Liga MX defender Ventura Alvarado could be joining the U.S. national team for their March friendlies, as a national team scout was on hand in Mexico City's Azteca Stadium on Saturday night to watch the Phoenix-born Alvarado make his third-consecutive start for Club America.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann's back line is anything but settled heading into next month's friendlies vs. Denmark and Switzerland, and Alvarado, who has been playing as a right-sided defender, might be about to get a look.
The 22-year-old was solid in America's 5-0 thumping of visiting Chiapas in coach Gustavo Matosas's three-man back line.
Alvarado landed a starting job late in the Apertura season in 2014 and helped America win the Liga MX title. He's been on Klinsmann's radar since and, in December, the German manager called Alvarado to congratulate him on a breakout campaign, a source told ESPN.
One of the more intriguing aspects of the U.S. national team is how quickly players can emerge, almost from nowhere, to establish themselves within the squad.
Dual-nationals John Brooks, Julian Green and Aron Johannsson were uncapped and, to many U.S. fans, virtually unknown a year before the 2014 World Cup. All went on to play in the tournament.
In the eight months since Brazil, players like Greg Garza and Miguel Ibarra have become U.S. regulars and Alvarado could get his chance to join them soon.