by Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla, Sep 9, 2014

[U.S. SOCCER]

Northern Californian, one of the brightest young stars in the U.S. youth national team program, is being courted by the Mexican soccer federation (FMF). Lara, who turned 15 on Sept. 8, has been a starter on CoachU.S. U-17 national team.

"I haven't made up my mind yet," Lara told the San Jose Mercury News while attending a Northern California Alianza de Futbol event at which he was courted by Mexican club and national team scouts.

Sources say Lara, who has already trained with Mexican club Pachuca, is currently training with Mexico’s U-17 national team in Mexico City.

He is one of the players brought into the U.S. national team fold by Hugo Perez, the USSF’s Northwest Technical Advisor who was recently relieved of his U-15 national team head coaching duties.

Lara, who started youth ball with the Hayward Tecos, has played for De Anza Force and San Jose Earthquakes U.S. Soccer Development Academy teams.

Lara debuted for the U-17s last December and played in victories over England (5-1) and Brazil (4-1). Lara was also part of the U.S. U-17s’ tournament victories in Sarajevo in April and in Turkey in January.

Although young for this U-17 cycle, Lara, a left-footed player, seems poised to start for the USA in qualifying play for the 2015 U-17 World Cup -- unless he chooses to represent Mexico.

The USA failed to qualify for the 2013 U-17 World Cup after a record 14 straight appearances. Mexico finished runner-up at the UAE-hosted 2013 U-17 World Cup after lifting the title on home soil in 2011.

In past years, U.S. products Edgar Castillo and Joe Corona played for Mexican youth national teams before committing the USA. Richard Sanchez, who was born in California and raised in Texas, Texan Uvaldo Luna and Californian Julio Morales played for Mexico at the 2013 U-20 World Cup.

One of the goalkeepers on the current Mexico U-17 team is Abraham Romero, a product of the LA Galaxy academy program and a former U.S. U-17 resident in Bradenton.