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Antonio Campos carries the blood of his legendary father, former Galaxy and Mexican national team goalkeeper Jorge Campos. Perhaps more important, he carries his family’s resilience after they worked to recover from the loss of their home in the Palisades fire.

During Antonio Campos’ first season with the Cal State Fullerton soccer team, he seeks to write his own story and help his team win.

“Just being in college is a success. I feel blessed,” said Antonio, who is studying business while fighting for minutes as a Division I goalkeeper.

He was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the Pacific Palisades area, the second son of Jorge Campos and Canadian Marcy Raston. His sisters chose to focus on volleyball: Andrea, the eldest, recently signed with a professional club in France after a successful college career. Antonio, on the other hand, was torn between basketball and soccer. At Loyola High, he played point guard, although his height, at 6 feet, limited his minutes.

Antonio Campos stands besides his parents, Marcy Raston and Jorge Campos, while wearing Cal State Fullerton gear.

(Courtesy of Campos family)

“Michael Jordan inspired me to play several sports,” said Antonio, who also played baseball and volleyball.

Training sessions with his father during the COVID-19 pandemic led Antonio to eventually focus on soccer and the goalkeeper position.

“With my dad, everything is intense. Lots of training on the beach, reflexes, technique, cutting crosses. Things he did better than anyone else,” said Antonio, who does not shy away from his surname but does not want it to define him.

“I don’t feel pressure. I prefer to teach the values my father instilled in me,” Antonio said.

Galaxy goalkeeper Jorge Campos celebrates during a 1996 game against the San Jose Clash at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

(Getty Images)

He is part of the first generation in his family to attend college in the U.S. and he knows that his path extends beyond soccer.

In Mexico, Antonio also didn’t feel he had much of a future, as his own father, Jorge, criticized goalkeeper trainers in that country last year.

“It’s incredible that after 30 years, 40 years, we don’t have a modern goalkeeper, of that style, like Manuel Neuer, Ter Stegen,” Jorge said in a recent interview with ESPN.

Antonio was drawn to Cal State Fullerton as more than just a place to improve his soccer skills. The team’s philosophy, focused on service, ambition and personal development, resonated with him and his family.

“We emphasize being good people. If you go far, you’ll be better socially and culturally,” explained George Kuntz, the Titans’ veteran coach.

Antonio had had doubts about playing college soccer.

“I didn’t want to play at the university level because first-year goalkeepers hardly ever play,” he said.

However, he was assured that everyone would have real opportunities if they earned them through training.

Between the posts, he will have to fight for minutes against quality teammates Eoin Kennedy, Asger Hemmer and Emanuel Padilla. Fullerton opens the regular season on Thursday at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla.

“I want to play, yes, but I also want my teammates to improve. It’s not just about me,” Antonio said.

In 2024, the Titans stood out for their offensive prowess, but they also ranked among the worst teams in the country in goals conceded. That’s why Fullerton reinforced its defense with four goalkeepers on the roster. Antonio is emerging as one of the promising players, with an athletic profile and an ambitious personality that has impressed the coaching staff.

“He’s brave, has good technique and is improving tactically,” Kuntz said.

Earlier this year, Antonio’s focus was pulled away from soccer by a family emergency.

In January, the Campos family home was one of more than 6,800 destroyed by the Palisades fire.

“We lost everything. I couldn’t get anything out,” said Antonio, who still gets emotional while talking about his family’s loss.

That day, he thought about going home, but he decided to go to soccer training after receiving a message from a friend. The change of plans kept him safe.

Antonio was accustomed to evacuations and didn’t worry about the nearby fires. But after learning that his home had burned down, the loss was both material and emotional.

“My mom was devastated. It was her first home in this country,” said Antonio, who highlighted his father’s strength.

“What surprised me was seeing my dad laughing and joking the next day. I never saw him cry. He set an example for us.”

Among the lost items, Antonio regrets he could not save a necklace that his uncle gave him before he died.

“He supported me when I quit basketball. He told me I was going to be a professional. It hurt me to lose that,” Antonio said.

However, the fire also brought the family closer together.

“The most important thing for me was that my family was safe,” Antonio said.

Now, the Campos family lives a few miles from Antonio’s new university while Antonio works to create his own story on the pitch — one that he hopes, like his father’s, can inspire others.

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.

