 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vicente Martín Sánchez Bragunde | ||
| Date of birth | (1979-12-07)7 December 1979 (age 46) | ||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Emelec (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–1999 | Sud América | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000 | Sud América | 17 | (0) |
| 2000 | Tacuarembó | 11 | (1) |
| 2001 | Nacional | 9 | (2) |
| 2001–2007 | Toluca | 242 | (85) |
| 2008–2010 | Schalke 04 | 50 | (3) |
| 2010–2012 | América | 49 | (11) |
| 2012–2013 | Nacional | 25 | (4) |
| 2013–2015 | Colorado Rapids | 55 | (11) |
| 2016 | Defensor Sporting | 10 | (2) |
| 2017 | Houston Dynamo | 21 | (2) |
| 2021 | Rio Grande Valley FC | 29 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 2001–2008 | Uruguay | 31 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022 | Pachuca (assistant) | ||
| 2024–2025 | Cruz Azul U23 | ||
| 2025 | Cruz Azul (interim) | ||
| 2025 | Cruz Azul | ||
| 2026– | Emelec | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 7 November 2021 | |||
Vicente Martín Sánchez Bragunde (Spanish pronunciation:[biˈsenteˈsantʃes]; born 7 December 1979) is a Uruguayanfootball manager and formerplayer. He is the current head coach ofEmelec.
Sánchez was born inMontevideo. He played forSud América,Tacuarembó,Deportivo Toluca,FC Schalke 04,América andNacional.[1] On 18 January 2008, he joined German clubSchalke, where he remained for two seasons.[2] He played in Mexico again for Club América. On 1 August 2010, he scored his first goal for Club América in a match versusChiapas.[3]
Sánchez made the move toMajor League Soccer on 6 August 2013 when he signed forColorado Rapids.[4] On 14 September 2013, he scored his first goal for Colorado and forced an own goal in a 2–1 win overFC Dallas.[5]
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 theColorado Rapids fans and the #2 scorer for the team, Sánchez's 2016 contract option was declined as theColorado Rapids front office set out to acquire new talent in the form of players such asMarco Pappa,Shkëlzen Gashi,Jermaine Jones andTim Howard. Sánchez went through the MLS Re-Entry Draft but was not selected by any other team.
He joined his hometown clubDefensor Sporting for the 2016Primera Division Clausura season and helped his team finish fourth, qualifying for the2017 Copa Sudamericana.
Sánchez returned to MLS and joined theHouston Dynamo for the 2017 season. He helped the Dynamo reach the playoff and got the game winning assist in their opening game versusSporting Kansas City.[6]
On 2 April 2021, it was announced that Sánchez would come out of retirement to play and coach forUSL Championship sideRio Grande Valley FC.[7]
On 25 January 2025,Cruz Azul appointed Sánchez as interim head coach following the unexpected departure ofMartín Anselmi.[8] After eight matches, the club announced that he would remain in charge for the rest of theClausura 2025 tournament.[9] During his tenure, Sánchez led Cruz Azul to their seventhCONCACAF Champions Cup trophy, defeatingVancouver Whitecaps 5–0 in thefinal.[10] On 6 June, Cruz Azul and Sánchez parted ways.[11]
In February 2026, he was appointed head coach ofEmelec in Ecuador.[12]
He played forUruguay national football team in the2007 Copa América and has won 31 caps for the national side, scoring five goals.[13]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 July 2004 | Estadio Miguel Grau,Piura |  Argentina | 2–2 | 2–4 (L) | 2004 Copa América | |
| 2 | 24 July 2004 | Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega,Cuzco |  Colombia | 1–2 | 1–2 (W) | 2004 Copa América | |
| 3 | 18 October 2006 | Estadio Centenario,Montevideo |  Venezuela | 1–0 | 4–0 (W) | Friendly | |
| 4 | 30 June 2007 | Estadio Polideportivo,San Cristóbal |  Bolivia | 0–1 | 0–1 (W) | 2007 Copa América | |
| 5 | 13 October 2007 | Estadio Centenario,Montevideo | Bolivia | 4–0 | 5–0 (W) | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Sánchez holds aU.S. green card which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.[14]
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Cruz Azul | 25 January 2025 | 6 June 2025 | 28 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 52 | 22 | +30 | 064.29 | [15] |
| Total | 28 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 52 | 22 | +30 | 064.29 | — | ||
Toluca
Uruguay
Cruz Azul
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