Maria Sanchez was never supposed to be at the World Cup.
Rewind back to the middle of May. The Mexican Women’s National Team was playing friendly matches against Canada and the United States. The week before, Mexico’s coach told Sanchez, a freshman at Idaho State, that she wouldn’t travel with the team to the Women’s World Cup in June.
It wasn’t about talent for the American Falls native. Sanchez performed so well competing for Mexico’s U-20 team that the coaches wanted her to train with the older squad to test her abilities. Moving forward, they believe Sanchez will be a major component of Mexcio’s team at the CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship this December in Honduras.
But their 23-woman roster for the World Cup was already set. Sanchez, 19, had a bright future on the national stage, but it would have to wait.
Then Sanchez caught a break. A Mexican player broke her leg competing against Canada. Suddenly, there was an open roster spot. Sanchez felt awful someone else’s dream was over, but once she received an email telling her she made Mexico’s roster for the most prestigious tournament in the world, well, there wasn’t any hesitation.
Now Sanchez is in Canada doing everything she can to earn a bit of playing time on the field.
Today, Mexico, still seeking its first-ever win at the World Cup, takes on England in Moncton, Canada, at 2 p.m. MST on Fox. Mexico’s chances of advancing out of the group state likely hinge on a positive result.
Sanchez and her team shouldn’t lack motivation. They finished in a 1-1 tie with Colombia on Tuesday. Mexico led 1-0 for much of the match and seemed poise to seize victory. But a second-half Colombian goal knotted the score, and a foul call nullified Mexico’s possible game-winning goal in the final minutes.
Through it all, Sanchez had a front-row seat.
“We all thought it should have been a goal, but we just thought we should have kept it 1-0,” Sanchez said on the phone from Moncton.
Sanchez says that she and her teammates are well aware Mexico has never tasted victory in the World Cup. But she doesn’t think they’ve ever had a side this strong.
“It’s more of a trying to prove everybody wrong and come out showing that we’ve improved and we’re a better team now than we’ve ever been before,” Sanchez said. “We want it a lot more than ever.”
After the bitterly close ending against Colombia, Sanchez spoke with her parents, who immigrated to American Falls before Sanchez was born. They were disappointed their daughter’s team couldn’t hang on for the win, Sanchez said. But it was just a small concern.
“They were so glad,” Sanchez said. “Even though I didn’t get playing time, they were pretty proud of me just to be able be there and see how everything went.”