16-Year-Old LA Galaxy Monster Efraín Álvarez Dominates The Grown Ups In US Open Cup Play

Fresh off helping Mexico to the CONCACAF U-17 Championship title last month, 16-year-old Californian Efraín Álvarez has registered his first goals for the LA Galaxy, notching a brace in the club’s 3-0 U.S. Open Cup victory over Orange County FC on Wednesday night. 

Alvarez’s hype train left the station last year after he was voted the USL’s Young Player of the Year, scoring 12 goals and adding three assists in 17 games for LA Galaxy II. The noise increased back in March when he delivered a stunning game-winning assist in MLS play, leading to praise from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

However, he’s only logged 91 minutes of game time since, but his performance last night in the Cup has given manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto food for thought.

The teenager opened the scoring in the 55th minute with a pinpoint free kick.

BULLSEYE

Lethal from @efrain_alvarez1. #USOC2019 pic.twitter.com/RusN5fiJEn

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) June 13, 2019

Six minutes later, Alvarez scored his second.

The combination we've all been waiting for...

ALVAREZ TO ALVAREZ pic.twitter.com/UNm4tt47bR

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) June 13, 2019

USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter has made no secret of his desire to get Alvarez to change allegiance, but that’s probably not going to happen at this point due to an absolute fuck up a few years back. Mexico knows what it has in the 16-year-old by now, especially so since he’s already delivered El Tri a trophy at the youth level. 

Efra with the absolute dime. pic.twitter.com/M7why94ukq

— Adam Serrano (@AdamSerrano) May 16, 2019