Cooper Sanchez grew up quick in Atlanta United's win over the Philadelphia Union
Not bad, kid
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We’ll start with an origin story.
Keep an eye on Atlanta United midfielder Cooper Sanchez at the bottom of the screen here. The 17-year-old is going to move into space, make a clean first-touch pass, move into space again and then…well, then he’s going to pass a ball directly to a defender and then get launched into the first few rows of the Buckhead section.
It was at this very moment that Sanchez decided to dedicate his life to becoming an elite do-it-all midfielder hellbent on ensuring that no opponent would ever stifle him like that again.
Or…uh….ok, fine, he probably hasn’t thought about it again and maybe never will. But for Five Stripe Final dot com, it’s going to be head cannon. Because nearly everything that followed for Sanchéz showcased exactly why Tata Martino has put immediate faith in a midfielder who can’t vote.
It’s not like Sanchez had been awful in the three games before this. He just looked like a very young player on a mediocre team. At times, that resulted in passages of play where the speed of the game overwhelmed him.
Here he is after just receiving a pass against RSL the week prior. That is a lot of space and there are multiple options. Instead of picking any of the positive or even neutral options…
Again, 17-years-old. A senior in high school. We’re not trying to dunk on him. Just trying to illustrate how much better he got from one game to the next.
And, folks, he really did get better. Just 12 minutes after getting reminded he needs to hit the weight room, he put together this sequence.
He starts on the right side of midfield near the center circle. When Philly intercepts Matias Galarza’s clearance, Sanchez is there to disrupt the next pass. He immediately gets a return ball from Tristan Muyumba, makes a beautiful turn and is just a half second late on slipping a through ball into Latte Lath.
That in itself is a solid sequence. If anything, it illustrates his defensive contribution and his willingness to play progressive passes. But it’s what happens after that’s most impressive.
Right after his pass is intercepted, he pops back up from the turf and starts floating into space. You aren’t normally going to find him essentially operating in a position normally occupied by a right back, but it’s appropriate for the situation.
After he finds that space, he instantly recognizes that Tomás Jacob is prepared to run in behind. In fact, he kind of recognizes it before Jacob does. And, in that moment, Sanchez responds to his failed throughball by playing a gorgeous long ball over the top that should have resulted in a goal.
It’s not just that he played the pass. It’s that the kid literally got back on his feet after failure and went at it again. The excellent pass and tactical awareness beyond his years are just a bonus.
A few moments later, he does this.
Sanchez is quick to recognize that (1) Muyumba is in trouble and (2) Galarza is set up on the touchline. No one is going to solve this problem but him. He comes across the field to move into the space the Union defenders have vacated, receives the ball and without even a little hesitation knows exactly where he’s going with the ball. He puts it right on Elías Baez’s foot and Atlanta are off and running. It’s an outstanding goal and an outstanding moment from a young player.
From there, he put together a generally clean and effective performance in attack. Only Jacob and Baez completed more passes into the final third for Atlanta. He took more touches and completed more passes than any other midfielder or attacker. And Philly were forced to abandon their initial plan of forcing the ball to Sanchez’s side and pressing Atlanta into submission.
He didn’t just have an impressive game on the ball, though. Off the ball, Atlanta asked him to, essentially, make up for Alexey Miranchuk’s lack of pace. When Philly had possession, it was Sanchez flying forward out of midfield (and Miranchuk dropping back) to wreck shop.
The last clip is particularly amazing. After forcing the turnover by running around like his hair is on fire, the 17-year-old hilariously tells the rest of the team to calm down.
But the moment that truly convinced me he might be a genius came towards the end of the first half…
The kid played like a veteran. And in a game that demanded physicality and intensity, Sanchez brought that and a little more.
As always, progress isn’t linear. Not every game will be this one. There will be bumps in the road and steps backward. But if you’re wondering why Martino keeps rolling out a teenager, Saturday gave you a good idea why.