BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
October 09, 2025
1:00 PM
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LAST MONTH DURING the September window, United States nationwide group head coach Mauricio Pochettino mentioned it was the final alternative for him to take a look at new gamers earlier than the World Cup. In spite of everything, there have been solely video games in October, November, and March earlier than remaining cuts must be made. However when the roster for the October window was introduced, there was room for one new participant who had but to play underneath Pochettino. That was St. Pauli’s James Sands.
Sands, 25, is just not a stranger to the U.S. nationwide group however he hasn’t been referred to as up for the reason that summer season of 2023. Even regardless of the U.S. supervisor’s feedback about September being the final probability for brand new gamers, Sands at all times believed he had an opportunity.
“I definitely heard Poch saying that, but I would say I always felt if I was playing in a league as strong as the Bundesliga, the door would always be a little bit open,” Sands informed American Soccer Now final week. “I never had the feeling that I was completely out of it and thankfully I’ve started the season here well and played against good opposition. I think any coach would value a player who’s playing at a high level.”
Sands compelled his approach again into the combo with a outstanding 2025 that started in January when he was scheduled to be a part of the U.S. nationwide group’s January camp. However these plans modified when he secured a six-month mortgage from New York Metropolis FC to St. Pauli within the Bundesliga. In his first 5 video games for St. Pauli, Sands earned very constructive opinions for his performances however that every one modified in February when he suffered a grotesque damage on the finish of a 1-0 loss to Freiburg. He was instantly taken to the hospital for surgical procedure to restore a damaged ankle that additionally concerned a fractured fibula and torn medial collateral ligament.
Along with the ache of the damage, Sands now confronted uncertainty in his profession over his mortgage to St. Pauli, america nationwide group, and whether or not he would fully recuperate.
“It was really tough for me – for a couple of reasons,” Sands defined. “The nature of the injury was quite significant, and it was the first really serious injury I’ve suffered in my career. On top of how I had started – in making a good impact – it was tough. Also, I was only there on a six-month loan at that point, I didn’t know if I had done enough yet for them to bring me back. Dealing with all the uncertainty was difficult.”
“They gave me the option to keep doing the rehab there or back in New York,” he continued. “I thought about it, but I decided I wanted to be with St. Pauli next season, so it was important I do the whole rehab there. They had a very good team of people around me. The rehab process was tough – not a lot of off-days, very efficient. But they said from day one, if you follow all the steps, you’ll be back by preseason and ready to go. That motivated me.”
The medical group in Germany proved to be right. Regardless of the intense nature of his damage, Sands was again on the sector by the summer season. St. Pauli additionally prolonged his mortgage from NYCFC by means of the 2025/26 season, which gave Sands stability.
Sands instantly reclaimed his beginning job as St. Pauli’s defensive midfielder and the membership presently sits tenth within the Bundesliga. His greatest recreation of the yr got here on August 29 when he went the total 90 minutes in a 2-0 away win over Hamburg within the intense Hamburg Derby, which added to the checklist of spectacular derby matches Sands has participated – the Outdated Agency, USMNT vs. Mexico, Hudson River Derby.
“It’s even hard for me to like truly grasp what it means to the people here,” Sands mentioned. “The one we played last month was the first meeting between the two teams in the first division for a while. It was especially important. Germany has such an intense fan culture that that game was just incredible. I’ve played in the Old Firm as well, so I felt well prepared to deal with this one.”
Now his huge 2025 yr will hit one other necessary second in his return to the U.S. group. He has 13 caps however most of his appearances have come within the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cups. In 2021, he loved his most profitable yr as knowledgeable when he gained the Gold Cup with america after an exhilarating 1-0 victory over Mexico within the remaining and MLS Cup with NYCFC.
Veteran Tyler Adams is just not concerned with the group this month as his spouse is anticipating, and one of many group’s largest issues for years has been discovering a backup to Adams in defensive midfield. That has created a gap for Sands.
“People know what a good player Tyler is, the way he covers ground and is able to disrupt – that’s his strongest quality as a midfielder – and also his leadership, obviously,” Sands mentioned. “For myself, I also try and bring that defensive ability and being able to cover ground. I think one of my big strengths is how I understand the game. I played a lot in the back three. I’ve played as a lone No. 6, I’ve played with two No. 6’s. That versatility helps me see the game from multiple points of view. That’s kind of a unique thing that I bring and that’s something that could help the team.”
All through most of his profession, Sands has been referred to as a flexible participant and spent most of his profession platooning between central protection and defensive midfield. However after his mortgage to Rangers was minimize brief in March 2023, he returned to NYCFC and had discussions with the membership about focusing solely on being a defensive midfielder.
The transfer was profitable, and Sands turned one of many high defensive midfielders in MLS for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. That opened doorways for the transfer to St. Pauli, the place he made a rapid and easy transition into the Bundesliga.
Sands is a special participant now than his earlier instances with the U.S. nationwide group, however he’s additionally ready to step into central protection once more if wanted – particularly with Pochettino using a three-man backline just like the formation Sands performed at NYCFC underneath then supervisor Domènec Torrent.
“That was a big discussion I had with NYCFC in 2023,” Sands mentioned of shifting to solely to defensive midfield. “I played as a holding midfielder every game for the two years I was there and then I’ve played pretty much every game here with St. Pauli as a holding mid. Having game after game at one position has really helped me develop. That’s not to say I won’t ever play center back again. It’s just that I really wanted to play in a top five league. I felt playing as a midfielder gave me the best chance to do that.”
“But I would add the national team is a completely different thing,” he added. “Sometimes it’s just about filling in where the team needs you. Rosters are so hard to make in general that if the coach comes to me and says, we want you to play center back. Obviously, I would jump at the opportunity.”
Heading into this camp, Sands is proud of the place he’s as a participant. He’s performing effectively within the Bundesliga and has overcome a critical damage. Now he’s driving a wave of confidence and constructive momentum into this camp.
“Any player you ask would say playing in a home World Cup would be the highlight of their career,” Sands mentioned. “I just don’t think it’s very helpful to be thinking about it all the time. I feel confident if I do my thing at a club level and focus all my energy on that then things will turn out however they will turn out. But at least I will have given it my all.”
“I’m just super excited,” he continued. “It’s kind of been a long road back for me into the national team. I haven’t been called in in a while, so it was always my goal to get back into the picture and to do that, especially after having such a serious injury at the beginning of this year makes it that much more important.”
