It's July 25, the first home match back after a 2-month World Cup break in the regular season. The score against FC Dallas is 0-0 just after halftime. Alejandro Alvarado Jr. receives the ball from Manu Duah with his right foot a few yards out of the penalty box, dances around two defenders, and launches — what would become his first MLS goal and the game-winner for San Diego FC — into the bottom right corner of the goal.
Fireworks flew into the air as Alvarado ran to the corner to celebrate but quickly diverted his path, heading straight to the bench. Anyone who knows the journey he’s been on for the last year knew exactly who he was looking for. After sharing a moment with head coach Mikey Varas, he embraced SDFC athletic trainer Paulina Maldonado, who has played an integral role in his recovery.
“He's a top guy, and we go way back. I think I was a little bit more in the way than it was exactly directed to me,” Varas said when asked about the hug he shared with Alvardo following his goal.
“I know that he was really grateful of Paulina [Maldonado] and Cari [Stankaitis] and the rest of the medical staff who helped him make a comeback from what happened last year, and it's been a hard year for him. And he embodies that relentless never-say-die attitude.”
Shortly after that, he knelt to the ground and kissed his knee – the same one he has spent hundreds of hours rehabilitating to carry him to this career milestone — exactly 13 months following his injury.
“It was a very tough year, very hard days where we had to do a lot of rehab, we had to do a lot of strengthening,” Alvarado said. “A year ago today, I was on my couch watching the team play against Nashville, and to be here a year later and being able to contribute and get three points at home, it means the world to me.”
“I didn't do this alone, and I want to thank everyone that helped me to get where I am. And hopefully, this is just a start for me on a personal note and for the team,” he continued.
Prior to his season-ending injury in 2025, Alvarado was building momentum. He recorded his first MLS start on March 23, 2025, versus Austin FC, then was rostered for San Diego FC’s match at Vancouver as a starter for the 4th consecutive match. However, near the 70th minute in BC place, Alvarado made a routine play but went down to the ground. He immediately knew something was wrong.
“When it happened, it was a weird feeling. I kind of knew something was wrong, not necessarily the extent or how serious it was. They told me the news, and the first thing I said was, ‘They got me.’”
Alvarado was taken back to the locker room for assessment and was given the news that his season would likely be over. He gave himself a few minutes to process the news and sit in the feeling. Then he called his support system.
“I called my sister and my mom first, and that was the hard part. They were already crying. They already knew something was wrong because usually I don't stay down,” Alvarado said. “And the only time I would be carried out is if it's something serious.”
He shared some moments with his teammates after the game, then flipped the switch, asking himself, “What’s the next step?” When San Diego FC’s physical therapist, Cari Stankaitis, picked him up from the airport, the two got right to work on his recovery. His dedication to the process was evident on day one.
“Right from the get-go, he went into the process with a really great mindset,” Stankaitis said.
Something that helped Alvarado through the 10-month journey was using visualization tools. He had a calendar by his door where he would cross off every day of his recovery timeline. Every day he checked off was one step closer to his goal of getting back onto the field.
The calendar still exists on his wall, and next to it are his crutches and his brace, serving as a reminder of just how far he has come.
“That's the best way I was able to attack things was day by day,” Alvarado said. “I became a lot more patient. It made me a better person, a stronger person, and I do believe I'm coming back a stronger athlete. I'm grateful that it happened to me last year here in a place where I knew I was going to get the support I needed.”
He also decided to document his entire journey. He started with a message he recorded on the night of his injury for himself to look back on. He shared his experience of his first-ever surgery and consistently posted monthly updates to share his journey with the SDFC community. Long-term injuries can be isolating, but the reactions he received on his monthly updates helped him feel connected to the fan base.
Following surgery, Alvarado couldn’t walk or do much of anything on his own. His siblings made the trek down from LA to be there for him after the surgery, and his San Diego FC family picked up the extra tasks while he was on his own. While living at the Sharp Healthcare Performance Center along with several other teammates, Alvarado was just steps away from everything he needed – steps he could not take on his own for a while. Defender and friend Ian Pilcher would pick up his food and help his teammate change the water in his Game Ready ice machine.
