MEXICO CITY — Efrain Alvarez is the most recent gem over whom the Mexico and U.S. national teams find themselves scrambling.
Alvarez is currently on El Tri ‘s U-17 squad that is preparing for next week’s Cuatro Naciones tournament, as well as for next year’s World Cup in the category. He has also played for the United States’ U-15 team. He has experiences with both youth squads, but that he currently belongs to Mexico’s doesn’t mean that’s where he’ll stay.
The young LA Galaxy prospect arrived to Mexico’s camp last Sunday as part of the same team he’s represented since 2017, after the player born in Los Angeles to Mexican parents went through experiences that he considered unfavorable while with the U.S.
His decision, much like Jonathan Gonzalez’s a few months ago, wasn’t easy, but he’s not closing any doors. "It’s not that I’ve made a decision, or that my stint with Mexico is 100 percent secured, but right now, God willing, I will stay with Mexico," Alvarez told ESPN at Mexico’s training facility .
In July, Alvarez said that he "isn’t closing the door on anybody." It’s a complicated decision, one between the country that raised him and the one that is in his blood. For now, his reality lies with Mexico, where he has enjoyed his training.
"I can still play for the U.S. or continue playing with Mexico, but for now I’m with Mexico, that’s where I’m practicing," he said in July.
The midfielder, 16, is the youngest player to sign with […]
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