Ilie Sánchez

Ilie Sánchez Farrés (Catalan: [ˈiliə], Spanish: [ˈilje]; born 21 November 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Sánchez and the second or maternal family name is Farrés.

Ilie Sánchez
Sánchez with Sporting Kansas City in 2019
Personal information
Full name Ilie Sánchez Farrés
Date of birth (1990-11-21) 21 November 1990[1]
Place of birth Barcelona, Spain[1]
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Los Angeles FC
Number 6
Youth career
1996–1998 Martinenc
1998–2000 Barcelona
2000–2001 Poble Sec
2001–2003 Catalònia
2003–2005 Collblanc
2005–2007 Cornellà
2007–2009 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2014 Barcelona B 114 (2)
2014–2016 1860 Munich 24 (1)
2015–2016 → Elche (loan) 27 (1)
2017–2021 Sporting Kansas City 144 (7)
2022– Los Angeles FC 58 (2)
Managerial career
2021 Sporting Kansas City (academy)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 August 2023

Formed at Barcelona, where he was only a reserve, he spent most of his career in Major League Soccer, making over 180 appearances for Sporting Kansas City and Los Angeles FC. He won the U.S. Open Cup with the former in 2017 and the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup with the latter in 2022.

Club career

Barcelona B

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Sánchez represented several clubs as a youth, including FC Barcelona from ages 7 to 9, returning to La Masia in 2007.[3] In the 2009–10 season he made his professional debut in the Segunda División B, contributing 22 matches (one goal)[4] as the B team returned to Segunda División after an 11-year absence.[5]

Mainly a defensive midfielder, Sánchez was reconverted into a right-back by manager Luis Enrique, a former Barcelona player.[6] He was also called by Pep Guardiola for the first team's pre-season in 2010.[7]

1860 Munich

On 11 June 2014, both Sánchez and teammate Edu Bedia signed for TSV 1860 Munich of the German 2. Bundesliga.[8] He made his league debut in the season opener, a 3–2 away defeat to 1. FC Kaiserslautern,[9] and scored his only goal on 26 September to help to a 2–0 home win against SpVgg Greuther Fürth.[10]

Sánchez was deemed surplus to requirements by manager Torsten Fröhling at the start of the 2015–16 campaign,[11] and on 31 August he was loaned to Elche CF in the Spanish second tier.[12] He scored once, the penalty winner in a 2–1 home victory over CA Osasuna on 8 November.[13] Shortly after his return to his parent club, his contract was mutually annulled.[14]

Sporting Kansas City

On 13 January 2017, Sánchez moved to Major League Soccer side Sporting Kansas City on a two-year deal.[15] He played on 20 September as the team won the U.S. Open Cup with a 2–1 final victory over the New York Red Bulls;[16] days later, he earned a U.S. green card which qualified him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.[17]

Sánchez was named to the All-Star team at the end of the 2018 season in recognition of his play, notably ranking in the top five in nearly every passing and midfield statistic or metric.[18] In 2019, he figured in Kansas City's run to the CONCACAF Champions League semi-finals, scoring in knockout games against Deportivo Toluca F.C. and C.A. Independiente de La Chorrera.[19][20] On 29 September that year, he was sent off while conceding a late penalty from which the Portland Timbers drew 2–2 at Children's Mercy Park.[21]

In August 2021, Sánchez took an assistant coaching role with the under-14 side as part of his B License course in the U.S. Soccer Coaching Education program.[22] Following the year's campaign, his contract option was declined.[23]

Los Angeles FC

On 12 January 2022, Sánchez signed a two-year contract with Los Angeles FC.[24] He scored his first goal on 2 April in a 4–2 win at Orlando City SC,[25] the only one of a season in which his team won the Supporters' Shield;[26] he missed just one game, as a result of a red card in a 2–1 loss at the San Jose Earthquakes on 20 August.[27][28] On 5 November, he scored the decisive goal of the penalty shootout win over the Philadelphia Union to secure the team's first MLS Cup.[29]

Personal life

Sánchez's older brother Yuri was on the youth ranks of UE Cornellà at the same time as him, as an attacking midfielder. Having failed to join him as a fellow professional, he became an economist after graduating from the University of Barcelona.[16]

In 2023, Sánchez was naturalized as a United States citizen.[30]

Career statistics
As of match played 27 August 2023[31][32][33]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Barcelona B 2009–10 Segunda División B 171——5[lower-alpha 2]0221
2010–11 Segunda División 241———241
2011–12 10———10
2012–13 290———290
2013–14 380———380
Total 1092——501142
1860 Munich 2014–15 2. Bundesliga 24120——261
Elche (loan) 2015–16Segunda División 27110——281
Sporting Kansas City 2017 MLS 33050—1[lower-alpha 3]0390
2018 34430—4[lower-alpha 3]1415
2019 322106[lower-alpha 4]2—394
2020 150——2[lower-alpha 3]1171
2021 301——3[lower-alpha 5]0331
Total 1447906210216911
Los Angeles FC 2022 MLS 33120—3[lower-alpha 3]0381
2023 251008[lower-alpha 4]03[lower-alpha 6]0361
Total 582208060742
Career total 3621314014221241117
  1. Includes DFB-Pokal, Copa del Rey and U.S. Open Cup
  2. Appearances in Segunda División B play-offs
  3. Appearances in MLS Cup Playoffs
  4. Appearances in CONCACAF Champions League
  5. Two appearances in MLS Cup Playoffs, one appearance in Leagues Cup
  6. Appearances in Leagues Cup

