isaac Sánchez is a 17-year-old right-winger who plays for Universidad Católica U-19. He also featured for the U-17’s and made his first-team debut in the second stage of the season. Isaac Sánchez also was part of Ecuador U-17’s squad at the Sudamericano U-17 and U-17 World Cup. He was a rotational player in both tournaments. Sánchez scored 6 goals in 18 matches for Universidad Católica, who lost the semi-finals of the league to Vargas Torres. He did not play in the semi-finals and his teammates were holding his shirt, but it is unknown whether he is injured or something else happened.
He is quite a tall winger standing at around 1.80m – 1.85m with a pretty slim build. Sánchez displays a good burst of speed and is quick over longer distances. Despite being quite tall, Sánchez changes directions very quickly and he is capable of making sharp and quick turns. His footwork is outstanding. The attacker uses his body well to protect the ball at youth level but struggled physically at senior level. He has decent stamina.
Isaac Sánchez is very technically gifted. The winger has great ability in tight spaces, displaying good close control and composure on the ball whilst dribbling. His footwork, good burst of speed and close control allow him to stay in possession and get away from his marker. The winger has good passing technique over short and long distances, being comfortable playing one-touch football in tight spaces. He has good vision, too. Sánchez is capable of playing nice through passes.
The winger generally has good decision-making in the final third but could be more dangerous if he starts making more runs in behind. His timing is good, but he does not always use the available space optimally. He prefers to come short and receive the ball at his feet. Playing on the right wing, he likes to dribble past his opponent on the outside and put in a cross, but he is far from a one-dimensional player. His crossing ability is pretty inconsistent but he has a decent crossing technique. His finishing is also quite inconsistent but he strikes the ball well.
My expectation for 2024 is that Isaac Sánchez gets a few appearances for the first team of Universidad Católica but he will mainly be playing in the U-19’s. The winger seemed quite nervous playing in the first team but should be integrated into the first team slowly, just like Erick Zambrano at Orense SC. As mentioned, it is unknown (to me) whether he has picked up a severe injury. He should work on his consistency and play with more bravery and flair in the first team when he gets given another chance. Sánchez could also end up as a left-winger.
Target Scouting 