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FC Dallas loan Sanchez to NASL Strikers

RichardSanchezMEX (Getty)

By IVES GALARCEP

With a plethora of goalkeepers on the roster, and no likelihood of playing time any time soon, Richard Sanchez has made a move to help continue his growth as one of the better young goalkeeping prospects in CONCACAF.

The Mexican Under-20 National Team goalkeeper has been loaned by FC Dallas to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the NASL, FC Dallas announced on Tuesday.

Sanchez, 19, most recently started in goal for the Mexican U-20s at the Under-20 World Cup in Turkey, helping his team to a place in the knockout rounds, where they lost to Spain, 2-1.

“I believe that Richard needed to play,” said FC Dallas technical director Fernando Clavijo. “After playing in the Under-20 World Cup with Mexico, he is at the stage where coming here and sitting on the bench is not going to help his development.”

A proposed move to send Sanchez to Mexican side UANL Tigres fell through after Sanchez balked at the move, source confirmed to SBI. FC Dallas and Tigres had agreed on a fee prior to the Under-20 World Cup (approximately $1 million for a percentage of Sanchez’s rights), but Tigres never reached an agreement on personal terms with Sanchez, who sources tell SBI is not interested in a move to the Mexican League in the immediate future.

The 19-year-old American-born goalkeeper has started for Mexico on the Under-17 and Under-20 levels, helping lead the Under-17 team to a World Cup title in 2011.

FC Dallas currently have Peruvian National Team goalkeeper Raul Fernandez in goal, with veteran Chris Seitz serving as his back-up. FC Dallas also has young goalkeepers Kyle Zobeck (23) and Jesse Gonzalez (18) on the books.

Sanchez joins a Fort Lauderdale Strikers side coming off a disappointing spring season in NASL, a season that led to the firing of former coach Daryl Shore. The Strikers recently hired Austrian coach Gunther Kronsteiner to take over as head coach.

What do you think of this move? Like the idea of Sanchez getting games? Surprised to see him pass up a chance to go to Liga MX?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. On the surface this seems like a strange move. However, not because a MLS player is moving from MLS to NASL. it’s strange because of the foreign interest Sanchez was garnered and the supposed price tag placed on him. It got me thinking……………. And it smells like this has Clavijo’s hands all over it. The Strikers are owned and operated by Traffic Sports. Coincidently, Clavijo is a former Executive Director with Traffic Sports. They have been a big player in the 3rd party “ownership” of international players. It would not surprise me in the least if the move was designed entice Sanchez to ink a deal with Traffic. They would just pimp Sanchez out. I don’t know how this would benefit FCD, if my theory was true, but it could potentially benefit Clavijo “under the table”. Of course, I could be totally wrong about my theory but Clavijo, to me, has always come across as sneaky and untrustworthy.

    Reply
    • he has a contract with FCDallas, so its silly to think he’s going to sign a contract with Traffic. If he’s not willing to go to an established Mexican team, what makes you think he’d sign up for bouncing around lower level teams in Europe, like Gale Boss?

      Its entirely possible that, at 19, hes biding him time until a european team comes in with an offer. He’s already on the radar of some teams so a loan to the strikers isn’t going to derail his career. It’s also possible that at 19, he just doesn’t want to move to mexico.

      Reply
      • I know he has a contract with FCD. But that doesn’t mean Clavijo and FCD won’t sell him to Traffic for the right price. That’s my fear. I hope that’s not the case, though. By the way, Traffic just doesn’t operate and send all their players to the teams they own in Europe. They own parts of the contracts of a slew of talent, mostly South Americans, that they wheel and deal in Europe. I hope my scenario is far from the truth, The links between Clavijo, The Strikers, and Traffic just stood out. I hope this is a loan for playing; not a loan to spark the interest of Traffic. That’s all.