“The guys at the facility were very important. They were the second family there that I needed, and they were always there for when I needed something,” Alvarado said. “I appreciate every single one of them because it wasn't just me going through this rehab.”
To pass the time, Alvarado would play video games and watch movies with his teammates. He also picked up the hobby of building Lego sets. He’s made over 10 sets that he still has completed in his apartment to this day.
“I learned how to live without, you know, playing football for the first time,” Alvarado said. "Ever since I was a kid, I always trained day in, day out, you know, school or training, school or training. I went to Europe young, and it was all football, and this was the first time I was out for a long period of time.”
Throughout the recovery process, Alvarado gained patience. He began to appreciate the new milestones he was reaching: walking again, bending his knee more, and even getting back on the bike for the first time on his birthday.
“Every small win was a big win,” he said.
10 months of small wins finally built up to the moment Alvarado was waiting for on April 22. When the team traveled to Houston matchday minus two, Alvarado was told he was cleared to play and that there was a chance he’d be on the roster. The first people he called were his family.
“They're the reason I kept pushing. They’re the reason I wanted to come back and keep on fighting and just to see them smile when I'm on the field. Without them, it would be impossible to be here,” he said.
In Shell Energy Stadium, San Diego FC was down 1-0 and looking at 11 minutes of stoppage time. As Alvarado jogged over to the bench to prepare to sub on with a chance to change the game, the flashbacks of ten months came flooding in. From not being able to walk, to running for the first time again, he remembered all he’d been through to prepare for this moment.
“Jogging onto that field, there are nerves, but when I step onto the field and I touch my first ball, I said, ‘I'm back.’ There's nothing that's going to stop me, and I'm here to compete, and I'm here to prove that I'm still the same, if not better,” Alvarado said.
Now it was time for the next milestone, his home return. Alvarado had visualized the moment many times, stepping back onto the pitch in Snapdragon Stadium. He had envisioned his first game back being on May 2nd against LAFC, since the beginning of his journey. His moment came in the 83rd minute when he subbed on for David Vazquez in front of the home crowd with his siblings in the stands. He continued to build his minutes back up the next 4 matches before the league halted play for the World Cup.
“Every day he showed up and gave 110%,” SDFC performance coach Sofia Chambers said. “And to get to see him now, it's the most rewarding thing for me. To see him grow from where he was from a rehab perspective was incredible, but him as an individual and his ability to work on and off the pitch was something that he was innately born with.”
2025 was a year of firsts for the midfielder. He made his MLS debut, recorded his first start, and consistently started matches before his season was cut short. He then had to adapt to watching his team play on TV. So, when he was asked what making it back into the starting eleven would mean to him, Alvarado simply said, “everything.”
On July 25, 2025, Alvarado watched San Diego FC take on Nashville SC in Snapdragon Stadium from his couch. On July 25, 2026, he made his return to the starting lineup.
“As soon as we found out that he was starting, we kind of joked about it immediately, saying, ‘Oh, you're going to score this game. This is your game,’” Maldonado said.
A smile swept across Alvarado’s face as he heard his name called by the PA announcer in Snapdragon Stadium as he took in the moment alongside his teammates. He accomplished his goal, and now it was time to capitalize on the moment.
With his game-winner in the 1-0 victory over Dallas, Alvarado was named the Man of the Match. He celebrated postgame with his teammates and the staff who supported him in the long road back.
“His road was definitely a daunting one. It is a lot of physical and emotional challenges, but one that he took on very well. You never want to see an athlete get hurt, but to see them succeed like this is just the reason why we do it.”
The second half of San Diego FC’s second season is well underway, and Alvarado looks to continue to prove he came back a stronger athlete. He continues to rack up milestones, like playing his first full 90 minutes against Xolos in Leagues Cup on August 9th. But whenever he is asked about his recovery, the first thing he does is share his gratitude for everyone who helped him through his journey.
“The only way I was able to return to play was by listening to them and their advice and everything,” Alvarado said.
“A new chapter begins. Glad to close the rehab chapter. And I'm hungry.”
