Defender Joseph Mora has played an integral role in D.C. United’s backline since signing with the club on March 7 last year. It was only 10 days later the Costa Rican featured in his first match for the Black-and-Red against Houston Dynamo, playing the full 90 minutes on a snowy afternoon at the Maryland Soccerplex. Mora would go on to play 30 regular season matches last season, logging 2,523 total minutes played and playing the full 90 minutes in 24 of those matches.
Mora acknowledges it was a hectic time when moving to D.C. but looks back on his first year with the club fondly.
“When I got here, I was very surprised,” Mora, said. “The level of soccer, the lifestyle and the fans. Even though we played many of our games away from home, when [Audi Field] opened, I was captivated. There was a connection between the fans and the players. It was something incredible. For it being my first year, I loved it.”
This season, however, has seen less of Mora’s influence due to injuries that have limited him to 11 regular season games. In United’s match at Orlando City S.C. on March 31, Mora suffered a concussion and broken jaw. It would be two-and-a-half months before the Tico saw the field again, doing so on June 12 against the Philadelphia Union in the U.S. Open Cup. He was forced to miss another match after suffering a sprained ankle against Orlando City on June 26 at Audi Field.
Apart from not being able to play, Mora admits how hard it was to deal with his broken jaw as he couldn’t eat or talk for two months.
“I don’t talk about it much, but it was very hard, and trying to come back quickly is difficult because when I got injured again, maybe through some bad luck, I just needed to keep my head up,” said Mora.
He wasn’t alone in his struggle as midfielder Luciano Acosta kept tabs on him, a teammate he considers to be close with since he arrived at the club.
“I almost consider him a brother because he helped me a lot when I broke my jaw,” said Mora. “He was always checking up on me.”
Not only did Mora appreciate the support of his teammate and close friend, but that of the fans as well.
“I love the fans, how they support the team, and I thank them so much because when I broke my jaw, their support was incredible and that support has impacted me,” said Mora.
Before moving to the nation’s capital, the Costa Rican left-back has spent the entirety of his career in his home country. Mora began playing professionally with Guadalupe Fútbol Club, featuring for the first division team in two different stints (2011-2012, 2013-2015). Between those stints, the defender played for
Club Sport Uruguay de Coronado in the 2012-2013 season. He joined Deportivo Saprissa on February 5, 2015, where he would link up with current United midfielder Ulises Segura.
At the international level, Mora played for Costa Rica’s youth national teams, including appearances at FIFA World Cups for the Under-17 team (2009) and the Under-20 team (2011). For the senior national side, Mora has made three appearances, the most recent of which came on February 2 against the USMNT in a friendly match at Avaya Stadium in which United midfielder/forward Paul Arriola also featured.
After playing in Costa Rica his entire life, Mora wanted to take his career in a different direction and began to explore his options abroad. Before coming to MLS, Mora reached out to other Costa Ricans already playing in the league, including Segura, who joined United on December 21, 2017. Even though they were teammates at Saprissa, Mora and Segura’s relationship stems further back to their time as youth players. The two became teammates when called up to Costa Rica’s youth national teams, having played against each other in youth teams beforehand. In Segura, Mora had a long-time friend he could confide in to further his career, ultimately deciding to join him at United.
“It’s important I take these steps in my career,” said Mora. “I made the decision to come to MLS to improve, make an international move, which is important for every player to keep growing.”
Having joined a club with an extensive history of winning trophies, Mora hopes to win silverware to reward the fan support he’s received and the opportunity to etch his name into United’s decorated past.
“D.C.’s history gives me great feelings, great memories from a time before I was here,” said Mora. “I didn’t know much about its history, but I started to learn about it in the time I’ve been here and how much effort it’s taken for the club to try and get back to those times. I’m hopeful that it’ll be like that again.”