Her name was etched in the memory of millions thanks to her role as Gabrielle Solís in “Desperate Housewives,” a series that established Eva Longoria as one of the most influential Latina actresses in Hollywood.

She went on to become a producer, director, entrepreneur, activist and, in recent years, an investor in the world of sports, where she has earned the nickname “La Patrona” — or “The Boss” in English — which easily could be the title of a Mexican soap opera.

After more than two decades of credits and awards earned in the entertainment industry, Longoria has shifted her focus. Today, her role as “La Patrona” of Liga MX team Club Necaxa draws on her family’s roots, her passion for storytelling and her commitment to giving Mexico visibility in the world.

Her involvement was not limited to serving on Necaxa’s board of directors as a celebrity investor. From the beginning, she knew she wanted to tell a story. Inspired by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’ “Welcome to Wrexham” docuseries, she decided to produce the the docuseries “Necaxa,” which premiered on Aug. 7 on FX. Cameras take viewers behind the scenes, follow along on road trips and offer an intimate look at the soccer team.

Rob McElhenney, left, and Eva Longoria stand on the field at Estadio Victoria, Liga MX team Club Necaxa’s home stadium.

(HANDOUT / FX)

Few could have imagined a Mexican American actress would become the leading front office voice for a historic Mexican soccer club, whose home stadium — Estadio Victoria — is located in the city of Aguascalientes in north-central Mexico.

In 2021, Longoria joined a group of investors who acquired 50% ownership of the team. McElhenney, the actor best known for the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and Reynolds, who turned the mercenary Deadpool into one of the most beloved antiheroes in the Marvel universe, later joined the ownership group.

While restoring Necaxa to prominence in Liga MX was only a business and creative venture, it also had a deep personal component. Longoria grew up in Texas watching sports with her father, Enrique Longoria Jr.

“My dad can’t believe it. He doesn’t believe I’m ‘La Patrona,’” Longoria told L.A. Times en Español. “I’ll always be his little girl. … But I love sports because of my dad. My dad always watched the Dallas Cowboys, the Spurs, the Texas Rangers. … Every sport, I watched with him. I love sports because of the drama, the excitement, the ups and downs.”

In 2020, McElhenney and Reynolds acquired Wrexham AFC, a Welsh team that had been stuck in the National League — the fifth division of English soccer — since 2008. The team has steadily climbed the ranks to reach the Championship, just one step away from the top division, the Premier League.

Although promotion and relegation is no longer used in Liga MX, Longoria aspires to see Necaxa’s “Rayos” return to prominence in the Mexican soccer playoffs and is therefore seeking to mirror what her colleagues achieved with Wrexham AFC while flying the flag for her Mexican roots.

“This opportunity came from a group of investors who called me and asked if I wanted to be part of this project in the Mexican league. When they explained to me that the league has a huge audience, because there is so much beauty and talent coming out of Mexico, I decided to go for it,” said Longoria, who grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, but now primarily splits her time between homes in Mexico and Spain. “I invested in the Necaxa team because I saw a great opportunity, not only as a business venture, but also as a great way to showcase Mexico and the most passionate sport in this beautiful country, to put Mexico on the map.

“When I have the opportunity to put Mexico or Mexicans on the map, I will always do so. Whether I’m producing or directing, that’s my philosophy in storytelling. That’s why I wanted to do this with the docuseries because I knew there was a story there that we had to tell.”

Eva Longoria is “La Patrona,” which translates to “The Boss,” in ‘Necaxa’ on FX.

(HANDOUT / FX)

Despite her ambition and determination, her first visit to Aguascalientes was fraught with uncertainty.

“I was very anxious and afraid because I am a woman, I am Mexican American,” she said. “I didn’t know if they would welcome me with open arms, but the truth is that they have welcomed me with open arms and I have been impressed by the local support.”

Although filming the docuseries is as important as any of her other projects, her work also involves finding the formula to return Necaxa to the prominence it had in the 1990s when it won its only three championships in the first division.

Her power as an international star has allowed her enter the locker room, which is considered a sacred space in the world of soccer.

After watching her confidently enter spaces around the club, the players dubbed her “La Patrona.”

“It’s a lot to manage a soccer club, behind the scenes, behind the docuseries,” Longoria said. “We’re so lucky to have access to the locker rooms, to go home with them. For me, it’s very important to have everything in one series, because I want the world to see it all. It’s not just about points and games; you’re talking about real lives.”