      • I agree with your assessment of Traffic, but in terms of a freer type of move, he was the starting keeper for a Mexican U20 team that just made the round of 16 in Turkey. THIS is peak “buy me” time. I can’t believe that for someone of his potential, his U20 position, UANL shopping, that no one in Europe’s interested.

        I mean, you make this sort of downward loan and your career starts to be on the line. I’d rather be risking my career falling downwards from Atletico Madrid, so to speak, trade off the U20 World Cup, than be risking it at Ft. Lauderdale where if I have some bad days people think I stink and maybe I simply wash out of pro soccer.

      • That’s my bet. Enough kidnapping stories will make anyone think twice. Even if your bodyguards are paid for, not everyone wants to live that way.

    • Except if he is registered with FCD and then loaned to Ft. Lauderdale does he have any registrations left this year? You know, two teams in one year rule….

      Reply
    • Same here. Interesting that he didn’t want to make the switch. I would think that someone playing for the Mexican youth teams would make the jump to Mexico at the first chance.

      Being loaned out makes a lot of sense. He needs to get some playing time in. Only so much that coaching can show him.

      Reply
  2. Great, another guy who was born here and spent most of his life here turning his back on the USMNT. Geez, the dude still plays in our leagues too. I’d boo this clown every time he touched the ball.

    Reply
      • I won’t boo them but I’m not a fan of the practice. I know we aren’t the only ones who do it but it makes a mockery of the international game.

      • Those guys speak English and are proud to be part of the team. There’s another thread (Chivas) about the incredibly strong ethnic nationalism of Mexicans and many Mexican Americans. But we’re not supposed to notice.

      • They’re not “proud” They play for the US because they couldn’t make the German NT.
        I don’t have a problem with that but let’s not pretend these guys were good enough for Germany but chose the US.
        They took the only choice they had.

      • Being proud to play for the US and not being good enough to play for Germany are not mutually exclusive. TBoyd is undoubtedly proud not only to play for us, but also of his American heritage, but he also never have gotten time for Germany,

        Fabian and Timmy likely would have gotten some chances with Germany down the road if they had made the decision to stick with Germany. Fabian even won the U-21 Euro Championship with Germany. They probably never would have been stalwarts in the German lineup as Fabian currently is with us, but they would have seen some time.
        Jermaine Jones actually has 2 or 3 caps with Germany.

        All things considered, it’s tough to accept your statements that our Germarican players are not proud to play with us, and only do so because they had no future in the German set up.

      • Wait, is this actually Terrance Boyd. Because if its not, there’s no way you know anything about their motivation.

      • You dont need to be the person to understand their motivation. Take a look at Boy’d instagram and twitter and it immediately comes clear that he loves all things America. Hell, he recently got an American flag tattooed on his arm. Boyd has also done many interviews talking about how much he likes the US.

      • I’m sure he loves America but these guys, in my opinion, shouldn’t be allowed to play for us. But since they are, we need to take them because other countries are doing the same thing, within the FIFA guidelines.

      • Johnson could make the team. Chandler would have seen time. If Boyd continues improving he may have gotten a look. Jones had three caps.

        We’re not a charity team.

    • For what it is worth, it sounds like he is also turning his back on Mexico, clubwise that is. Maybe the kid is just looking out for for himself and seeking the best opportunities where they lie.

      Reply
    • Everyone needs to stop taking what country a guy decides to play for so seriously. At the end of the day most guys go with the country that gives them the best opportunity to play. Historically the US is much deeper at goal the Mexico. Making it a much harder team to break into and get time.

      Reply
    • Sounds Gabe A-level goofy to me. If you are Mexico U20 starter why not be back in Europe or Mexico?? If you don’t want to play in MX, sign in Europe. MLS makes sense only if you have USA aspirations. And if FCD is going to ship you down to Ft. Lauderdale, I think I’d rather be playing for big money apprenticing or playing for some B team in Europe.

      I mean, nominal future of the Mexican keeping and you make $65K/year and are on loan to the US minors? Is he signed with Traffic? This is that dumb.

      Reply

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