The Efrain Alvarez Thread

Great piece by @bshredder

Can we as a group talk more about this quote? I don’t know how to feel

 

I like Tab, but I don't like that mentality at all. There's a world of difference between "pressuring him" and simply conveying that we value him so much that we'd love to give him the opportunity to play up and earn a spot with our u20s. You can then say that you'll respect whatever decision he makes but you'd like to stay in touch and continue a dialogue about what we have to offer (and how that might differ from what Mexico can offer). That's in both his interest and our interest and it's maddening that it's not being done (with the caveat that maybe Tab was actually told that they wouldn't be receptive).

 

Wow. I hope the Galaxy is doing this at the request of the Alvarez family, otherwise it's not on them to make this decision.

 

It's on Hackworth to invite Efrain to every single U17 camp regardless if he knows Efrain will decline the invite.

 

Tab is both U20 coach and U.S. Youth Technical Director. In which capacity was he trying to visit Alvarez? (Or both?) It's maybe a minor thing, but still kind of interesting if he was thinking of him for the U20s in January before he started tearing up an adult competition.

It's interesting that a club, particularly a U.S. club, would say what Ramos says the Galaxy said. And, sorta, that Ramos would listen.

It's reasonable that you wouldn't necessarily want to show up and give the kid and his family a full-court press. Of course, that doesn't mean Ramos can't show up to training or games, buy him a Coke, give him a shirt and say "keep it up, kid." I would guess this happens more than we think and it isn't reported.

And I wonder -- since he is U17 eligible, whose decision/responsiblity is this? Is it Tab's? Hackworth's? Some kind of roundtable?

Also -- can I just point out that the discussion in this thread is, in my humble opinion, so much better than the discussion on this topic on Twitter, or anywhere else I have seen.

 

I wanted to note in this thread that the USSF has just flipped two Mexican-American El Tri YNTers to the US U18s. Both 2001s from FC Dallas. Left back Julian Hinojosa, who last played for USYNTs in October 2016 and has regularly been with Mexico YNTs for the last two years. And center-forward Gibran Rayo, also a regular Mexico callup who has never before been with USYNTs. Wasn't expecting either of them to come back, a very nice surprise they did.
https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/20...nal-development-center-for-june-training-camp

GOALKEEPERS (3): *Owen Finnerty (Crew Sc Academy Wolves; Walled Lake, Mich.), *John Pulskamp (LA Galaxy; Bakersfield, Calif.), Alex Rando (New York City FC; New York, N.Y.)

DEFENDERS (9): Julian Araujo (Barca Academy; Lompoc, Calif.), *Edward Berumen (Sacramento Republic FC; Salida, Calif.), *Kendall Edwards (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Justin Haak (New York City FC; Brooklyn, N.Y.), *Julian Hinojosa (FC Dallas; Garland, Texas), *Erwin Martinez (Real Salt Lake; Gilbert, Ariz.), David Mendoza (Chicago Fire; Gage Park, Ill.), *Andre Reynolds (Chicago Fire; Chicago, Ill.), Leonardo Sepulveda (LA Galaxy; Corona, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Luis Arriaga (Real Salt Lake; Santa Rosa, Calif.), *Michael Carmona (Atletico Madrid; Madrid, Spain), *Jeffery Copper (Chargers SC; Tampa, Fla.), Cameron Duke (Sporting Kansas City; Overland Park, Kan.), Hunter George (Sacramento Republic FC; Lincoln, Calif.), Azriel Gonzalez (Seattle Sounders FC; Las Vegas, Nev.), Aidan Morris (Crew SC Academy; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), Thomas Roberts (FC Dallas; Little Rock, Ark.), *Tanner Tessmann (FC Dallas; Birmingham, Ala.)

FORWARDS (6): Quincy Butler (Sacramento Republic FC; Sacramento, Calif.), *Salvatore Esposito (S.S.C. Napoli; Manhattan, N.Y.), *Charlie Kelman (Southend United; Wickford, England), *Gibran Rayo (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Gabriel Segal (Bethesda SC; Bethesda, Md.), *Julian Vazquez (Real Salt Lake; Sandy, Utah)​

 

Are you sure? MLS has a lot of power in USSF affairs.

 

The outrage from US fans from Jonathan Gonzalez switching and then him not even making the Mexican Prelimanry WC squad might have convinced them that: A) Mexcian-Americans are welcome and B) Mexico dosent care if you committed to them, only that your now theirs.

 

My point was more that the only people who should decide who gets to talk to him is Alvarez and his family. But why would the Galaxy not want Alvarez to play for the USSF, or at least have the choice? They were fine with Mendez and Llanez talking to Ramos.

 

Tab is confident flirting with the pretty girls at the bar but not the really hot one.

