The 37-year-old bolsters Benjamín Mora’s technical team, and joins Mauro Eustáquio and Camilo Benzi in the dugout.

“Coming here is a very big opportunity,” Sanchez says. “It’s very clear that the future for soccer is here and the biggest reason for the growth is the competitiveness of this league and the amount of Canadians that play here. You measure the level of the league by the native players.

“I’m very honoured to arrive at a project that is already working. I come here to work and adapt. The nearest goal is first place in the standings and qualification for Concacaf. But, first Forge [on Friday night]. Step by step, game by game.”

Sanchez made his name as a player with Liga MX side Puebla and qualified to play for Canada through his mother. He was called into the under-20 preliminary squad for the 2007 U-20 World Cup before making his debut in an Olympic qualifying clash with Guatemala the following year. Sanchez came off the bench for the second half in Nashville and scored in the resulting shootout, as Canada won 5-3 on penalties to finish third in the tournament.

“I didn’t make the final squad for 2007 but the next year they called me,” Sanchez says.

“It’s part of my origin story. And it’s why my favourite NFL team is the Tennessee Titans because I scored my only goal for Canada in that stadium.”

After retiring from playing, he immediately jumped into the coaching world and started out with former MLS side Chivas USA. After returning to Mexico, Sanchez served as an assistant with a number of teams, including Puebla, while he held the reins at lower league Real Cuautitlán too.

In late 2017, Sanchez joined the newly-unveiled Las Vegas Lights of the United Soccer League, initially as an assistant coach to his father, Jose Luis Sanchez Sola (commonly known as Chelis). Early in the campaign, Chelis took over as technical director and Sanchez served as head coach until the end of the season. From there, he was appointed head coach at Tlaxcala back in his native Mexico and also held the top job at CD Proas in 2022. The following year, he returned to the Las Vegas Lights and was at the helm for the 2023 season. In the process, he became the first person to serve as a head coach in the second tier of both Mexico and the United States.

“For us, the objective is very clear: to build the best organization we can, and the appointment of Isidro is another example of our commitment to that,” says Ricardo Pasquel, General Manager and President of York United FC.

“He brings plenty of experience and will contribute greatly to our technical staff. There’s strength in numbers and, particularly as we approach such a crucial time of our season, every single advantage we can glean is potentially lucrative. Helping our coaching group as much as possible is integral to this club succeeding and we feel Isidro is another jigsaw piece that we need as we look to complete the puzzle.”