Arturo Alvarez woke up on Sunday morning knowing he would be married in less than a week. He was preparing for the ceremony in Montgomery, roughly 90 minutes of his hometown of Houston.

Alvarez, who recently finished his second season with the Chicago Fire and had his option picked up for a third season, had no idea his stay in Houston would be longer – as in at least an entire MLS season longer.

The Dynamo last weekend traded a 2019 second-round SuperDraft pick to acquire Alvarez from the Fire, which means the kid who played for St. Thomas and Katy Mayde Creek earlier this century finally will get to play professionally in his hometown.

"It's where it all began for me," Alvarez said. "When I started playing soccer there wasn't an MLS team (in Houston)...I always wanted to play for Houston and represent my city."

The San Jose Earthquakes drafted Alvarez in 2003. He also has played for FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake and Chicago over 11 MLS seasons. From 2012-15 he played in Portugal and Hungary.

The attacking midfielder has 32 goals and 30 assists in MLS, including eight goals and 11 assists the last two seasons with the Fire.

He said he was surprised to end up in Houston because he had never discussed it with Chicago general manager Nelson Rodriguez. Alvarez said Rodriguez told him several teams were interested and that Rodriguez considered Alvarez's hometown before trading him.

Alvarez played for St. Thomas as a freshman and sophomore. He said he remembers the intense games against rival Strake Jesuit. He played for Mayde Creek as a junior and senior but really made a name for himself with club team Bear Creek United, where he was coached by Carlos Lessa.

Now that Alvarez is back in Houston full-time, he will be able to do all the things he used to do as a kid – like running at Bear Creek Park and Memorial Park and kicking the ball around with friends at the Houston Toros' futsal fields.

The biggest thing he gained in the trade is the opportunity for his family and friends to be able to watch most of his games in person, rather than on TV.

Instead of returning to Chicago after his honeymoon, he'll come back to his hometown where he'll get to work with the one team he always hoped to play for.

"Knowing I got traded, it is perfect," Alvarez said. "It's a nice little wedding gift."