Valour FC coaches and teammates are still just getting introduced to midfielder Juan Pablo Sanchez and yet the early takes are all complimentary with terms like ‘humble’, ‘hard-working’, and ‘enormous upside’ all being tossed around about the 20-year-old midfielder.

There’s also this consensus: the youngest player on the team is just scratching the surface of his potential talent.

“He’s dynamic. He’s a player that is always at the limit. He trains very well, and he showed signs of being someone who would compete from Day 1,” began Valour FC GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos. “It’s good that he got those minutes and now with competition coming back in the midfield, it’s only going to make him better.

“You saw when he came in during the last game (a nil-nil draw with Vancouver FC) – I thought he had an impact right away. He was good and he helped the team regain momentum. He’s someone we’re very excited about because we think he has a high ceiling.”

Sanchez has racked up 424 minutes in seven appearances for Valour – seeing action in every match and another 44 minutes in the Canadian Championship – and he has seemingly blossomed with every touch of the ball.

“His game has gotten better. He doesn’t lose the ball and he’s grown tactically inside what we want and how we want our midfield players to play,” said Dos Santos. “For him now – and we always challenge our players with this – is what’s the next level? In his role can he get into higher positions? Can he get a goal? Can he get an assist? Can he contribute to the scoreline? That’s what important for him in his next step.”

Sanchez’s road to Winnipeg and Valour is an intriguing one. Born in Hartford, Connecticut to Colombian parents, his family then moved to Burlington, Ontario when he was four years old and as a result has American, Canadian and Colombian citizenship.

He was first spotted by Toronto FC and was part of their academy before spending the last two seasons with SC Salgueiros in Portugal. It was during his days overseas that the connection with Valour was born.

“One of the main reasons I’m here is Canada is home and this is a good league, a league that is growing and it gives opportunities to young players,” said Sanchez in a chat with valourfootball.club this week. “But I’m here, too, because of my parents. They moved from Colombia for a better life. It can be tough there and there’s not much of a future there for a lot of people. It was dangerous at the time, too.

“They sacrificed everything for a better life for myself and my sister. They worked very hard. I’m forever grateful and thankful, too.”

Sanchez is a perfect example of why the CPL is so important for the development of young talent in this country. He ranks second on Valour for U-21 minutes – each team is required to have 2,000 minutes played by U-21 players at season’s end – with 424 to Matteo de Brienne’s 630, a total which ranks sixth in the league.

“These minutes, especially as a young player, are very important for your development and your growth,” said Sanchez. “It helps grow your confidence while playing a men’s game and it can really help with your confidence.

“When I was in Portugal I wasn’t getting as many minutes as I would have liked. But the more and more minutes you get you get adjusted to the league and your comfort level grows.

“We’ve got great players who are hungry to play on this team. Each and every day on the training ground you have to be at your best because your place isn’t guaranteed. As the youngest player at the position, I know I have to give it my all.

“What I like most is we’re a family here and since Day 1 I’ve felt that. That’s so important. We have players with a lot of quality and who are hungry to play. I know that together, we’re stronger.”

Valour, FYI, leads the CPL in those important U-21 domestic player minutes at 1,366 – almost twice as much as the next highest team, Pacific FC, at 728.

https://canpl.ca/u-21-minutes-played/

They’ll undoubtedly reach that 2,000-minute threshold soon and crush the requirement by season’s end.
“You think?” said Dos Santos with a grin. “We’re near 1,400 and we’ll get it way before the halfway mark of the season. It’s there – we always wanted this to be organic and happening without us thinking about it. It’s good for the players. Yes, some injuries accelerated the process, but if they’re good enough, there’s no age. We’re in a very good spot with that, but it’s not something we think about when we’re selecting our lineup. For me, that’s the best part.”