James Sands
James Hoban Sands (born July 6, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender and midfielder for New York City of Major League Soccer. He became the NYCFC's first ever homegrown player in July 2017.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | James Hoban Sands[1] | ||
Date of birth | July 6, 2000 | ||
Place of birth | Rye, New York, United States | ||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Defender, Midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | New York City | ||
Number | 16 | ||
Youth career | |||
2010–2015 | New York Soccer Club | ||
2015–2017 | New York City | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2017– | New York City | 39 | (0) |
2018 | → Louisville City (loan) | 3 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2016–2017 | United States U17 | 42 | (1) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of November 3, 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of October 21, 2017 |
Club career
Youth
Sands joined New York Soccer Club, an affiliate team of New York City, at the age of 10. In 2015, he joined New York City after the inception of the Under-16 Academy side, alongside his twin brother, Will Sands.[2]
New York City
In January 2017, Sands became the first Academy player to be included in the New York City roster for pre-season.[3] On June 27, 2017, he signed his first professional contract to begin on July 1.[2] The deal made him the club's first ever homegrown player.[4] Sands made his professional debut on September 16, 2017, coming on as a substitute for Andrea Pirlo in a 1–1 draw against Colorado Rapids.
In 2019, Sands has been a regular starter for NYCFC, first as a defensive midfielder, and then as the central defender in a three-man back line once the Pigeons switched formations.
Louisville City
In 2018, Sands joined Louisville City in the second-division USL on a short-term loan from August 15 through September 1. Sands worked in Louisville under John Hackworth, who had previously coached Sands with the United States U17 team.[5]
International career
Sands regularly featured for the United States Under-17s rather than New York City during the 2017 season and helped the nation finish second in the CONCACAF Under-17 Championships in May.[6] The United States eventually lost to Mexico in a penalty shootout, although Sands scored his and was named in the Team of the Tournament.[7]
Career statistics
Club | Year | League | League | Domestic Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
New York City FC | 2017 | Major League Soccer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2018 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
2019 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
2020 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
Career Totals | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
Honors
Individual
- CONCACAF Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: May 2017.[7]
References
- "FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. January 9, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- "James Sands Becomes NYCFC's First Homegrown Player". New York City FC. June 21, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- "James Sands: The Journey". New York City FC. June 21, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- "NYCFC makes historic signing: 16-year-old from their backyard". New York Post. June 21, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- "James Sands joins Louisville City FC on loan". LouisvilleCityFC.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
- "James Sands". New York City FC. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- "CONCACAF U17 Championship: Sands Named to Best XI". New York City FC. May 9, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2017.