Alex Valera

Peruvian footballer (born 1996)
Alex Valera
Personal information
Full name Alex Eduardo Valera Sandoval
Date of birth (1996-05-16) 16 May 1996 (age 27)
Place of birth Chiclayo, Peru
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Universitario de Deportes
Number 20
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 Pirata
2017 Carlos Stein
2018 Pirata 7 (2)
2019 Deportivo Garcilaso 7 (7)
2019–2020 Deportivo Llacuabamba 24 (9)
2021–2022 Universitario de Deportes 41 (23)
2022 Al Fateh 5 (0)
2023– Universitario de Deportes 36 (17)
International career‡
2021– Peru 15 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14:43, 23 March 2024 (UTC)

Alex Eduardo Valera Sandoval (born 16 May 1996), better known as Alex Valera, is a Peruvian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Peruvian Liga 1 club Universitario de Deportes and the Peru national team.

Club career

Valera began his career in 2016 in Molinos El Pirata. After Pirata was eliminated from the 2017 Copa Perú, he was signed by Carlos Stein. He returned to Pirata for the 2018 Copa Perú, where he scored seven goals and played a key role in the squad that won the title and promotion to professional football.[1] However, Valera did not stay in the team because its board preferred to sign forwards with more experience.[2]

In 2019, he joined Deportivo Garcilaso for the 2019 Copa Perú, on request by manager Juan Carlos Bazalar, reaching the tournament's quarterfinals where Garcilaso was eliminated by Deportivo Llacuabamba.[3] Shortly after, Valera was signed by Deportivo Llacuabamba for the final group stage of the Copa Perú, where the team finished second, thereby proceeding to the 2019 promotion play-offs, where the team also finished second, behind Atlético Grau, and was promoted to the 2020 Liga 1.[4] He was renewed by Llacuabamba for the 2020 season and became one of the club's top scorers that year.[5] The club ended up being relegated to the Liga 2 with three games still left to play after a 6–0 defeat against FBC Melgar.[6]

On December 4, 2020, Valera reached a deal with Peruvian club Universitario and joined their squad on a 1 year contract.[7]

On 1 August 2022, Valera joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Fateh on a three-year deal.[8][9]

International career

Valera was called up to the Peru national football team for the 2021 Copa América and made his senior international debut on June 17, 2021, coming off the bench in a 4–0 defeat against Brazil.[10]

After Peru reached fifth place and qualified for intercontinental playoff against Asia's representative Australia, Valera was substituted in 116', in which the game was dragged into the penalty shootout; during the penalty shootout, he missed the final shot in the sudden death, and thus Peru failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, losing 4–5 on penalty to Australia.[11]

As of match played 22 March 2024[12]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Peru 2021 2 0
2022 10 3
2023 2 0
2024 1 0
Total 15 3
Scores and results list Peru's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Valera goal.[13]

International goals

No. Cap Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 3 16 January 2022 Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru  Panama 1–0 1–1 Friendly
2 4 20 January 2022  Jamaica 2–0 3–0
3 11 16 November 2022 Estadio Monumental, Lima, Peru  Paraguay 1–0 1–0

Honours

Club

Universitario de Deportes

References

  1. ^ "Molinos El Pirata de Lambayeque se consagró campeón de la Copa Perú 2018" [Molinos El Pirata from Lambayeque were crowned champions of the 2018 Copa Perú]. Canal N (in Spanish). 2 December 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Alex Valera: "En césped o cemento yo siempre he sido goleador"". once.pe. 14 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Llacuabamba eliminó a Dep. Garcilaso y accedió a la Finalísima de la Copa Perú 2019" [Llacuabamba eliminated Dep. Garcilaso and accessed the "Finalísima" of the 2019 Copa Perú]. Fútbol Peruano (in Spanish). 17 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Atlético Grau y Deportivo Llacuabamba a primera: La celebración tras conseguir el ascenso a la Liga 1 2020" [Atlético Grau and Deportivo Llacuabamba to the first division: The celebration after achieving promotion to the 2020 Liga 1]. El Comercio (in Spanish). 14 December 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Alex Valera, goleador de Llacuabamba que jugó antes fútbol playa y futsal" [Alex Valera, Llacuabamba's top scorer who played beach football and futsal]. Líbero (in Spanish). 9 September 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  6. ^ Luna, Robert (21 November 2020). "Melgar goleó 6-0 a Llacuabamba por la fecha 7 de la Fase 2 de la Liga 1 del fútbol peruano" [Melgar rolled over Llacuabamba 6-0 in matchday 7 of the Fase 2 of the Liga 1 of Peruvian football]. Fútbol Peruano (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Alex Valera llegó a un acuerdo con Universitario de Deportes por una temporada" [Alex Valera reaches a deal with Universitario de Deportes for one season contract] (in Spanish). Radio Programas del Perú. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  8. ^ "الفتح السعودي يبرم صفقة لاتينية".
  9. ^ "Alex Valera fue anunciado como fichaje del Al-Fateh de Arabia Saudita".
  10. ^ "Convocados para a Copa América 2021: veja os elencos das seleções que disputam o torneio" [Players called up for the 2021 Copa América] (in Portuguese). Goal.com. 13 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Alex Valera missed his penalty and the Peruvian team was left out of the Qatar 2022 World Cup | VIDEO - 24 News Recorder".
  12. ^ "Alex Valera". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Alex Valera". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 23 March 2024.

External links

  • Alex Valera at National-Football-Teams.com
  • Alex Valera at Soccerway
  • v
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Al Fateh SC – current squad
  • v
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  • e
Peru squad – 2021 Copa América fourth place
Peru
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