Longoria has also become a bridge between cultures and markets. As co-owner and original investor in Angel City FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, she recognizes the differences between soccer in the United States and Mexico. That experience, coupled with her connection to McElhenney and Reynolds, has shaped a broader vision.

“Here in Necaxa, there’s a saying: ‘If there’s no suffering, it’s not Necaxa.’ I’m explaining this saying to them, because the fans have embraced the idea that you have to suffer to win,” she said. “Rob and Ryan know a little bit about this, and we wanted to explore that idea in the series.”

Diego González, Necaxa’s head of media relations, said Longoria’s arrival marked a turning point for the club.

“It’s something unexpected, something surprising to have something like this with Necaxa and Aguascalientes,” he said of the docuseries. “It’s seeing inside Club Necaxa. Getting to know not only the player, but the people, the city … lots of emotions, lots of feelings that represent what soccer is and how it’s lived in Necaxa.”

Opening the doors to the cameras was not easy, according to González, but Longoria’s presence made it possible.

“It’s something that is highly respected, that intimacy of the locker rooms, the training camps, the trips. The players had to get used to it, but the professionalism of the club and the production team helped. You’ll notice it in the series: it feels so natural because that’s how it was,” said González, whom the players call “Sheldon” because of his resemblance to the character Sheldon Cooper from the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.”

He describes Longoria’s relationship with the team as close and genuine.

“When she arrived in Aguascalientes, she showed herself as she is, even nervous, but without wanting to impose anything,” González said. “That naturalness helped the players feel comfortable. You don’t know how to treat a superstar, but she gives you the confidence to approach her and talk about anything.”

The influence of Longoria, McElhenney and Reynolds has gone beyond the locker room. They have put Necaxa on the international map.

“The most visible thing is the international showcase they can give you,” González said. “Necaxa was already known for its soccer merits, but now you have fans of Rob, Ryan, Eva, even Wrexham. A whole range of important possibilities has opened up for us, and that’s thanks to them.”

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.

The Los Angeles sports world mourned the loss of one of its most beloved voices, Rolando “El Veloz” Gonzalez, the longtime Galaxy broadcaster and a pioneer of Spanish-language sports radio, who died June 25.

His legacy transcends generations on the microphone.

Gonzalez’s career began almost accidentally. Although his dream was to play soccer, life had other plans for him and turned him into a storyteller.

“One day on March 6, 1962, I was playing soccer in the local league and the radio play-by-play broadcaster who was assigned that game of my team Escuintla against Universidad, Dr. Otorrino Ríos Paredes, had a car accident,” Gonzalez recalled in 2017. “The owner of the station ran to tell me, ‘[get dressed, get dressed]’ and I replied, ‘Who are you to tell me to get dressed? Let the trainer tell me.’ He said, ‘I need you because they told me that you narrate soccer.’ I replied that I do that there among the guys.”

He later moved to Los Angeles, where former Dodgers announcer Jaime Jarrín gave him his big break during the 1984 Olympics.

“I met him, I think in 1984, shortly before the Olympics. I needed sportswriters for Spanish-language coverage and I was impressed with his stability, his knowledge, his diction and his voice time for soccer,” Jarrín told L.A. Times en Español. “He worked with me for three weeks, and that opened a lot of doors for him in Los Angeles.”

Jarrín’s call surprised him.

Friends and colleagues join Rolando “El Veloz” González, center, in a broadcast booth during a Galaxy match. He called his last game on May 31.

(Armando Aguayo)

“It was Jaime Jarrín,” González recalled. “He asked me if I narrated soccer and if I had experience in programs. He told me that a narrator for the Olympics was coming from Ecuador and he wanted to have [González ] from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. on a program. I was leaving the factory at 4:30 p.m. all dirty with paint, and I couldn’t miss that opportunity.”

Jarrín highlights González’s commitment to ESPN Deportes Radio 1330 AM’s coverage of the Galaxy, a team González covered in two long stints in which the team won five of the six MLS Cup titles. The last game González called a game was on May 31, when the Galaxy won their first game of this season against Real Salt Lake at Dignity Health Sports Park.

“He gave his all to the team, as I did to the Dodgers,” Jarrín said. “His legacy is an example for young people. He defined what he wanted to be, and he did it with his heart, with 110% effort.”

