Sporting Kansas City striker Alan Pulido has been selected to the Mexico Men’s National Team for two upcoming friendly matches in Europe, the Mexican Football Federation announced Tuesday.
Pulido will join a 26-player squad assembled by head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino for games at Wales on March 27 in Cardiff and against Concacaf rival Costa Rica on March 30 in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
Mexico MNT Match Schedule
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Opponent</strong> |
<strong>Time (CT)</strong> |
<strong>Location</strong> |
<div>Saturday, March 27</div> |
<div>Wales</div> |
<div>3 p.m.</div> |
<div>Cardiff City Stadium;<br>
Cardiff, Wales</div> |
<div>Tuesday, March 30</div> |
<div>Costa Rica</div> |
<div>3 p.m.</div> |
<div>Stadion Wiener Neustadt;</div><div>Wiener Neustadt, Austria</div> |
Following the friendly matches, Pulido will adhere to mandated health and safety protocols in accordance with international travel before rejoining Sporting Kansas City in April for the start of the 2021 MLS regular season.
Pulido tallied seven goals and five assists in 14 appearances across all competitions during his first MLS season with Sporting in 2020. His six goals and five assists in regular season play were both team highs, marking the first time since 2005 that a player has led Sporting in both goals and assists. Sporting went 8-2-1 and averaged 2.27 goals per match in the 11 regular season games that he started.
Last November, Pulido was one of three finalists for 2020 MLS Newcomer of the Year and was selected as Sporting’s Offensive Player of the Year. His contributions helped Manager Peter Vermes’ side finish atop the Western Conference standings with a 12-6-3 record and 1.86 points per match, the highest clip in club history.
Pulido has recorded five goals in 14 career caps for Mexico, most recently featuring in El Tri’s 2-2 friendly draw against Algeria last October in the Netherlands. He has notably represented his country at the 2011 Copa America in Argentina and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The 30-year-old forward is one of four MLS players on Mexico’s roster, joining Rodolfo Pizarro of Inter Miami CF and LA Galaxy duo Efrain Alvarez and Jonathan dos Santos.
A native of Ciudad Victoria, Pulido has featured for Mexico at the U-20, U-23 and senior levels. He led El Tri to the 2011 Concacaf U-20 Championship title, scoring three goals at the tournament, before making five appearances at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia as Mexico finished in third place.
In April 2012, Pulido and the Mexico U-23s hoisted the Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament title at Children’s Mercy Park. The semifinal and final matches both took place in Sporting’s home stadium, with Pulido scoring in a 3-1 semifinal victory over Canada. He finished as the competition’s leading scorer with five goals, helping Mexico book their place at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and guided El Tri to the Toulon Tournament championship later that year in France.
Pulido made his senior international debut on Jan. 29, 2014, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 friendly win against South Korea in San Antonio, Texas. He added another goal in a 2-2 friendly draw with the United States over two months later and bagged his fifth Mexico goal in a friendly win over Iceland in February 2017.
