LA Galaxy midfielder Efrain Alvarez was named to Mexico’s 21-man roster for the FIFA U-17 World Cup on Monday, almost certainly ruling him out for the entirety of the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Alvarez and Mexico will compete in Group F in this year’s tournament, hosted by Brazil, alongside Paraguay, Italy and the Solomon Islands. After opening against Paraguay (Oct. 28), El Tri will face Italy (Oct. 31) and Soloman Islands (Nov. 3) to round out group-stage play.
Should Mexico advance to the knockout stages – as they have in five consecutive U-17 World Cups – Alvarez would remain with them for as long as the team remains in the tournament, with the final set for Nov. 17. El Tri's U-17s are two-time champions in this event, winning top honors in 2011 and 2005.
One of the top young talents in MLS, the 17-year-old Homegrown signed with the Galaxy’s first team last winter after featuring last year for LA Galaxy II. He has made 14 appearances (four starts) in MLS this season, tallying three assists, one a game-winner. He’s the sole member of this Mexico squad who plays outside of Liga MX.
Alvarez and his Mexico teammates travel on Oct. 8 to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to continue their preparation for the tournament under the guidance of head coach Marco Antonio Ruiz. Meanwhile the rest of the Galaxy prepare for their Round One playoff match at Minnesota United on Oct. 20 (8:30 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes in US; TSN, TVAS in Canada).
