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Galaxy's Efrain Alvarez on U.S.-Mexico decision, life in East L.A., and being Zlatan's 'cub'

LOS ANGELES -- The LA Galaxy's 17-year-old forward, Efrain Alvarez, made his way out of Dignity Health Sports Park long after Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mexico national team midfielder Jonathan dos Santos and chart-topping pop star Becky G, and currently dating LA Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget, were long gone.

Alvarez showered and changed following the Galaxy's 2-1 loss to Cruz Azul in Leagues Cup action on Aug. 20 before making the 30-minute drive back to his East Los Angeles home, where he still lived under his parents' roof. A few hours later, his father, "Chencho" (a shortened version of Cresencio), and mother, Alicia, would wake up at 3:40 a.