Tag Archives: Efrain Alvarez

Raúl Jiménez Co-Headlining Mexico’s 23-Player Roster for Upcoming Concacaf Nations League Matches

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Raúl Jiménez is preparing for Nations play…

Mexico national team head coach Javier Aguirre has announced the 23-player roster for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League matches during the March international window, with the 33-year-old Mexican professional footballer and Santiago Gimenez headlining the squad.

Raúl Jiménez,Aguirre’s side will face Canada in the semifinal on March 20 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, before going on to face either the United States or Panama in the final or match for third place.

Mexico called up key figures that have been staples of the national team in recent competitions, including West Ham United‘s Edson Álvarez, Club America goalkeeper Luis Angel Malagon and Genoa‘s Johan Vazquez.

But the head coach surprised fans with the inclusion of Tijuana forward Efrain Alvarez and FC Copenhagen‘s Rodrigo Huescas.

The manager left out historic players like Guillermo Ochoa and Henry Martín, making way for new players to shine. New San Diego FC player Hirving Lozano also failed to make the 23-player roster after suffering a muscular injury in the team’s home opener on March 1.

Lozano was also left out of the rosters for Mexico’s Nations League quarterfinal series in November and friendlies in January due to injuries.

The Nations League semifinal and subsequent match serve as one of few competitive opportunities for Mexico on the road to the 2026 World Cup, given the team’s automatic spot in the international tournament as one of three co-hosts.

El Tri will also participate in the Gold Cup throughout the summer as preparation.

To further prepare for the World Cup, Mexico has lined up friendlies against Switzerland and Turkey in June.

Julian Araujo Earns First Senior Call-Up for Mexico for El Tri’s Friendly Against Chile

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Julian Araujo is ready to make his Mexican debut…

The 20-year-old Mexican American professional footballer, currently playing for LA Galaxy, could make his first appearance for Mexico after he earned his first senior call-up with the national team ahead of a December 8 friendly against Chile in Austin, Texas.

Julian AraujoAraujo is one of a number of youngsters and newcomers in the 23-player squad who will look to impress Mexico manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino.

Araujo has dual-nationality and represented the United States at youth level. He was a member of the provisional 2021 Gold Cup roster for the senior U.S. squad. USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter said in the summer that Araujo was “not ready to fully commit to the team” after he had made himself unavailable for selection for the Gold Cup.

In October, the right-back announced that he had made the switch to Mexico.

Fellow Galaxy teammate Efrain Alvarez has also been included in Mexico’s squad. Like Araujo, Alvarez switched to Mexico from the U.S. and made his senior debut for Martino during a friendly in March.

Another notable inclusion to Mexico’s squad is Arsenal youngster Marcelo Flores, who is also eligible to represent Canada and England. Flores, 18, had been cleared by the Premier League club to join the El Tri camp last week. The attacking midfielder was included in Canada’s provisional squad for the 2021 Gold Cup, but took part in the Revelations Cup tournament last month with Mexico’s youth national team. He has yet to make a senior debut for any squad.

Mexico also included Union Espanola‘s Benjamin Galdames to the squad. The 20-year-old midfielder is the son of former Chile international Pablo Galdames and eligible to play for both nations.

Other players who could earn their first senior cap for Mexico include: Emilio Lara, Mauro Lainez, Salvador Reyes, Israel Reyes, Omar Campos, Carlos Acevedo, Luis Malagon, and Luis Olivas.

The upcoming match will be Mexico’s first trip to Austin’s Q2 Stadium, and Mexico will look to close out the year with a win after losing to the USMNT and Canada in November during CONCACAF‘s Octagonal round of World Cup qualifying.

