New York City FC have defensive midfielder James Sands to thank for the club’s 1-1 draw against New England Revolution on Sunday afternoon. Not only did the 26 year-old score the equalizer right before halftime but he also kept the ball out of the net following some important chances for the Revolution. In all, the American who returned to the club this season, has provided the boost the club has needed with the injuries to Maxi Moralez and Keaton Parks.
“Jimmy for us is a massive piece,” said head coach Pascal Jansen after the game. “He’s one of the players that is a hybrid. He can play in the back line, either left or right, center back. After the change with Raul Gustavo, he moved into the midfield. The main thing about Jimmy is that he is able to be very consistent in whatever position he’s needed within the team.”
Sands has been asked to do a myriad of tasks since returning to the club due to the injury to Thiago Martins and also the midfield lack of depth. This game in particular stood out for the American as he provided the legs the club has lacked in recent games. NYC is currently on a four game winless streak dating back to their Leagues Cup group stage appearance. Now, after returning to league play, the club has yet to duplicate their success dating back to before the World Cup break.
Their form has them sitting at seventh place in the Eastern Conference. While it may seem like a steady position to hold, they are only one point better than Red Bull New York and just three points above 10th place Toronto FC. Without Sands, the club may have found themselves in a tougher position as they’ve fought injuries across the entire roster.
“We’ve had a lot of conversations over the past couple of days about making sure we pick up results,” said Sands. “If it’s not going to be a win, then finding a way to tie it. We definitely learned our lesson in Philly. We had to learn a similar lesson against Cincinnati. If we’re going to be a good team this year and make a deep run, we have to figure out how to pick up points in tough situations.”
Next up is a game against Toronto FC as City returns home looking to secure their playoff hopes. Toronto is a club that is currently chasing the Citizens and could draw closer with a win. This game will be played at BMO Field, away from home where NYC has only won three games all year.
photo from NYCFC