LA Galaxy teen phenom Efrain Alvarez has received another call-up to the Mexico Under-17 national team, this time for a camp in preparation for this year’s Concacaf U-17 Championship.
The Homegrown attacker is one of 27 players summoned by coach Marco Antonio Ruiz for workouts in Acapulco and Mexico City, capped by a friendly vs. Costa Rica on Apr. 11. El Tri's U-17s are the region's reigning champions and will defend their title when that tournament takes place in Bradenton, Florida in May.
Alvarez, 16, is one of the top-rated young prospects in MLS and as a Mexican-American dual-national has been the subject of widespread interest by fans and commentators on both sides of the border.
He has represented both the United States and Mexico in youth international play, having started with the country of his birth before switching to Mexico.
Alvarez remains eligible for both nations until capped by one of their senior teams in a competitive match, and said last year that he hasn't "closed the door" on returning to the US fold despite being focused on Mexico at present.
Earlier this year ESPN analyst and former US national teamer Herculez Gomez reported that the Mexican federation are putting on a "full-court press" to secure Alvarez’s loyalty for good, and could look to cap-tie him as early as the Gold Cup this summer.
Alvarez has made two first-team appearances for LA this season, both as a substitute, and notched an assist in his MLS debut in Week 1 (video above).
