| Alex Sánchez | |
| Fullname: | Alex Sánchez Cruz |
| Birth Date: | July 20, 1930 |
| Birth Place: | Naranjo, Costa Rica |
| Youthyears1: | 1940–1946 |
| Youthyears2: | 1946–1947 |
| Youthyears3: | 1947–1948 |
| Youthclubs1: | Saprissa |
| Youthclubs2: | Orión |
| Youthclubs3: | Saprissa |
| Years1: | 1949–1960 |
| Years2: | 1960–1963 |
| Clubs2: | Alajuelense |
| Nationalyears1: | 1950–1963 |
| Nationalteam1: | Costa Rica |
| Nationalcaps1: | 32 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
Alex Sánchez Cruz (born July 20, 1930) is a former Costa Rican football player.
He was born in Naranjo[1] in Costa Rica's, Alajuela province. Sánchez started his soccer career at the early age of 10 playing in the Minor League for the Deportivo Saprissa.[1] He started by training twice a day with the club and soon advanced to playing full-time. In 1945 he started in the first ever National Youth Championship, where he won a national title for the first time in his career.
By 1946 Saprissa had ascended to the Juvenile Division and Alex had become the starting goalkeeper. Saprissa won the Championship in the new division by beating the Liga Deportiva Alajuelense in a best-of-three series. The Championship allowed the Deportivo Saprissa, the Minor League branch of a Major League team named Orion F.C., to ascend to the Major Division. The team was renamed Orion F.C. and Sánchez was moved into the position of left wingback. He remained in this position until his retirement.
In 1947 Sánchez played in the Third Division for the newly renamed Orion F.C.[1] and again was part of the team that won the Championship. This continued success prompted Ricardo Saprissa, the team's co-founder and namesake, to register the team in the Third Division of the Major League. That same year the Orion F.C. won the Championship, thus advancing to the Second Division, where the team was renamed back to the Deportivo Saprissa. The next season, the Deportivo Saprissa advanced one last time to the Primera Division, Costa Rica's top soccer league. Sánchez was part of the team that won the first three National Championship sin Costa Rica's top league in 1952,[2] 1953 and 1957.
By 1950 Sánchez had earned a spot on the Costa Rica national team. His debut was in the VI Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe played in Guatemala. In 1951 he was called once again to play for the National Team at the 1951 Pan American Games,[1] in Argentina where they finished second place. Sánchez started for the national team in Honduras in 1955, where it would go to finished the tournament undefeated.
In 1956 Sánchez played with the Costa Rica national team at the third and last edition of the invitational Pan American Championship held in Mexico.[3] During just one game he played in three different positions: left wingback, right wingback, and centre back. His versatility earned him the Most Valuable Player trophy.
In 1958 Sánchez participated in the qualifying matches for the 1958 FIFA World Cup held in Sweden. Costa Rica lost a best-of-two series against Mexico, and missed the chance to go on to participate in the FIFA World Cup. He earned a total of 32 caps, scoring no goals.[4]
Sánchez married Sara Arroyo in March 1953. The couple had 4 children and 10 grandchildren. He currently resides in San José, Costa Rica.