Ashley Sanchez said she has not had any contact with the U.S. women’s national team since Emma Hayes was named head coach last winter.
The 25-year-old playmaker was named to the USWNT roster for the World Cup last summer, but then-head coach Vlatko Andonovski controversially left her on the sidelines for the entirely of the tournament.
Sanchez had been a major contributor to the USWNT prior to the World Cup, but Andonovski moved Savannah DeMelo ahead of her on the depth chart just before the tournament kicked off.
The North Carolina Courage star did earn two USWNT caps in friendlies after the World Cup, but hasn’t been called back in since an appearance against Colombia in October.
Just two weeks after Sanchez appeared in that match, the USWNT named Hayes as Andonovski’s successor. Hayes finished out the 2023-24 season with Chelsea before joining the USWNT full time in May.
Since Hayes was appointed, Sanchez admitted that it’s been radio silence when it comes to the USWNT.
“I’ve had pretty much no contact really, whatsoever, which is definitely hard as a player,” she told GOAL.
“But hopefully, after the Olympics, we’ll see what happens. I’m just focusing on what I can and hopefully getting another shot. I’m just going to try to do the best I can for my team. I think that if I do that, I will get another chance.”
Sanchez has been making a strong case for herself after an offseason trade from the Washington Spirit to the Courage. In her first season with North Carolina, Sanchez has four goals and three assists while starting all 16 of the team’s NWSL games this season.
Per FBref, Sanchez also leads the NWSL in passes into the penalty area this season, and places in the top five in progressive passes, through balls, expected assists and shot-creating actions.
Looking back on her World Cup snub, Sanchez attempted to be philosophical while admitting that she still carries some wounds from what she said earlier this year was “probably the hardest moment of my career.”
“I think that I’ve definitely processed it and I wouldn’t say I’m over it necessarily, because obviously there are times where I’m like, ‘Dang, that really did suck,’” she said.
“But I would just say that I do feel like everything that was meant to happen happened and I’m just hoping that I get another opportunity. I’m just trying to do everything I can to get another opportunity to play and do all the things that I wanted to do. That’s pretty much how I’m looking at it.”
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