Honours

Sporting Kansas City

Los Angeles FC

Individual

References
  1. "Ilie Sánchez". Eurosport. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  2. "Ilie Sánchez". Los Angeles FC. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  3. "Ilie Sánchez, un producto de La Masía del Barcelona que brilla en Sporting KC" [Ilie Sánchez, Barcelona's La Masía product shining at Sporting KC] (in Spanish). TUDN. 18 April 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  4. "El Sant Andreu empata contra el Logronyès (2–2) i el Barça Atlètic signa taules amb l'Espanyol B (1–1)" [Sant Andreu draw against Logroñés (2–2) and Barça Atlètic sign tie with Espanyol B (1–1)] (in Catalan). Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals. 29 March 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  5. "El filial del Barcelona vuelve a Segunda doce años después" [Barcelona reserves return to Segunda twelve years later]. Marca (in Spanish). 20 June 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  6. Sánchez, César (19 July 2010). "La cantera como vía y no como alternativa" [Cantera as the way to go and not an alternative] (in Spanish). Don Balón. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  7. "Los primeros elegidos de Guardiola" [Guardiola's first chosen ones]. Sport (in Spanish). 27 July 2010. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  8. "Ilie deja el Barça B para fichar por el Múnich 1860" [Ilie leaves Barça B to sign for Munich 1860]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 11 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  9. "Zweitliga-Wahnsinn gegen 1860 München: Kaiserslautern dreht Partie in Unterzahl" [Second league madness against 1860 Munich: Kaiserslautern come back despite being undermanned]. Der Spiegel (in German). 4 August 2014. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  10. "Erlösende Siege für 1860 München, Eintracht Braunschweig und Erzgebirge Aue" [Liberating wins for 1860 Munich, Eintracht Braunschweig and Erzgebirge Aue] (in German). Goal. 26 September 2014. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  11. Giebel, Marcus (21 July 2015). "1860 vor dem Liga-Start: Die Gewinner und Verlierer" [1860 before the start of the season: The losers and winners]. Tz (in German). Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  12. "¡Buena Suerte, Ilie!" [Good luck, Ilie!] (in German). 1860 Munich. 11 June 2014. Archived from the original on 31 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  13. G. Barea, Miguel (8 November 2015). "Elche 2–1 Osasuna: Remontada como premio a la constancia" [Elche 2–1 Osasuna: Comeback as the reward for perseverance] (in Spanish). Los Otros 18. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  14. Weiß, Florian (26 August 2016). "Jetzt ist auch der dritte Poschner-Spanier weg" [Now the third of Poschner's Spaniards is gone]. Tz (in German). Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  15. Kovzan, Sam (13 January 2017). "Sporting KC signs Spanish midfielder Ilie Sánchez". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  16. Kovzan, Sam (6 September 2018). "Mutual love: Why Ilie Sanchez and Kansas City have become the perfect match". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  17. Kovzan, Sam (25 September 2017). "Sporting KC midfielder Ilie obtains U.S. green card, no longer occupies international spot on roster". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  18. Kovzan, Sam (29 June 2018). "Sporting KC midfielder Ilie Sanchez named to roster for 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  19. Tolmich, Ryan (21 February 2019). "Atlanta United upset by Herediano while Sporting KC rolls past Toluca". Goal. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  20. Greenstein, Melissa (14 March 2019). "Sporting Kansas City reaches Champions League semifinals". KSHB-TV. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  21. "Penalty kick allows Timbers to draw with SKC". ESPN. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  22. Kovzan, Sam (23 August 2021). "Benny Feilhaber appointed as Sporting KC academy U-17 head coach". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  23. Bogert, Tom (30 November 2021). "Who's in, who's out? 18 MLS clubs announce roster decisions following 2021 season". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  24. "LAFC signs free agent midfielder Ilie Sánchez". Los Angeles FC. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  25. "Ilie Sanchez's goal in the 51st minute helps push LAFC past Orlando City". Los Angeles Times. 2 April 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  26. "LAFC win 2022 MLS Supporters' Shield". Major League Soccer. 2 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  27. "LAFC's seven-match winning streak ends with loss at San Jose". Los Angeles Times. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  28. Loera, Ernesto (31 August 2022). "LAFC Struggles in Austin". Los Angeles Sports Nation. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  29. Das, Andrew (5 November 2022). "Los Angeles F.C. wins first title on dramatic day's final twist". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  30. Sigal, Jonathan (30 March 2023). "Barcelona to US citizen: LAFC's Ilie Sánchez celebrates "amazing" journey". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  31. "Ilie: Ilie Sánchez Farrés". BDFutbol. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  32. "Ilie". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  33. "Ilie » Club matches". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  34. "Updated 2022 MLS All-Star Team Roster". Major League Soccer. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
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