Alex Loera
.jpg) Loera with the Kansas City Current in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexis Alycia Loera[1] | ||
| Date of birth | June 19, 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Thornton, Colorado, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Utah Royals | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Colorado Storm | |||
| The Academy | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2021 | Santa Clara Broncos | 98 | (7) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2023 | Kansas City Current | 30 | (0) |
| 2024–2024 | Bay FC | 2 | (0) |
| 2025– | Utah Royals | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| United States U17 | |||
| 2022 | United States U23 | ||
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of April 13, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of April 6, 2023 | |||
Alexis Alycia Loera (born June 19, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for the Utah Royals of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Youth career
[edit]Loera grew up in Thornton, Colorado, and began playing soccer among other sports when she was three years old. She eventually selected soccer over playing softball.[2] She played high school soccer for The Academy of Westminster, Colorado, and also played for Colorado Storm of the Elite Clubs National League.[2][3]
College career
[edit]Loera played NCAA Division I women's soccer for the Santa Clara Broncos. Loera was a captain for the Broncos team that won the 2020 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament, resulting in Santa Clara's second national championship. Loera was also named the tournament's Defensive Most Outstanding player.[3]
Club career
[edit]Expansion team Kansas City NWSL selected Loera with the 36th-overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, though she opted to return to Santa Clara for an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She joined the then-renamed Current in 2022.[3]
Kansas City Current, 2022–2023
[edit]On March 18, 2022, Loera made her professional debut for Kansas City as a starter in a 1–1 Challenge Cup draw against Racing Louisville FC. She scored her first professional goal on April 24, 2022, against Chicago Red Stars in a 2–1 Challenge Cup victory, and the goal was featured on SportsCenter as a Top 10 play.[4]
In the 2022 NWSL Playoffs semifinal match against OL Reign, Loera—moving from the backline to defensive midfield in place of suspended Desiree Scott—scored the fastest goal in NWSL Playoffs history with a 4th-minute tally. The goal was Loera's first in the regular season or postseason, and was also the eventual match-winner as Kansas City won 2–0 and advanced to the NWSL Championship match.[5] Kansas City fell in the championship to Portland Thorns FC by a final score of 0–2; Loera started and played the full 90 minutes.[6]
On January 5, 2023, Kansas City Current announced that it had re-signed Loera to a three-year contract through the 2025 season.[4]
Bay FC, 2023–2024
[edit]On November 15, 2023, the Current traded Loera to NWSL expansion team Bay FC in exchange for $175,000 in allocation money and immunity in the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft. The transaction made Loera the first player signed in Bay FC's history.[7]
Utah Royals, 2025–
[edit]On December 19, 2024, Loera joined Utah Royals for $25,000 in intra-league transfer fees and a 15% sell-on fee. The contract will keep Loera in Utah through the 2027 season.[8]
International career
[edit]Loera was called into camps for the United States under-17 and under-23 national soccer teams.[3]
Personal life
[edit]Loera is currently in a relationship with former Kansas City Current teammate Chardonnay Curran.[9]
Honors
[edit]Santa Clara Broncos
References
[edit]- ^ "Class of 2021: Alexis Alycia Loera". Santa Clara University. June 2021. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Azzi, Alex (October 28, 2022). "Q+A: Alex Loera on journey to Kansas City, 2022 NWSL Championship". On Her Turf. NBC Sports. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Wiley, Ben (September 10, 2022). "NWSL Rookie Report: Alex Loera electrifying for the Kansas City Current". Soccer America. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Green, PJ (January 5, 2023). "Kansas City Current re-signs defender Alex Loera". WDAF-TV. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ Hruby, Emma (October 23, 2022). "Alex Loera's first NWSL goal helps Current advance to title game". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ Carlisle, Jeff (October 29, 2022). "Portland Thorns overcome adversity-filled season to win third NWSL title". ESPN. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ "Alex Loera traded to Bay FC as NWSL expansion team's first player". CBS News. November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "Utah Royals FC Trades For Midfielder Alex Loera". RSL.com. Utah Royals. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Loera, Alex (November 13, 2023). "Alex Loera". twitter.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Alex Loera at Soccerway
- 1999 births
- American LGBTQ soccer players
- Living people
- National Women's Soccer League players
- American women's soccer players
- Santa Clara Broncos women's soccer players
- Kansas City Current draft picks
- Kansas City Current players
- Soccer players from Colorado
- People from Thornton, Colorado
- Women's association football defenders
- American sportspeople of Mexican descent
- United States women's youth international soccer players
- Bay FC players
- 21st-century American sportswomen
- Christians from Colorado
- Utah Royals players