María Sánchez: Why Mexico star’s second coming will boost Houston Dash in 2022 – scout report

Houston Dash were one of the teams who missed out on the 2021 NWSL playoffs, after a tightly contested battle ended with them in seventh place, just one point away from extending their season. We can therefore expect a reaction from James Clarkson’s side in 2022, as they aim to go one step further and give themselves a chance of competing for the league title, and their close season squad changes have been made with this in mind.

One new arrival is Mexico international María Sánchez, who plays mainly as a winger but can operate in attacking midfield too. Sánchez’s NWSL rights have been held by the Dash since June last year, after she joined them as part of a trade with eventual 2021 runners-up Chicago Red Stars, but she switched to the Liga MX Femenil after one month in Texas, becoming a key player for Tigres UANL Femenil and helping them into the final of the Torneo Apertura (the first of two league tournaments that form the Mexican women’s domestic season).

This tactical analysis will look at what she could bring to the Dash in 2022, focusing specifically on how she finds spaces around the pitch, how she works with teammates and her versatility, all with the aim of seeing how she will fit into their tactics.

Finding space

The first section of this scout report will focus on how María Sánchez creates space for her team, and this generally comes through her movement around the pitch, ensuring there are always passing options open.

The most obvious way that she does this, given her primary role as a winger, is to take up a position outside the opposing defenders, and we can see here how she is on the shoulder of the FC Juárez Femenil players. Juárez have left a sizeable gap in their defensive setup, as indicated by the blue line, which gives UANL a route into the space behind them. However, this would still not lead to anything unless there was a player in position and ready to receive the ball in that space, as it would just roll harmlessly towards the goalkeeper and Juárez can clear their lines.

Therefore, Sánchez is the one who ensures this opportunity can be taken, getting into position early and ensuring that the pass can be made as quickly as possible, and this awareness is something Houston will benefit from, as they are a team who pride themselves on setting up in an organised manner.