The Pirates Penned Sands: James Sands to St. Pauli(olf NYCFC)

My guess is that Sands' biggest career disappointment, aside from serious injuries which sidelined him for lengthy stretches, was the inability of his YA thread to reach 1000 posts, despite its early promise.

 

Of course.

After two broken ankles the last two years, he needed to take a nice offer. NYCFC was surely the best offer on the table and his history with the club is very positive. The team will go to the playoffs and they can do well. Plus, I think there is going to be a huge spending influx with the new stadium. It's a fun time to be part of that.

I do think he'll go back to Europe. He's done well ever since he decided to prioritize being a defensive midfielder and his time in the Bundesliga went well. St. Pauli was SO much better with Sands on the field.

He's in a good spot. He can work his way back, get healthy, play for a good team at home, and get paid. If he can stay healthy for a couple of years without another major injury, he'll go back if a team in a good league wants him.

NYCFC has been very good to Sands. They developed him from a young age, got him into the USMNT picture, and really tried to make it work for him in Europe, first with Rangers, then with St. Pauli, then extending his time with St. Pauli for another shot after the first ankle injury. Then after the 2nd ankle injury and St. Pauli's relegation, NYCFC gave him a nice extension. Sands wanted to stop playing central defense, the club worked with him.

I think NYCFC will try again with Sands down the road to sell him. But for now, he's going to get back on track.

 

Top players in Tier 2 leagues want to play in the Top 5. Top players in the Top 5 want to play for the UEFA ball sides. Top players in those sides want to play for trophy winners and so on.

If Sands didn't see NYFC as a good place to be while he works his way back to Europe, he wouldn't be normal and it's vanishingly unlikely that NYFC would want him back either.

 

Now we're talking! I still dream that we might make it to 1,000 without any filler or fluff.

 

^ D'oh! My bad.

 

Well, we could try starting an argument. That always gets reply posts . . .

 

Does it really, though?

 

Of course it does! I can't believe you can be so stupid . . .

 

I tried really hard and it didn't work!

Argument about what?

 

You tell me. As long as it gets us to 1,000 posts

We're chasing quantity here, not quality, so your post fits in just fine

 

This was just two weeks ago ...

You can guess the context, but hey, let's try not to get too far off topic.

 

No, let's get off topic.

We're only 12 posts short of the magic number

 

FTFY

 

Is James related to Bobby Sands?

 

Would be cooler if he was.

 

No, but he is related to Will Sands of the NE Revolution - they are twin brothers. James took the fast track, and Will took the slow track (college), but both have done well for themselves.

 

My math never mathed. No surprise you had to step in, but we're getting closer to the magic 1,000

I guess you could say that they all count

Even if I can't.

 

Aren’t you in charge here?

 

I think some have been closed and others just peter out.

 

My opinion -- leave open. We'll lose interest soon enough unless there is a Euro move rumored. Better than having to bug a mod to post a story about his time overseas.

 

I agree. The Dike thread remains open, for example, although he’s returning to Orlando. @bshredder posted there recently. Eventually these threads will quiet down.

 

I show this clip in my philosophy class!

 

I'm doing it for James Sands. 1K. I'll take a look at the highlights.