Alex Valera

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Valeraand the second or maternal family name is Sandoval.

Alex Valera

Personal information
Full name	Alex Eduardo Valera Sandoval
Date of birth	(1996-05-16) 16 May 1996 (age 28)
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	55	(28)
International career‡
2021–	Peru	18	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 September 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:30, 11 October 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 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]} despite the Peruvian transfer window having already closed. Barely five months later, during which he only played six games, and arguing a lack of payment, he left Al-Fateh and returned to Universitario in January 2023, signing for two seasons. ^[11] That year, Valera won his first national title after Universitario defeated Alianza Lima in the 2023 Liga 1 finals. In January 2024, Shimizu S-Pulse of the J2 League made an offer for him, which was finally rejected after Universitario's directive offered Valera an improved salary. ^[12] At the end of the season, Valera obtained his second consecutive national championship as Universitario won the 2024 Liga 1, with him as the team's goalscorer for the fourth consecutive year.

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. ^[13] He played a total of 2 matches during the tournament.

Peru reached the fifth place in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, which granted them the right to play the intercontinental playoff against Asia's representative Australia. Valera was substituted in the 116th minute of the game, which was dragged into the penalty shootout; during the penalty shootout, he missed the final shot in the sudden death and, thus, Peru lost 4–5 on penalties to Australia and failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. ^[14]

Beach football career

Valera also used to be a beach football player, representing the Peru national beach football team in the 2018 Copa América of Beach Football, scoring four goals. ^[15]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 31 December 2022 ^[16]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Pirata FC	2016	Copa Perú	—		—		—		—
	2017	Copa Perú	—		—		—		—
	Total		—		—		—		—
FC Carlos Stein	2017	Copa Perú	—		—		—		—
Pirata FC	2018	Copa Perú	7	2	—		—		7	2
Deportivo Garcilaso	2019	Copa Perú	7	7	—		—		7	7
Deportivo Llacuabamba	2019	Copa Perú	4	2	—		—		4	2
	2020	Peruvian Liga 1	21	9	—		—		21	9
	Total		25	11	—		—		25	11
Universitario de Deportes	2021	Peruvian Liga 1	24	11	0	0	6	2	30	13
	2022	Peruvian Liga 1	17	12	—		2	0	19	12
	Total		41	23	0	0	8	2	49	25
Al Fateh	2022-23	Saudi Pro League	5	0	1	0	0	0	6	0
Career total			85	43	1	0	8	2	94	45

International

As of match played 11 October 2024 ^[17]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Peru	2021	2	0
	2022	10	3
	2023	2	0
	2024	4	0
Total		18	3

Scores and results list Peru's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Valera goal. ^[18]

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

• Peruvian Primera División: 2023
• Torneo Apertura: 2024

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. "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.
9. "الفتح السعودي يبرم صفقة لاتينية".
10. "Alex Valera fue anunciado como fichaje del Al-Fateh de Arabia Saudita".
11. "¡Es oficial! Universitario de Deportes anunció el regreso de Alex Valera por dos temporadas" [It's official! Universitario de Deportes announced the return of Alex Valera for two seasons]. RPP (in Spanish). 11 January 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
12. Chavez, Erick (13 January 2024). "Propuesta aceptada: Alex Valera, cerca de ser nuevo jugador del Shimizu S-Pulse de la Segunda División de Japón" [Offer accepted: Alex Valera, close to being a new player for Shimizu S-Pulse of the Second Division of Japan]. RPP (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
13. "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.
14. "Alex Valera missed his penalty and the Peruvian team was left out of the Qatar 2022 World Cup | VIDEO - 24 News Recorder".
15. "¿Quién es Alex Valera Sandoval (Llacuabamba)? Del fútbol playa al fútbol profesional" [Who is Alex Valera Sandoval (Llacuabamba)? From beach football to professional football]. Fútbol Peruano (in Spanish). 6 November 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
16. Alex Valera at Soccerway. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
17. "Alex Valera". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
18. "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