Pasco soccer player signs with Cruz Azul after graduating from Chiawana High School | Sports - RAW CHILI

The Brief

Lindsay Sanchez, an 18-year-old Pasco native and recent Chiawana High School graduate, signed with Cruz Azul’s U-19 female squad in Mexico City.

Sanchez graduated June 6 and left for Mexico the following day to sign with the club, which competes in the Mexican Women’s Youth League — a developmental league tied to Liga BBVA MX Femenil, the top women’s soccer league in Mexico.

Her long-term goal is to reach professional soccer and earn a spot on the Selección Mexicana, Mexico’s national women’s team.

PASCO, Wash. — An 18-year-old Pasco soccer player traveled to Mexico to sign a professional contract the day after graduating high school.

Lindsay Sanchez, a midfielder and recent graduate of Chiawana High School, signed with Cruz Azul’s U-19 female squad just one day after walking across the graduation stage June 6.

“Yeah, I graduated last week on the 6th, and I literally left the next day to come sign on Monday,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez is not new to Mexican soccer. She spent time in high school playing in Mexico, building familiarity with the country’s style of play before making the full-time commitment. During her time at Chiawana, she was named a first-team all-conference player in the Mid-Columbia Conference.

Sanchez will compete in the Mexican Women’s Youth League — a developmental league made up of clubs from Liga BBVA MX Femenil, the premier women’s soccer league in Mexico.

For Sanchez, the decision to pursue professional soccer in Mexico rather than play college soccer in the United States came down to the style and intensity of the game.

“It’s really different from over here to the U.S., honestly, when it comes to the way we play, the way we train, the way everything is set up to the point where how we run,” Sanchez said.

Her ambitions extend beyond the club level. Sanchez says her ultimate goal is to earn a spot on the Selección Mexicana — Mexico’s national women’s team.

“I really wanted to play in Mexico because I love playing over here, I love how they play soccer over here,” Sanchez said. “My big goal is to be professional and to also play for the Selección Mexicana, which is the selection team for the Mexican League.”

Chiawana girls soccer head coach Sam Nunez has known Sanchez since she was 7 years old and says her development was shaped in part by competing against boys during her youth years.

“She grew up playing against boys, and that’s huge,” Nunez said. “I’ve just read and listened to interviews — a lot of the girls that have success at the highest level have that same background. They grew up playing against boys and doing well, and from what I remember she would excel, she would be on the same level as those boys growing up.”

Sanchez is not the first Chiawana graduate to reach the professional level in women’s soccer. Summer Yates, also a Chiawana alum, currently plays for the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League, the top women’s professional soccer league in the United States.

Sanchez and the Cruz Azul women’s program are currently in a preseason training period ahead of the league’s scheduled start in mid-July.