Along with Hipolito Gamboa, González marked an era in radio with their “Hablando de Deportes” show on KTNQ-AM (1020) and eventually on KWKW-AM (1330). The show focused mostly on soccer and easily overshadowed other sports programs that tried to copy the format with a more aggressive touch in their conversations.

The González and Gamboa duo presented a more complete analysis without being dependent on fireworks.

“I always had something that made you laugh in the booths of ‘Hablando de Deportes,’” Gamboa said. “It was not all good all the time, because there were moments of tension. That’s a reality, but we always ended well.”

Gamboa described González as someone out of the ordinary.

“He was one of the first to broadcast soccer in the United States. His unique style, his energy, his speed … no one has equaled him,” Gamboa said. “That’s why they called him ‘El Veloz’ [‘The Swift’].”

They worked together broadcasting Gold Cups, Liga MX matches and international matches. Despite his serious voice, Gamboa highlighted González’s cheerful character.

“He narrated with impressive clarity at an amazing speed. People recognized him by his voice,” Gamboa said. “At a party, my little daughter, just 1 year old at the time, heard him speak and said, ‘Goal!’ because we grew up hearing him narrate at the Rose Bowl, at Azteca Stadium, in so many booths.”

Armando Aguayo, who became González’s boss, said he was more than a colleague.

“He was my teacher. What I know about narration, I learned from him,” Aguayo said. “He taught me how to get into the narrator’s rhythm, not to interrupt, to adapt to his speed. He was demanding, but formative.”

Aguayo fondly recalls the two stages he shared with González, first as his producer at “Deportes en Acción 1330” and then as teammates in the second golden era of the Galaxy under Bruce Arena.

Armando Aguayo, who became Rolando González’s boss, said he was more than a colleague: “He taught me how to get into the narrator’s rhythm, not to interrupt, to adapt to his speed. He was demanding, but formative.”

(Armando Aguayo)

“We narrated together the finals, the titles, the big games,” Aguayo said. “And off the air, we talked about family, about the future of radio, about life.”

According to Aguayo, who calls LAFC and Clippers games, González had admirable discipline.

“He would arrive an hour early, prepare, make lists with lineups,” Aguayo said.

During his career González, called World Cups, Olympic Games, Pan American Games, games of his beloved Guatemala national team, as well as the U.S. national team. He covered soccer, baseball, basketball and football.

“The only thing he didn’t narrate was golf, because he said it bored him,” Aguayo said, laughing. “But he even narrated a marbles contest in Guatemala.”

González was known as a great storyteller.

“He would always say, ‘Let me tell you, in such-and-such a year … and he would give you exact dates.’ He was a historian with a storyteller’s voice,” Aguayo said.

Beyond professionalism, Gonzalez left a deep human imprint.

“We called him ‘Don Rolis’ [and] ‘Papa Smurf.’ He was like everybody’s dad. Always with a kind comment, always concerned about others,” Aguayo recalled.

Rolando González, left, joins Armando Aguayo while calling a Galaxy game.

(Armando Aguayo)

González was still active until a few weeks ago. He called the Galaxy’s last game against Real Salt Lake.

“He arrived two hours early, prepared his tecito, sat down to narrate and when he finished, he got up and left, as usual,” Aguayo said. “That was Rolando. Professional, punctual and simple.”

Aguayo spoke with González shortly before hearing the news of his death. Although González recently had a heart attack, he was still answering calls, his voice tired but upbeat.

“He told me, ‘I’m fine. Thank you for your call. It’s very helpful to me. You’re one of the few who called me.’ He told me about the future, about his family,” Aguayo said. “Even in his last days, he was thinking of others.”

For Jarrín, González represented the image of the hard-working immigrant, the passionate communicator, the dedicated professional.

“He never caused problems. He always served the Hispanic community in Southern California with interest. His voice will remain engraved in our memories, and his legacy will live on in every young person who wants to dedicate themselves to sports broadcasting,” Jarrín said.

González’s voice will no longer resonate in the stadiums, but his echo will live on in the memories of his colleagues and in the passion of those who listened to him.

“I was deeply hurt by his passing, because we were great friends,” Jarrín said. “We had a lot of mutual respect, and I liked him very much from the beginning because of his simplicity and his responsibility in everything. So I think that sports fans, and particularly soccer fans, will miss him very much. … He served the Hispanic community in Southern California with a lot of interest, with a lot of enthusiasm. And I will miss him very, very much indeed.”

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.