The circumstances weren’t necessarily auspicious, and the result wasn’t what his team wanted, but Efrain Alvarez had a momentous night on Saturday, as he played in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup for Mexico and officially became cap-tied permanently by that country.
The LA Galaxy youngster had been eligible to represent Mexico and the United States, and while he’s consistently played for Mexico at youth levels and played in some friendlies recently for El Tri at senior level, there had been some pressure from U.S. Soccer to try and recruit the midfielder to the country of his birth, but ultimately, Mexico won the tug of war.