Copyright Salt Lake City Deseret News
It’s safe to say Alex Loera’s first season as a Utah Royal didn’t go according to plan. That’s the biggest lesson she’s learned this season, the midfielder told reporters during exit interviews Friday. “I think it’s exactly that — that even when we have ideas and visions for ourselves, it doesn’t always go that way, and so just being adaptable, understanding that it may not be exactly the way I wanted,” Loera said. Eight days after returning to the pitch from a devastating ACL injury, Loera tore her ACL a second time — in the same knee — during training. Through it all, Loera has leaned on her Christian faith. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get answers for why this happens on this side of the Earth, but I don’t need them because I know that he knows all and I just lean into that,” she said. How Alex Loera is leaning on faith through adversity Before joining the Royals, Loera was with Bay FC, which entered the NWSL the same season as the Royals. Loeara was Bay FC’s first player after the team made a trade for her with KC Current. The trade marked Loera’s return to the Bay Area, where she had played collegiately at Santa Clara University. But four matches into the 2024 season, Loera tore her ACL. “I’m devastated, bummed, confused, but even through it all I know that my God has a greater plan and will use this next journey for His glory,” she wrote on Instagram. Loera was traded to the Royals in December. She missed the first two months of the 2025 season while she finished her ACL recovery from the year prior and debuted for the Royals on May 9. Eight days later, Loera tore her ACL again — in the same knee — during training. “My faith is super important to me,” she said. “Without that, I don’t know how I would have been able to get through (this experience). ... It’s just been a lot. But I know that the Lord has a plan, and he’s already walked me through this. So it’s just trusting and leaning on him during this time is really what gets me through this.” Even Loera’s recovery hasn’t gone according to plan this season. Three months ago, Loera underwent a second surgery to correct errors from the first. Loera also suffered a meniscal tear. As a result, she and the medical staff are being “a little cautious with that and pushing running back a little bit.” She just started running on an anti-gravity treadmill and hopes to be running by the end of the month. She will continue rehabbing in Utah during the offseason. It’s been difficult to watch her team from the sidelines, Loera admitted. “I do think going to the games was a little bit tough for me mentally,” she said. “So thankfully, the club has been very, very accommodating with that, and they didn’t make me go to the games unless I felt ready to try to go be back in the environment.” So, Loera has chosen other ways to support and show up for her teammates. “I have really tried to prioritize my mental health, but while trying to still show up for the girls,” she said. “So I’m very much so behind the scenes checking in the locker room. If a girl looks down ... I’ll make sure to go one on one and check in with her and just be as supportive as I can.” Alex Loera’s Christian faith Loera said her faith has “definitely been tested” this season. “It was a little rocky when it first happened because I just obviously had my first minutes back, and it was just a really difficult year last year, so I was just really confused,” she said. But it wasn’t enough to blind her to the other blessings she’s experienced following her trade to Utah. “I don’t think there’s anything that could happen that could make me walk away from my faith. I think just the blessings that I’ve experienced outside of soccer, too, since moving to Utah,” she said. “The Lord works in crazy ways, and he has just blessed me with some amazing people, both in the club and outside of the club.” When Loera moved to Utah, she told Tom Golightly, the team’s sports psychologist, that she was looking for a new church to attend. He connected her with Real Salt Lake’s Tommy Silva and Zack Farnsworth. Loera started attending church with them and their wives at The Well, a nondenominational Christian church in Sandy, Utah. They’ve all since become best friends. Loera has had an “amazing experience” with Utah’s faith community since she moved to the Beehive State. “It’s just an amazing, inviting community,” she said. “I don’t care if I have different beliefs, like I lead with love.” Sharing her faith Loera hasn’t shied away from sharing her faith. She often shares Bible verses on social media. But the biggest stage came in her debut game for Utah against Angel City FC in May. In the 74th minute, Angel City defender Savy King collapsed on the pitch. She received medical attention before being taken to California Hospital Medical Center, as the Deseret News previously reported. Though players were visibly shaken, the game continued in the 85th minute and 12 minutes of stoppage time was added. Angel City ended up beating the Royals 2-0. Following the game, Royals defender Kate Del Fava and Angel City FC captain Sarah Gorden decided to have a prayer between the two teams, Loera told KSL’s Caleb Turner postgame. Del Fava asked Loera, who was previously teammates with King at Bay FC, to give the prayer. “Obviously, Savy King is one of my really good friends, so of course, I’m going to do that for her,” Loera said.
