Richard Sánchez (born 5 April 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy. Born in the United States, he represented the Mexico national under-21 team.
![]() Sánchez with Chicago Fire in 2018 | |||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
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Full name | Richard Sánchez | ||||||||||||
Date of birth | (1994-04-05) 5 April 1994 (age 28) | ||||||||||||
Place of birth | Mission Hills, California, United States | ||||||||||||
Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1] | ||||||||||||
Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||
Club information | |||||||||||||
Current team | LA Galaxy | ||||||||||||
Number | 21 | ||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||
Texas FC | |||||||||||||
2008–2009 | Atlético Madrid | ||||||||||||
2009–2011 | FC Dallas | ||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||
2011–2014 | FC Dallas | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||
2013 | → Fort Lauderdale Strikers (loan) | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||
2014–2017 | Tigres UANL | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||
2014 | → FC Dallas (loan) | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||
2016–2017 | → Tampico Madero (loan) | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||
2017–2019 | Chicago Fire | 27 | (0) | ||||||||||
2020 | Sporting Kansas City | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||
2020 | Sporting Kansas City II | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||
2021 | North Texas SC | 18 | (0) | ||||||||||
2022– | LA Galaxy | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||
2022– | LA Galaxy II | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||
National team‡ | |||||||||||||
2011 | Mexico U17 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||
2013 | Mexico U20 | 12 | (0) | ||||||||||
2014–2015 | Mexico U21 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||
Honours
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 September 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 October 2014 |
Born in Mission Hills, California, Sánchez is of Mexican-American heritage. He moved to Dallas, Texas and started playing with Texas Football Club before joining Atlético Madrid in Spain.[2] In 2009, he moved back to Dallas and joined the FC Dallas Academy.[2] Sánchez briefly attended Little Elm High School in Little Elm, Texas.
Sánchez signed a professional contract with FC Dallas of Major League Soccer in February 2011, becoming their sixth homegrown player.[2] Despite failing to make an appearance (other than in MLS Reserve League games), he signed an extension following the 2012 season.[3]
In July 2013, Sánchez was loaned to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League for the remainder of the season.[4] He made his professional debut for the Strikers on 3 August.[5] He started all 14 games in goal for the Strikers in the Fall season and kept three clean sheets.
In June 2014, Sánchez was sold to Tigres UANL. He made his debut as a substitute in a friendly against the San Antonio Scorpions. Soon after joining Tigres, he was briefly loaned back to FC Dallas before returning to Tigres in September 2014.
After a series of loans away from Tigres, Sánchez was released in the summer of 2017. He signed with the Chicago Fire in August 2017.[6]
On 26 November 2019, Sánchez was selected by Sporting Kansas City in Stage 1 of the 2019 MLS Re-Entry Draft.[7] On 9 December 2020 his contract option was declined.[8]
On 22 April 2021, Sánchez joined USL League One side North Texas SC ahead of the 2021 season.[9]
On 18 January 2022, Sánchez signed a one-year deal with LA Galaxy as a free agent.[10]
Sánchez became a key figure for Mexico's under-17 team at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He became first choice goalkeeper under coach Raul Gutierrez, and started all seven games. He and his teammates were the first nation to win the tournament on home soil. He kept two clean sheets during the tournament including in the final. He later played with the Mexico under-20 team as first choice goalkeeper in the 2013 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Turkey.
Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
FC Dallas | 2011 | MLS | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||
2012 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||||
2013 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||||
2014 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Total | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Fort Lauderdale Strikers (loan) | 2013 | NASL | 14 | 0 | – | – | – | 14 | 0 | |||
Tigres UANL | 2014–15 | Liga MX | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||
2015–16 | Liga MX | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||||
2016–17 | Liga MX | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||||
Total | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||||
FC Dallas (loan) | 2014 | MLS | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||
Tampico Madero (loan) | 2016–17 | Ascenso MX | 5 | 0 | – | – | – | 5 | 0 | |||
Chicago Fire | 2017 | MLS | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | |||
2018 | 25 | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | – | 29 | 0 | ||||
2019 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Total | 27 | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | – | 31 | 0 | ||||
Career total | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
Mexico Youth
Individual
Sánchez's wife is Christina Murillo, also a footballer who, like him, was born in the United States, but has represented Mexico internationally at the U17, U20 and Senior levels. She currently works for Chicago Fire FC.[13]
LA Galaxy – current squad | |
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CONCACAF Under-20 Championship awards | |
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Most Valuable Player |
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Golden Boot | |
Golden Glove |