ไทย
English
中國人
Three goals across three matches and an unbeaten streak for the North Carolina Courage pretty much captures Ashley Sanchez's April in a nutshell. With most of the National Women's Soccer League season still to come, the 27-year-old is already hitting her stride, and her impact on the team has earned her Sports Illustrated's MVP of the Month for April.
"It feels great," Sanchez says of receiving the honor. "Obviously, we're still early in the season, so I'm hoping to keep this going and contribute to my team in every way possible."
Netting two equalizers and a game-winning goal, Sanchez has been the clutch performer helping keep the Courage undefeated throughout April. For her teammates, including forward Hannah Betfort, it's Sanchez's "phenomenal finishing" and knack for putting the ball in the net that have truly helped the club grow during the early part of the season.
"I think Ashley is one of those players who is always in the right positions and always a threat," Betfort said. "I think right now, as we're growing as a team, a lot of the space we're creating is off that back shoulder, and that's where Ashley is really excelling. We're really finding her in those spaces and pockets, and it's been working out really well for us."
Manaka Matsukubo chips it over the top and Ashley Sanchez takes care of the rest 🫨 pic.twitter.com/laN8gOweVi
Courage head coach Mak Lind sees in Sanchez an exceptional player of tremendous quality who gives everything for the team. As a new manager in the league, Lind was instantly impressed by Sanchez and recognized how vital she would be to the team's success.
"She demonstrated early on after I arrived that she has real offensive ability," Lind said. "She's a goalscorer. She's a winger who loves to drive forward and take players on one-v-one. I'm really looking forward to continuing this journey alongside her and the rest of her teammates."
Sanchez's performances also earned her the NWSL April Player of the Month, and she's looking to ride this momentum and keep driving her team forward through the remainder of the season. Despite the Courage dropping points in May, Sanchez remains confident the team has more to offer, and she's eager to be part of that progress, including polishing the finer details.
"I think just continuing with final third entries and trying to score as many goals as we can, and obviously maybe not concede as many," Sanchez says, outlining what the Courage needs to focus on in the weeks ahead. "I think [we need] just a variety of goalscoring opportunities from everyone, including me."
More Soccer from Sports Illustrated
Jenna Tonelli is a writer for Sports Illustrated Soccer. She is passionate about women's soccer, particularly the NWSL, USWNT, and the Italian women's national team. When not thinking about soccer, Jenna can be found drinking iced coffee and rooting for the Buffalo Bills.