 

I suspect it had been conveyed to them that either it would not be well received or it would create unnecessary stress.

 

I think giving a 16yo room to breathe is fine and that this shows tab still wants him. its the full national team managers job here to eventually swoop in for a case like this anyways. who cares which youth team he represents.

 

That's my guess as well. That said, it doesn't seem like the family had any issues with Mexico approaching him when he was a US player. If that's the case, I'd turn my attention to his agent who is probably going to be less emotional and more open-minded as to the value of playing for us.

 

Seems like people need to tap the breaks a little on Alvarez. He is an 02 that hasn't done anything YET. He is scoring goals in a second division league in the US (USL, which is like a beer leg in all honesty) and appears to be on the way, but lets let him develop and see what happens. Rember Freddy Adu??

With regard to the National teams, its fair to say he has been invited and will continue to be invited to US camps. If he doesn't play for the US, its not lack of asking him or failure to notice him or lack of opportunity. If he doesn't play for the US he just didn't want to be in the US jersey. The coaches shouldn't have to wine and dine him, either you want to be there or you don't.

 

These type of posts amuse me. We're fans let us be fans. We haven't said anything conclusive about his future. We're enjoying the present. We hope its in a US jersey. Freddy Adu era was so different. We know youth players end up all over the scale in terms of ultimate skill. We don't need you to tell us. He has not been invited to US camps for about over a year now. I hope we do wine and dine him and do anything we need to do for him to play for us. We'll all live with the final decision in our own ways.

 

I think it’s wrong to say he hasn’t done anything yet. He’s scoring a goal a game against men. Men who make a living playing soccer.

Also, what is it going to take before we can stop bringing up Freddy Adu every time an exciting prospect exists?

 

Are we sure US Soccer actually did anything wrong here? Because other than a few Kleiban tweets, I don't think there's much to say thats the case. It seems like the kid just wants to play for Mexico.

I've seen people suggest that we call him up to the U-20 team. Lets say that happens. Maybe he accepts. I have no clue. But what happens when its time for him to play senior football. I can't think the standard for a cap-tying NT call up is all that different between Mexico and the USA. He'd probably be in consideration for a cap-tying NT call up at around the same time for both teams, and we know that right now he prefers the Mexican program. Where's our advantage? Are we going to go down the Green road and call him up for competitive games when he's not yet ready? Mexico probably won't do that, so thats probably the only possible advantage we'd have. And that assumes he'd take that call-up instead of waiting to be called up by Mexico.

 

Main point was he hasn't done anything to herald him as the future of US soccer. So many fans are quick to place heaps of expectation on a young kid and odds are whoever it is , won't turn into the savior of a countries soccer program.

Scoring goals in the USL is not that big a deal, no matter what age you are. There are tons of guys scoring goals in the USL, most will never ever even see the MLS ( not even a third tier league on the international stage)

Its surely exciting to watch the kids develop but with Alvarez he needs to get to Europe soon as each year he stays in the MLS system it hurts his development. If he stays until he is playing first team at LA Galaxy that would be the worst thing to happen for him and US soccer. US soccer needs kids moving to Europe and challenging themselves against world class talent and league, not MLS. Alvarez has the quality to play in Europe as a youth player and would benefit from developing over there, not in a USL team.

His running mate Llanez is more exciting for me to watch and I think will be a true difference maker at the pro level.

 

For El Tri, but not for US Soccer. His best chance to switch back to the US is if he lives in the US, plays for a US club, and continues to bond on and off the pitch with Llanez, Mendez, and Sepulveda. I don't necessarily disagree with your broader point, I'm merely talking about his chances, however low, of representing the US again.

 

How do you figure? I would hope all three of those kids wind up in Europe ASAP. It would be better for US Soccer to have kids with this much potential developing in a top class environment. The difference between being at lets say ( Schalke 04) at 16-20 years old compared to being at LA2 from 16-20 years old is worlds apart. You make the first team at Schalke you are playing against the likes of Bayern and possible Champions league and world class talent in front of 80K fans each Saturday. You make the first team at LA Galaxy and you are playing with old pros from Europe, guys that can't get to Europe and hopefully 15K in the stands.

 

My thought is based upon whats best for the kid to reach the highest level. Let's take Weston Mckennie as an example. If he stayedat FCD, he would be sitting on the bench or in the stands watching right now ( ala Pomykal, Servania or Cannon from last year). He goes to Europe and now he will be playing Champions league against word class players every weekend. No real comparison.

Any kid with talent needs to get to Europe.

 

Yes, with your point that makes sense. If those kids can lure him to the US side then that would help, although as I posted, I hope they all go to Europe. With regard to getting him to flip, I think you just make sure to let him know he is wanted, extend offers and pursue him but not much more you can do.