Isaías Sánchez

Isaías Sánchez Cortés ( Spanish pronunciation:  [isaˈi.as ˈsantʃeθ korˈtes]; born 9 February 1987), known simply as Isaías, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Australian club Adelaide United FC as a midfielder.

Early years / Espanyol
Born in Sabadell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Isaías was a CF Badalona youth graduate, and started playing professionally with that club in Segunda División B. In 2010 he signed for RCD Espanyol, but spent the majority of his first yearwith the reserves in Tercera División.

On 10 April 2011, Isaías made his first-team and La Liga debut, playing the last 22 minutes of a 0–0 away draw against Hércules CF. He spent the following two seasons on loan to SD Ponferradina, contributing with 27 games and one goal in his second to help the side return to Segunda División.

Adelaide United
In July 2013, Isaías signed for Adelaide United, penning a two-year contract. He won the Player of The Year award for his team in his debut campaign in the A-League.

Isaías scored his first goal for the club on 24 January 2015, netting from 25 meters in a 7–0 win over the Newcastle Jets. He repeated the feat in the 2016 A-League Grand Final in an eventual 3–1 defeat of Western Sydney Wanderers, through a 34th-minute free kick to put Adelaide United two goals up.

On 23 September 2017, Isaías was announced as captain at Adelaide United's season launch, taking over from Eugene Galekovic who transferred to Melbourne City.

Playing style
Playing as a defensive midfielder for Adelaide United, Isaías can switch between defensive and offensive positions, and also drops into defence, allowing the full-backs to push forward. He is known for his ability to control the pace and intensity of the game, keep possession of the ball and launch attacks when his team plays from defence to attack.

Isaías was described by Adelaide manager Josep Gombau as his "foot soldier", being a complete footballer with technique, speed and controlled aggression.