James Sands' story: How Rangers' 'not flashy' American was schooled in football's fundamentals

It has taken the American time to adjust and supporters time to understand exactly what he can bring to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team beyond plugging required gaps. Saturday’s 4-1 win against Aberdeen felt an important afternoon with this in mind. Sands performed well in both midfield and defence and up against an opponent who sought to press high, was able to showcase his best qualities.

“My game is not built on a lot of flash so sometimes it’s possible I get overlooked,” he said speaking to the Rangers Review at yesterday’s press conference.

“But I think that the game against Aberdeen is a good example of the strengths that I do bring.”

"He is giving a lot of intelligence to the team with the way he plays and with his passing," van Bronckhorst added.

As the Rangers Review wrote when scouting the youngster prior to his Ibrox move, versatility sometimes holds connotations of a player who is not good enough to be first pick for any role so fills in where and when required. While the American can play a number of different positions, he possesses very specific skills suited to specific environments. Namely, his propensity to break opposition pressure, build moves from the back and circulate the ball.

Perhaps the fact that ‘breaking the first line of opposition pressure’ doesn’t excite supporters like progressive passing or carries explains the versatility tag. By Sands’ own admission, his game can go under the radar. And playing at the base of midfield in the Scottish Premiership often requires a player more capable of breaking down defences than breaking opposition presses.

That was the predominant reason for the US international’s inclusion at centre-back towards the start of this season. In both legs against PSV he was able to demonstrate that quality and particularly in Eindhoven, was immense.

Saturday was his first start since a red card against Napoli. The game was a reminder of how his quietly effective role can make an impact in certain matches.

Christian Gonzalez understands the qualities that Sands possesses as well as anyone, because he was one of the coaches who taught the 22-year-old such fundamentals.

Now Academy Director at New York Soccer Club, a youth and amateur team with a strong track record for developing professional players, Gonzalez worked with Sands during the player’s four-year stint at the club.

“He came to us at 10 alongside his twin. We noticed his potential and he was with us until he was chosen for Under-17 residency with the national team, in Bradenton,” Gonzalez says.

“The idea [residency] was to have the group together and give themselves a chance to win a World Cup at youth team level. James was part of the last cohort before the programme shut down. He was picked up by New York City FC after the Under-17 World Cup and because he was signed as an academy player, qualified as homegrown.”

Sands would go onto excel at the base of midfield as the club won their first MLS Cup. Playing in a tactical league with space a guarantee, Ronny Deila used the midfielder as the side’s cornerstone.

He didn’t boast extraordinary progressive numbers. Rather, his ability to drop into defence, manipulate the opposition press and find more creative players was a vital cog in that cup-winning side.

The qualities that helped Sands shine at NYCFC, earn international caps and a move to Europe were refined in Bradenton but taught at New York Soccer Club, which provided him with a tactical and technical foundation.

NYSC has “a defined style of play and coaching that sets it apart from many soccer clubs”.

According to the club: “We are known for a very particular attractive style of play and progressive possession principles that includes dominating possession, creating scoring chances, playing on the ground and through the lines, as well as excellence in coaching.”

“At NYSC we implement a possession-based attacking system. We teach a progressive possession philosophy that focuses on playing out of the back, playing through the lines, and creating and finishing scoring chances. In the defensive phase, we want to win the ball back as quickly as possible and defend in an organized way.”

“The club was formed in 2009 and back in those days [when Sands joined], was only in year four or five,” Gonzalez continues.

“We were pretty focused on playing style, integrating a philosophy and style of play which was a novice concept back then but very common nowadays. We’d have a vision of how we want to play, attack and defend.

“We not only gave our players a really good daily environment but a clear understanding of tactical principles which allowed them to thrive with the national youth teams.

“We’d coach things like visual checking, resolving pressure, escaping markers with quick movements, creating two-vs-ones and space for teammates. James came up as a No.6 and it wasn’t until youth teams that he moved back slightly [into defence], hence his accurate passing. We trained him in position-specific body positions, using visual cues, and defending space in front.

“We have a club system of play because it’s all about identity and giving the kids a great model. With James it became clear that he was dominant and needed to be in the middle given he could cover so much ground, be a ball winner, be accurate with passing and dictate the game as a No.6. He was taught to link play, connect with the No.8s and be the focal point in build-up.”

The weekend win against Aberdeen saw some of these simple but effective tools in practice against an opponent that sought to press van Bronckhorst’s team high up the pitch.

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The US international's pass map isn’t full of diagonals or constant forward-thinking distribution. Instead, it features probing balls to coax the opposition forward and create space, as well as clever short passes to play through pressure. 90 percent of his 87 passes found the intended target. He was the focal point in build-up.

Red indicates success and yellow failure. 

And his carry map, all 54 of which saw him retain possession, features driving runs in the centre that exploited vacated spaces.

Here’s a simple example of this broad concept. Rangers have the ball in the opposition's half but go backwards to pull Aberdeen out of their defensive block and create space.

Sands' role here is simple but intentional, helping to invite pressure and then play through it. As Pep Guardiola says, sometimes you have to go backwards first in order to go forwards.

Particularly in the second half when he moved into defence, the American's ball carries and pressure-breaking passes made a huge impact.

Consistently, he was able to move possession through the pitch as a result, into creative players in dangerous areas.

Whether the American can cement a role at the base of midfield going forward remains to be seen. The majority of his minutes under van Bronckhorst so far this season have come in defence for a reason. But Saturday was a reminder of what he can bring when playing against a high press. A showcasing of his quiet attributes that can sometimes be overlooked. 

Teams need players who can be flashy as well as those who can facilitate, provide and cover.

“It gives me such pride and joy that James is succeeding at that level. I’m not the only one, lots of people in the club who have coached him feel the same,” Gonzalez concludes.

“He is an extremely focused person, super motivated to reach the levels and is a great teammate. Responsible, supportive and positive. That’s what he was like as a kid and what is like now.”