GOALKEEPERS: Alfredo Talavera (Pumas UNAM), Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna), Luis Malagon (Necaxa)

DEFENDERS: Julian Araujo (LA Galaxy), Emilio Lara, Salvador Reyes (America), Jordan Silva (America), Luis Olivas (Guadalajara), Israel Reyes (Puebla)

MIDFIELDERS: Erik Lira (Pumas UNAM), Erick Aguirre (Monterrey), Alfonso Gonzalez (Monterrey), Uriel Antuna (Guadalajara), Fernando Beltran (Guadalajara), Omar Campos (Santos Laguna), Alan Cervantes (Santos Laguna), Sebastian Cordova (America), Marcelo Flores (Arsenal)

FORWARDS: Eduardo Aguirre (Santos Laguna), Benjamin Galdames (Union Espanola), Santiago Gimenez (Cruz Azul), Mauro Lainez (America), Efrain Alvarez (LA Galaxy)

Ricardo Pepi Becomes Youngest Player in MLS History to Score Hat Trick

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Hat’s off to Ricardo Pepi…

The 18-year-old Latino soccer player has become the youngest player in Major League Soccer history to score a hat trick, as Pepi led FC Dallas to a 5-0 win over the LA Galaxy on Saturday evening.

Ricardo Pepi

Pepi, who is 18 years, 197 days of age, increased his season goal total to a team-high eight with his first career hat trick. The El Paso, Texas, native is in his third season with the team.

FC Dallas emphatically snapped a three-match losing streak, all of which came on the road. FCD is a different team at home — it is now unbeaten in 17 straight home matches (with nine wins and eight draws), the longest active regular-season home unbeaten run in MLS.

Pepi put FC Dallas on the board in the 27th minute when he finished off a pass from Andres Ricaurte that bounced off Galaxy defender Daniel Steres. Pepi’s kick from the center of the box was placed in the right corner past Los Angeles goalkeeper Jonathan Bond.

Pepi added his second goal in the 44th minute, making short work of a corner kick from Jesus Ferreira that Pepi headed off the back LA defender Derrick Williams. The rebound landed at Pepi’s feet at a severe angle to the goal, but the teen was up to the task.

The third goal came in the 50th minute after FCD midfielder Szabolcs Schon carried the ball deep into the box and fought off two Los Angeles defenders before passing to Pepi in front of the goal. Pepi moved the ball to his right foot and sent a low shot into the left corner of the net to all but end the Galaxy’s chances.

Jimmy Maurer made three saves to earn his second shutout of the season and the 13th of his six-year MLS career.

Jader Obrian added FCD’s fourth goal in 88th minute to cap the scoring.

The Galaxy are 0-2-1 over their past three matches, their longest stretch of the season without a victory.

It was Los Angeles’ fifth consecutive match without injured leading scorer Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez as well as midfielders Jonathan dos Santos and Efrain Alvarez, both of whom are with the Mexican team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Efrain Alvarez Selected by Mexican & United States Under-23 National Teams

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Efrain Alvarez is weighing his options…

The 18-year-old professional soccer player and LA Galaxy forward has been selected by both the Mexican and United States under-23 national teams, as the two nations compete to have Alvarez represent them at the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic qualifying tournament.

Efrain Alvarez

This week, CONCACAF announced the official preliminary rosters for all eight teams participating in the 2020 Olympic qualifying tournament, set to be held in Guadalajara, Mexico from March 18 to March 30. Though Alvarez appears on both the rosters for Mexico and the United States, the player will need to make a decision by March 8, the latest any country can submit their final 20-player roster.

Alvarez, who was born in Los Angeles to Mexican parents, is eligible to represent both countries under FIFA‘s statutes for dual-nationals. In the past, he has played for the United States at the under-15 level before switching to participate with Mexico’s under-15 and under-17 squads. With El Tri, Alvarez played in the 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, scoring four goals and guiding Mexico to a second place finish.

However, Alvarez accepted a call into the United States men’s national team last December, for a training camp that included fellow dual-national and LA Galaxy teammate Julian Araujo. Afterward, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter gushed over Alvarez, praising his ability to play in multiple positions on offense.

“What I saw today in training is [that] he’s a guy you want to be around the ball, a very creative player, has a good change of pace, very good in tight spaces,” Berhalter said at the time.

Berhalter admitted that despite the invitation, Alvarez had not decided whether to pursue a one-time switch to join the United States and cement his international future. Under the new FIFA eligibility rules, players like Alvarez are able to change allegiances before the age of 21 if they have played less than three competitive matches at the senior level.

Mexico will face the United States in the final Group A match on March 24.