Gianluca Busio, Efrain Alvarez hope to make jump from MLS Homegrown Game to All-Star stage

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — All it took was one look to the right during training Monday morning for Gianluca Busio, Efrain Alvarez and the Major League Soccer Homegrown Game squad to get a reminder of one of their lofty goals. 

While the Homegrown players went through training exercises for Tuesday’s 5 p.m. ET match at Wide World of Sports against Chivas de Guadalajara’s U20 squad, international superstars Bastian Schweinsteiger and Nani were among the MLS All-Stars preparing for Wednesday’s All-Star Game at Exploria Stadium.

“That’s the goal,” Busio told Pro Soccer USA. “Hopefully at some point there’s a bunch of homegrowns playing in the All-Star Game. It’s a big step. It’s a big honor. We’re all going to be working for that.” 

Busio, a Sporting Kansas City player, and Alvarez from the LA Galaxy are two of the highly-touted players in the homegrown squad comprised of prospects who have been signed straight from the club’s academies. 

Host Orlando City is represented by goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and forward Benji Michel. 

In addition to taking inspiration from watching some of their idols train across the way, one of the homegrown’s own was with the all-star group.

FC Dallas’ Paxton Pomykal, regarded as one of the top young American players in MLS, is the lone homegrown on the MLS All-Star roster, and he is a player some of Tuesday’s participants are looking at as tangible evidence that progression can be made from Homegrown Game to All-Star Game. 

“[Pomykal’s] having a great season and he’s one of the best young players in the United States right now,” Alvarez told Pro Soccer USA. “I have a lot of respect for him and I hope one day we’re there.” 

One of the reasons the goal of being an All-Star is more attainable than ever for young players is the amount of minutes handed to Homegrowns across MLS. 

Busio has played 530 minutes over 13 games for Sporting KC, while Alvarez recently earned two starts in the star-studded Galaxy lineup. 

“It’s paving the pathway for the younger guys coming up now,” Busio said. “We’re making it easier for them showing them that young players can play and do it in MLS and then its just giving the coaches more confidence in younger guys.” 

Alvarez added, “Getting first-team minutes at this age is a good thing for me. I’m starting to build my minutes. It’s a good thing. You start building your base since you are young and that’s what the league wants. They want players to get minutes and for European clubs, or some other clubs, to see them, and hopefully they can grow.” 

Seven members of the Homegrown Game roster have played more than 500 minutes in MLS this season, with Philadelphia’s Brenden Aaronson and Colorado’s Sam Vines both more than 1,000 minutes of game action. 

The trend of playing younger players has accelerated in recent years, and Busio remembers seeing Tyler Adams’ stint with the New York Red Bulls as an example of what he could do in a professional setting a young age. Adams was sold last year to Red Bull Leipzig in the German Bundesliga. 

“When I was coming up, there were guys like Tyler Adams that were paving the way for me and now it’s our job to pave the way for the younger guys,” Busio said. 

Part of the continued paving of the path includes making an impact on the All-Star Game itself in coming years. Although it is difficult to make the squad with so much international talent littered across the league, the current crop of Homegrown Players are determined to make the showcase their own in the future. 

The next step in the long, winding path is Tuesday, when they get a chance to shine in front of an audience before the much-anticipated Skills Challenge as part of the night of events at Wide World of Sports.