Vicente Sánchez


Vicente Martín Sánchez Bragunde is a Uruguayan football manager and former player.

Club career

Sánchez was born in Montevideo. He played for Sud América, Tacuarembó, Deportivo Toluca, FC Schalke 04, América and Nacional. On 18 January 2008, he joined German club Schalke, where he remained for two seasons. He played in Mexico again for Club América. On 1 August 2010, he scored his first goal for Club América in a match versus Chiapas.
Sánchez made the move to Major League Soccer on 6 August 2013 when he signed for Colorado Rapids. On 14 September 2013, he scored his first goal for Colorado and forced an own goal in a 2–1 win over FC Dallas.
Even with his playing time being carefully managed and his appearances limited to substitutions in the last half of most games, Sánchez was a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster 2015 season. Despite being a crowd favorite with the Colorado Rapids fans and the #2 scorer for the team, Sánchez's 2016 contract option was declined as the Colorado Rapids front office set out to acquire new talent in the form of players such as Marco Pappa, Shkëlzen Gashi, Jermaine Jones and Tim Howard. Sánchez went through the MLS Re-Entry Draft but was not selected by any other team.
He joined his hometown club Defensor Sporting for the 2016 Primera Division Clausura season and helped his team finish fourth, qualifying for the 2017 Copa Sudamericana.
Sánchez returned to MLS and joined the Houston Dynamo for the 2017 season. He helped the Dynamo reach the playoff and got the game winning assist in their opening game versus Sporting Kansas City.
On 2 April 2021, it was announced that Sánchez would come out of retirement to play and coach for USL Championship side Rio Grande Valley FC.

Managerial career

On 25 January 2025, Cruz Azul appointed Sánchez as interim head coach following the unexpected departure of Martín Anselmi. After eight matches, the club announced that he would remain in charge for the rest of the Clausura 2025 tournament. During his tenure, Sánchez led Cruz Azul to their seventh CONCACAF Champions Cup trophy, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 5–0 in the final. On 6 June 2025, Cruz Azul announced Sánchez's departure by mutual agreement, reportedly due to the club's assessment that his project lacked long-term viability based on internal performance evaluations.

International career

He played for Uruguay national football team in the 2007 Copa América and has won 31 caps for the national side, scoring five goals.

Personal life

Sánchez holds a U.S. green card which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.

Honours

Player

Toluca
Uruguay

Manager

Cruz Azul
  • CONCACAF Champions Cup: 2025

Individual