Sanchez the right man for derby
MELBOURNE Victory has a derby specialist in its midst, but it’s unclear whether he’ll be unleashed for tomorrow night’s Christmas duel with Melbourne City.
Matias Sanchez’s playing career has been forged in fiery Argentine derbies. The ‘Avellaneda derby’ for Racing Club against Independiente is a classic encounter with more than 200 meetings — including an infamous match where eight red cards had been shown.
There’s Estudiantes against Gimnasia in the century-old derby of La Plata and, most recently, Temperley against Banfield in suburban Buenos Aires, where football is at its most combative.
“The fans are very passionate. All the singing, flags and fire. It’s very crazy,” he said yesterday.
“You feel the pressure but, when you go on the pitch, you want to win so you have to concentrate.
“I wish, I expect a lot of that in this derby.”
The one-time teammate of Juan Sebastian Veron and Sergio Aguero finds himself in Melbourne after seeking a “football adventure” on the other side of the world.
Sanchez — who had also played in America’s Major League Soccer (MLS), Greece and Uruguay — said the A-League measured up well with his other experiences. “I love that you always play forward (in the A-League) — it looks like the Premier League,” he said.
He made his debut in Australia as a late substitute in the derby against Melbourne City, lost 2-1 to Warren Joyce’s men.
The 30-year-old has warmed into his stay at Victory and could yet start against City, given injury doubts over Mark Milligan and Leigh Broxham. Milligan, who missed Victory’s last-out win over Brisbane, trained fully yesterday while Broxham wasn’t sighted. How coach Kevin Muscat configures his team is yet to be seen, but Sanchez has his hand up for what would be his first match at AAMI Park.