After not seeing the field for a regular-season match since Sept. 16, 2017, James Sands will make his second consecutive start for New York City FC when it entertains Wayne Rooney and DC United at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:03 p.m. EST.
“For me, he played very well, and I can say he will play the next game,” head coach Dome Torrent said minutes after Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution. “It wasn’t fair to Jimmy, because he deserved to win the game. He’ll start the next game. He’s our future No. 6.”
“That’s the first time I’m hearing it,” Sands said while standing at his locker after the teams first home loss of the season. “It makes me happy to hear he has that confidence.”
The 18-year-old Sands, a native of Rye, N.Y., became the clubs first homegrown player when he inked a deal late last June. Sands is a product of the New York City FC academy system, scoring the game-winning penalty in the U-19 National Championship game this summer.
Torrent told Pro Soccer USA that he has a predilection to advance the academy players.
“Jimmy is not ready to play for us on a regular basis yet, but for sure next year,” Torrent said. “Our future is the academy players, for me. My dream is to play — in two or three years — five or six players from the academy.”
Sands sharpened his game with a brief loan to the United Soccer League’s Louisville City, which is managed by Sands’ U-17 National Team coach John Hackworth.
“He was great. He’s a real mentor of mine,” said Sands, who started in central defense for Hackworth in last summer’s U-17 World Cup. “I obviously had a lot of development with him, so he knows me really well. Playing with him in a more professional setting was helpful. I learned a lot from him.”
Until NYCFC has its own USL team, it will have to seek creative loans around the professional landscape. Saad Abdul-Salaam is on a season-long with Phoenix Rising, while reserve keeper Andre Rawls has spent the bulk of the season with Orange County SC. New York City has an official affiliation with San Antonio FC – but no control over player movement.
“I watched the games with Louisville and he played really, really well,” Torrent said, emphasizing the need for a second team. “That is the reason why I think he’s ready to play with us.”
With Alex Ring suspended for yellow card accumulation and Ebenezer Ofori on an international journey with Ghana, Sands will be in a position of influence in his third professional MLS match.
“A lot of people say I’m pretty mature for my age so I think that kind of helps with the position I play,” the holding midfielder said. “If you are super energized sometimes that causes mistakes. I try and be calm. There’s always moments when you’ve got to have a little more energy and I try and balance that.”