8 July 23 - 29, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents posed to oversee. This is a formula for an- other Cain-style murder to unfold. As the Dallas-based group Mothers Against Police Brutality puts it, “In Dallas, the pervasive police ‘code of silence’ has been embraced by leaders across the politi- cal spectrum. City officials rarely discuss ex- cessive force issues publicly, refusing to answer the most basic questions... An extra- judicial killing by a police officer is typically termed a ‘tragedy,’ not a crime; ‘regrettable,’ not preventable.” In the memory of Santos Rodriguez, Botham Jean, and other victims of police vi- olence, Dallas city leaders need to work with the state Legislature to create a truly inde- pendent police review board that includes local reform activists. This new board should have subpoena powers and the au- thority to directly dismiss officers with a demonstrated record of abusing authority. This could save lives and, along the way, save Dallas litigation costs stemming from police abuse claims, which amounted to just over $10 million between 2010 and 2020. Meanwhile, Dallas police should be re- quired to learn about the Santos Rodriguez case as part of their training, perhaps includ- ing viewings of the documentary film Santos Vive by local filmmaker Byron Hunter, first screened in time for the 45th anniversary of the murder in 2018. Meanwhile, several local groups are working to keep Santos’s memory alive. On Friday, July 24 at 6:30 p.m., Human Rights Dallas and the Herrera Dance Project will hold an open-to-the-public event, “Remem- bering Santos: 53 Years Later,” at the La Cantera Arts Conservatory, 1050 N. West- moreland. Also, The Friends of Oakland Cemetery and several human rights organi- zations have invited the public to visit San- tos’ grave at Oakland Cemetery, 3900 Oakland Circle, in Dallas, to place flowers or offer prayers from 7 a.m.- 4 p.m. on July 25 & Sunday, July 26. Activists hope remembrances like this might, in the future, prevent the dazzling worlds other children like Santos represent from being prematurely extinguished by lawless men poisoned with power and hate. ▼ WORLD CUP AU REVOIR, SAYONARA, MORNA NORTH TEXAS SAYS BYE TO THE WORLD CUP BY KELLY DEARMORE I t wouldn’t be all that crazy to think the France versus Spain World Cup semifi- nal was destined, or perhaps engineered, for the conspiracy-minded to land in Arling- ton. Over the course of nine matches, in- cluding the Tuesday contest, North Texas has welcomed more top-flight global soccer stars than any other World Cup host city, and it might not be terribly close. Among the many changes for this year’s tournament, the seeding of the top teams was altered to reduce the number of high- ranked teams facing each other in the early stages of the World Cup. Although there have been some surprises along the way, it’s not terribly shocking that the final four countries are the top four in the latest FIFA World Rankings. For a month full of controversies and conspiracy theories on and off the pitch, it’s refreshing to know this might be the only one that could be connected to the Arlington matches. This fortuitous bracket progression led France to finally play in North Texas, meaning goal-scoring machine Kylian Mbappe, play- maker extraordinaire Michael Olise and reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dem- bele become the latest marquee names to take the Jerry World pitch. The galaxy of stars that have played at least one match of the 2026 tournament is nothing short of remarkable. We could argue that the collection isn’t complete without seeing the big names from Brazil or Germany, but at this point, that would be greedy quibbling. The stars among the 70,176 in attendance for Tuesday’s match weren’t limited to the kicking variety. A-list DJ Steve Aoki brought the noise just before the anthems, and the Zac Brown Band performed at halftime. The Fox Sports A-team of Rebecca Lowe, Thi- erry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexi Lalas spoke from their desk at the east end of the stadium, while Brendan Hunt, the ac- tor and soccer podcaster who plays Coach Beard on “Ted Lasso,” was seen around the match throughout the day. NFL QB Jameis Winston, who has be- come a bit of a social media darling in recent years, taped a TV segment with Bob, the Japanese influencer who has famously made Dallas his home in recent weeks, fea- turing a massive jamon serrano. Also seen and certainly heard was Bruce Buffer, the noted UFC announcer, who yelled his trade- mark “it’s time!” as the teams walked out with the referees. Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys and the stadium where the match was played, was loudly booed when he ap- peared on the jumbotron. Timothee Chala- met was met with a mix of cheers and boos, while British soccer icon David Beckham and Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem heard only waves of cheers when they ap- peared on the megascreen above the pitch. Indeed, the stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas, but per- haps even more so under the blazing sum- mer sun during the World Cup. Oh, there was a soccer match going on, too, and many megawatt soccer names have played in North Texas more than once over the past few weeks. The celebrated attack- ing French trio took the field against inter- national phenom Lamine Yamal, Rodri, also a Ballon d’Or winner, and the rest of the Spain squad, who played here on July 6, when the Spaniards put an end to Cristiano Ronaldo’s international career. Although France controlled possession early, it was Spain who netted the first goal of the match on a penalty kick just before the first-half hydration break. With each team getting only a couple of scoring chances, the first half didn’t deliver the fireworks some surely hoped for in such a clash of titans. Even without on-field fireworks, both teams showcased their strengths to varying degrees of success. At times, France’s forwards, in their majes- tic kits of blue jersey, white shorts and red socks, looked like a line of gleaming, modern tanks, swiftly advancing toward Spain’s goal, while all too often for France, “La Roja” played an impeccably precise game of keep-away from “Les Bleus” with an impressive series of pinpoint passes and stifling defense. Spain landed a knockout punch when Pedro Porro scored to make it 2-0 in the 58th minute. For novice soccer fans who have only watched this World Cup, seeing the high-powered French offense lose to any team is surprising, especially since Spain fa- mously got off to a slow start in the tourna- ment, drawing with Cabo Verde in their first match. Although the semifinal didn’t have the bombast of other Dallas matches, it delivered a remarkable display of what international soccer can be when two elite squads face off – the unpredictable beauty of when an unstop- pable force faces an immovable object. The World Cup in Arlington lasted exactly one month, with the first match, a classic be- tween the Netherlands and Japan, taking place on June 14, and Tuesday’s semifinal hap- pening on July 14. It’s fitting that a month so many had waited so long for was a star-stud- ded affair packed with majesty and glamor. But in the end, it’s safe to say that those who watched the matches from the stadium or their couch or a local pub will remember, not the famous names who sat in fancy suites, but the thrilling contributions of the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk, England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane and Norway’s viral superstar Erling Haaland. We were there when FC Dallas star Petar Musa scored a goal in his only World Cup start for Croatia. We witnessed the sport’s king, Li- onel Messi, become the all-time leading World Cup goal scorer. Perhaps even more memorable for every- one, however, were the hordes of colorful, passionate fans from Japan, England, Croatia, Sweden, Australia, Norway, and the Nether- lands who came to Dallas with open arms, ready to embrace all that we are and all that we do. The world came to North Texas, and for a few weeks it felt like home for everyone. The Flat Circle of Dallas Time from p6 Mike Brooks Spain’s Lamine Yamal was one of the many superstars to play in North Texas.
