He was initially signed by D.C. United directly out of high school in 1998. However, after participating in their spring training, he was forced to return to Peru in order to obtain a work visa. The process was delayed because he overstayed his initial tourist visa limit and he missed both the 1999 and 2000 seasons as a result.For Alegria, the Wait of the World washingtonpost.com While waiting in Peru, Alegría trained with Alianza Lima, the country's most successful team, and played in the second division.
