Alejandro Morera Soto

In 1925 at the early age of 16, he made his debut with Alajuelense in the Costa Rican premier league Primera División in a match against Sociedad Gimnástica Española. Soon afterwards he became the star player and team's captain, showing a quality game and scoring many goals. These attributes opened doors beyond the country, initially in Cuba at Centro Gallego in 1927. He thereafter returned to Alajuelense and in 1928 helped the team obtain its first national championship, Morera scoring four goals in the last match against Herediano and becoming the top scorer with 26 goals. He led as the team's outstanding player during Alajuelense's tours of Mexico (1931) and Perú (1932), where he received accolades for his playing ability.

Spain

In February 1933 he was invited to Spain by former Real Club Deportivo Español player Ricardo Saprissa for a tryout with Español. The Barcelona newspaper Mundo Deportivo (28/02/1968 page 8) reported that Morera had wanted to play for FC Barcelona rather than Espanyol and was able with the assistance of Sr. Esteban Sala, a club director and Sr.Gispert, also club director whom he had befriended during the ocean crossing to personally negotiate, after a successful tryout with the club's coach, a three-year contract directly with FC Barcelona's president, Joan Coma Segarrols. Thus Morera made his debut with Catalonia's foremost club on May 18, 1933, in a match against Tenerife, and scored 2 goals in a 3 to 1 win. One of his best remembered…

Morera made his debut for Costa Rica against El Salvador in February 1938 and won 5 caps, scoring 4 goals during the 1938 Central American and Caribbean Games or scored 6 in 7 international matches.

International goals

Scores and results list Costa Rica's goal tally first.

Morera Soto was a son of Juan Morera Miranda and Eufemia Soto Soto and had 4 sisters and a brother. He married Julia Pacheco Pérez in 1937 and they had a daughter and 5 grandchildren. He died March 26, 1995, at the age of 85. He is remembered by both Manudos (fans of Alajuelense), and Ticos (Costa Ricans) alike as a man who loved his team and as one who gave many victories and much joy to fans across the country. Alajuelense's stadium, where his heart was emtombed in a monument below the East section seats, was named after him. In 1998, he was voted Costa Rica's player of the century by the IFFHS.