Alex Sandro's Unwavering Legacy: Why Brazil's Unsung Left-Back Deserved More Recognition

The Curious Case of Alex Sandro

Watching 32-year-old Alex Sandro anchor Juventus’ defense these past two matches triggered professional déjà vu. Here’s a player who’s been delivering ⁷⁄₁₀ performances for a decade, yet somehow never received the plaudits of his more glamorous contemporaries.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Let’s start with cold hard facts:

• 91% tackle success rate in 2022 World Cup group stages before injury
• 3.5 interceptions per game during Brazil’s 2019 Copa América triumph
• Only 2 dribblers bypassed him in entire ²⁰²¹⁄₂₂ Serie A season

These aren’t just good stats - they’re elite defender numbers. Yet when people discuss world-class left-backs of this generation, Sandro’s name always comes… third.

The 2018 World Cup What-If

The Belgium quarterfinal still haunts me tactically. Marcelo - brilliant going forward - got brutally exposed by Chadli’s physicality. Meanwhile, Sandro watched from home despite being:

1. In his absolute prime (27 years old)
2. A superior one-on-one defender
3. Perfectly suited to counter Hazard’s threat

Tite’s preference for reputation over functionality cost Brazil dearly that day in Kazan.

The Underrated Art of Defending

Modern football romanticizes attacking fullbacks, but Sandro represents the dying breed who prioritize:

• Positioning over stepovers
• Recovery speed over fancy crosses
• Tactical discipline over highlight reels

His performance against Argentina in the 2019 Copa semifinal (where he neutralized Messi drifting left) remains a masterclass few appreciated.

Longevity Over Glamour

While Marcelo declined post-30 and Filipe Luis battled injuries, Sandro kept clocking 40+ games annually with mechanical consistency. That “old reliable” quality matters more than we admit in tournament football.

Perhaps his greatest legacy? Proving you don’t need YouTube compilations to be effective. Just ask any striker who thought they’d have an easy day against Juventus’ left flank.