Twenty-two years ago, it was almost as if Aldair Sanchez’s dad was predicting his son’s future. As they were in the hospital preparing for his birth, Sanchez’s dad turned on the TV to watch some soccer and inspiration struck as Aldair Nascimento dos Santos took the pitch for the Brazilian National Team. And Baby Boy Sanchez became Aldair Sanchez.
Sanchez’s parents were both born in Mexico and came to the U.S. separately before meeting and settling in Vancouver, Washington. The area is home to a large population of Mexican Americans, which helped his parents feel connected to their home country, while also allowing their children to grow up in American culture. “Where I grew up…there were a lot of people just like me, a lot of families just like ours. We were going through similar experiences together.”
And if the origins of his name were any indication, soccer was a massive part of Aldair’s life growing up. “Ever since I can remember, there was always a ball at my feet. I loved it from the moment I started playing. My dad’s love of the sport comes from his upbringing and playing on the streets of Mexico City. That joy and that passion is definitely something that he passed down to me.”
Sanchez continued his development with the Portland Timbers Youth Academy beginning in 2015 and in 2020 joined the collegiate ranks at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “I was the first one in my family to go to college and that was really a testament to all of the hard work my parents put in since they came to this country,” he said. “Not only did they build a good life for us here, but they always did what they could to help us succeed, and ultimately that led me to becoming a first-generation college student.”
Just like when he was a kid, Sanchez found shared experiences to help connect with teammates. “My first year at UNC, it was my first time being away from home on my own, I didn’t know anyone, but I think about 40% of our team were Hispanic so that made it super easy to those guys right away.”
A few years later he took a chance on himself and attended Republic FC’s annual open tryout, impressing the technical staff and landing an invitation to training camp before becoming the first Republic FC player to sign their first professional contract with the club through tryouts. He made his pro debut on Opening Night in 2023 has gone on tally two goals and two assists in nearly 60 appearances.
He is a part of a large contingency of bilingual and Spanish-speaking players on this year’s roster, a connection that has helped him build community in the locker room. “We all come from different backgrounds, but when we speak Spanish it can help us feel more at home,” he explained. “When Cristian [Parano] came in last year, I was able to talk to him right away, but there were some guys who couldn’t speak much Spanish and it took them longer to get to know each other.”
But despite the language barrier, there are still plenty of moments for the entire squad to find camaraderie on and off the field. “We’re around each other so much that the guys who can’t speak Spanish can still piece things together and those who don’t speak English can understand enough, so we still get to have that banter that brings us together.”
Aldair’s bilingualism has undoubtedly helped him connect with his teammates, but when it comes to staying in touch with his family hundreds of miles away, it is a shared love for soccer that is key. “It’s so important in the Mexican culture and has been such a big part of my upbringing and my family, literally since the day I was born, so to be able to represent that in this league, it just means a lot.”
