refereeing in Spain. The club filed a formal complaint to the RFEF and Spanish government's High Sports Council (CSD) after the weekend's 1-0 loss to Espanyol, asking for the 'immediate submission of VAR audio' in relation to two officiating decisions during the defeat. The complaint followed referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz's decision to not send off Espanyol defender Carlos Romero for a 60th-minute challenge on Kylian Mbappe, plus Vinicius Junior's disallowed goal in the 21st minute after there was deemed to be a foul by Mbappe in the build up. The video assistant referee (VAR) Javier Iglesias Villanueva did not intervene on either decision, and Romero went on to score the game's winning goal. The complaint read: 'The events that took place in this match have exceeded any margin of human error or refereeing interpretation. What happened at the RCDE Stadium represents the culmination of a completely discredited refereeing system, in which the decisions against Real Madrid have reached a level of manipulation and adulteration of the competition that can no longer be ignored.' GO DEEPER Real Madrid's VAR controversy demonstrates the pressures facing Spanish referees It concluded: 'The scandal generated by this match has once again had worldwide repercussions, with the international press denouncing the biased use of VAR in Spain and the lack of credibility of Spanish refereeing.' An RFEF statement read: 'We deeply regret the tone and seriousness of the accusations that question the honourability of the refereeing bodies and the functioning of the competition as a whole. Advertisement 'The refereeing task, by its very nature, is subject to review and analysis, but this cannot lead to generalised accusations that cast doubt on their integrity, as this not only affects the referees themselves, but also erodes the credibility of soccer as a whole.' Madrid were also critical of the officials in the immediate aftermath of the game; first, on their television channel — where they called for the departure of Rafael Louzan, the president of the RFEF, who was elected in December — and then in the post-match report they published on their website. Madrid's club television channel is regularly a platform where refereeing in Spain is criticised. In March 2024, the RFEF opened an investigation into Madrid after a complaint by Sevilla over a video aired by the club's television channel which aimed criticism at and alleged bias by two referees set to officiate the La Liga fixture between the two sides. The tensions have been heightened by the ongoing Negreira case, which involves Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spanish football's refereeing committee who owned a company that was paid a total of €7.3million (£6.4m; $7.8m) by Barcelona between 2001 and 2018. Barcelona have denied any wrongdoing. GO DEEPER Ex-La Liga ref Iturralde: 'Nobody in football really wants justice, they all want benefits' (Manaure Quintero/AFP via Getty Images)
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Atletico Madrid chief reacts to Real Madrid referee complaints
Controversy is never too far away in Spanish football, and the latest big topic is surrounding referees. This has been brought about by Real Madrid, who sent a strong letter to the Spanish Football Federation earlier this week on the back of their controversial defeat to Espanyol last weekend. Real Madrid were furious at the decision not to send off Carlos Romero for a strong challenge on Kylian Mbappe, and their fury multiplied tenfold when the Espanyol defender scored the winning goal at the Stage Front Stadium. Ultimately, this prompted the latter and statement released by the club. Many people have had their say on the matter, and as per MD, Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo was also asked for his response when speaking to the media ahead of Tuesday's Copa del Rey quarter-final tie against Getafe. He insisted that the main problem is with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, more so than the referees themselves. 'Everything is conditional. Referees always have controversies. Everything is conditioned in this life, but today we played a very important game and we are here to play with Getafe, not to talk about the referees. Besides, the problem is the VAR.' Cerezo has regularly been outspoken against VAR over the last 12-18 months, so it is no surprise that he has taken this stance. Real Madrid also do not like the technology at this stage given that they believe that it failed to correct the on-field decision of yellow card for Romero. It will be very interesting to see how this matter progresses in the coming weeks. There has been significant response from all quarters of Spanish football to this recent matter, and there is no doubt that referees will continue to remain a hot topic of conversation for many years to come.
