Alexis Sánchez arrives in Montreal ready to test himself against world class talent in MLS

Some players join a new club and prefer to keep a low profile. Alexis Sánchez is not one of them. At his first press conference as a CF Montreal player, the Chilean forward laid out plainly why he decided to trade Europe for MLS, and the answer comes down mostly to competition.

The Tocopilla born striker was officially unveiled by the Canadian club last week and already sat down with local media. There, he said the wave of world class names arriving in the American league was the deciding factor in his decision.

I'm very competitive, and I saw that all these world class players were coming to MLS: Messi, Suárez, Lewandowski... So I said, why not come and give myself a chance to compete and go up against great players at a world class level?Alexis Sánchez

Chile's all time leading scorer also looked back on his career before landing in Canada. He came through Manchester United, Barcelona, Arsenal and Inter Milan, among other major European clubs, and now takes on this new challenge with a clear goal: fighting for titles with Montreal.

I played for the best clubs in the world: Manchester United, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter. Coming to Canada is a challenge. Montreal is a club that believed in me, and one of the reasons I came here is to help the club grow and win a championshipAlexis Sánchez

Taking on hockey's turf

Sánchez also shared his first impressions of the city. He knows hockey rules in Montreal, and he sees that as an opportunity: he wants soccer to start claiming that same place in people's hearts. He talked about filling the stadium, about families coming out to enjoy the games, and, in turn, bringing some joy back to the club's fans.

Asked about his fitness, he was honest: he has been training in Italy, but admits he's short on match minutes. He's confident that game rhythm will get him up to speed quickly, something he says has happened at every club he's joined throughout his career.

The other topic he addressed was his future beyond MLS. Sánchez left the door open to a return to Chilean soccer down the road to focus on developing the next generation, something he connects directly to the affection he says he receives back home, both from children and from older fans.

Back home I'm loved by the kids, by the grandmothers, and I'm very happy about that. I'd like to go back to Chile someday to teach the kids what I taught my teammates at Inter, at Marseille and other clubsAlexis Sánchez

Until that day comes, the present is Montreal. And it could arrive sooner than expected: Alexis is being floated as a real possibility to make the squad this Wednesday against the Columbus Crew, a match set for 7:30 p.m.