A very meh weekend for Mexicans Abroad but has Efrain Alvarez finally made a decision?
The Good
Do I think Efrain Alvarez is on track to be at the same level as Hirving Lozano/ Jesus Corona or Christian Pulisic/ Timothy Weah? No, and those are the type of players he would be fighting with for playing time over the next few years. But he has time on his side. The kid is still only 18 years old and will be eligible for Olympic soccer in 2024 in Paris. Many in US Soccer circles are dismissing Alvarez and some of that is due to him choosing Mexico but US Soccer has plenty of talented youngsters. However, Mexico fans should be happy he chose to stay with El Tri. I am confident that he can grow into a solid depth player for Mexico and with MLS clubs selling their youngsters, he should get European attention if he develops. Again, I don’t expect him to bench Tecatito anytime soon and see him more of a 2026 World Cup option. Still, feels good to have him in our player pool moving forward. I hope the Galaxy can get their shit together with a new coach. Would be nice to see Alvarez team up with Javier Hernandez and Jonathan dos Santos on a fun, attacking team.
- Nestor Araujo started and played 85 minutes in Celta Vigo’s draw. He did get subbed out but that was due to cramps. Expect him to start for Mexico later this month.
- Gerardo Arteaga and Genk are going to the Belgium Cup Final.
- Edson Alvarez is on the verge of winning a Eredivisie title and being a major contributor. He put in another strong shift, shifting between DM and CB.
The Bad
- Hirving Lozano was expected to make his return this weekend for Napoli but did not make the bench. All signs point to his return being imminent. Unfortunately, I am having second thoughts about him being called up. Club teams tend to make a stink if a player is not fully fit but is being called to their national team. Roster announcement will be this week….
- No minutes for Erick Gutierrez or Diego Lainez today. …..