LA Galaxy teenager Efrain Alvarez was named on Tuesday to the Mexican Under-17 national team side for the upcoming Concacaf U-17 Championship, another milestone in the progression of a coveted dual-national talent whose international career has been the subject of intense scrutiny in both the United States and Mexico.
The only player called in from outside Mexico by coach Marco Antonio Ruiz, the Los Angeles-born Alvarez has been a regular for El Tri’s U-15s and U-17s since switching from the US youth national team system in 2016. He remains eligible to play for both nations, at least until he makes his debut for one of their senior teams in competitive play.
A skillful attacker who can both playmake and finish from wide or central positions, Alvarez signed a Homegrown Player deal with the Galaxy last year and notched an assist in his MLS debut earlier this season. Thus far he’s made two appearances, both off the bench, totaling 61 minutes in league play.
Alvarez could face three of his fellow Galaxy academy prospects at next month’s event at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida – the region’s qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil later this year – with Mauricio Cuevas, Kobe Hernandez-Foster and Adam Saldana having been named to the US U-17s roster on Tuesday.
Mexico open their Concacaf Championship campaign against Jamaica on May 1 and are also slated to play Bermuda and Trinidad & Tobago in the group stage.
