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.
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Alex Eduardo Valera Sandoval | ||
Date of birth | 16 May 1996 | ||
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 | 48 | (24) |
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) |
Club career
editValera 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 de Deportes and joined their squad on a 1 year contract.[7] He had been approached by other teams, including Alianza Lima, but decided to join Universitario for the opportunity to play the 2021 Copa Libertadores.[8] That year, Valera played his first game with Universitario on matchday 1, in a 1–1 tie against FBC Melgar, and scored his first goal on matchday 2, in a 3–1 defeat against Academia Cantolao. After an injury to Enzo Gutiérrez, he became part of the starting XI in both the Liga 1 and the Copa Libertadores, in an attacking partnership with Alberto Quintero. In May, Valera scored a brace in a Libertadores group stage match: a 3–2 home victory against Independiente del Valle. The next season, he played the 2022 Copa Libertadores qualifying stages with Universitario.
On 1 August 2022, Valera joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Fateh on a three-year deal.[9][10]
International career
editValera 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.[11]
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.[12]
- As of match played 22 March 2024[13]
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.[14]
International goals
editNo. | 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
editClub
editReferences
edit- ^ "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.
- ^ "Alex Valera: "En césped o cemento yo siempre he sido goleador"". once.pe. 14 September 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Alex Valera: "Si Alianza se quedaba (en la Liga 1), igual me iba a la 'U'"" [Alex Valera: "If Alianza stayed (in the Liga 1), I would still have gone to 'la U'"]. Líbero (in Spanish). 22 December 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "الفتح السعودي يبرم صفقة لاتينية".
- ^ "Alex Valera fue anunciado como fichaje del Al-Fateh de Arabia Saudita".
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Alex Valera missed his penalty and the Peruvian team was left out of the Qatar 2022 World Cup | VIDEO - 24 News Recorder".
- ^ "Alex Valera". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ "Alex Valera". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
External links
edit- Alex Valera at National-Football-Teams.com
- Alex Valera at Soccerway