Chile lost 1-0 to Argentina in World Cup qualifying on Thursday, but the people who took the result hardest might have been Arsenal fans. Alexis Sánchez played 90 minutes despite hurting his ankle last weekend, and he looked uncomfortable at times.
Alexis Sánchez played well while hurt for Chile vs. Argentina, but they still lost
It’s time for coaches to start saying no to Alexis.
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
After Arsenal’s loss to West Bromwich Albion over the weekend, Arsene Wenger said that Sánchez’s ankle was “in a terrible state” and that “he should not have played in the second half.” But Sanchez foreshadowed that he’d play for Chile anyway in an Instagram post that read, “The only failure is not to try.”
And try Sánchez did, in a heavily wrapped ankle. He was never at full speed and could be seen visibly grimacing at points during the game, but he kept playing hard and making big plays for his team. While he couldn’t run in behind the defense as usual, he was his team’s most creative passer, regularly creating attacks that his team couldn’t finish.
Alexis’ best moment was in the 65th minute, when he struck the crossbar with a free kick.
In the end, it wasn’t Chile’s night. Sánchez played as hard as he could for 90 minutes on a bum ankle, but his team couldn’t get the result.
Every fan wants to have a player like Sánchez on their team. Someone who feels every win and loss and wants to play hurt if it’ll help his team win. But the problem with that mentality is that it can hurt his teams in the long term. He might not be able to give much at all in Chile’s next game against Venezuela, and this trip could negatively impact what he’s able to do for Arsenal in their top four chase.
It’s hard to say no to a player as talented and determined as Sánchez when he says he can play. But maybe it’s time for coaches to start telling him no. This time, playing through pain got him and his teams nowhere.
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