James Hoban Sands
James Hoban Sands is an American centre-back whose development began with New York City FC's academy. He joined the club as its first Homegrown signing in July 2017, then made his professional debut that September as a substitute for Andrea Pirlo. After a 2018 loan to Louisville City, Sands became a regular starter for NYCFC in 2019, contributing from central defence and defensive midfield. He started the 2021 MLS Cup final as New York City won the championship. In 2022, Sands moved to Rangers on an 18-month loan, made 41 appearances and won the Scottish Cup. He also featured in Rangers’ run to the 2022 UEFA Europa League final. Returning to NYCFC in 2023, he continued developing as a versatile defensive player. Internationally, Sands helped the United States win the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, starting the final against Mexico.
Season snapshot
Overall season statistics (all competitions).
| Season | Matches | Minutes | Goals | Assists | G/90 | A/90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 | 1027 | 1 | 0 | 0.09 | 0 |
| 2025 | 25 | 2135 | 1 | 0 | 0.04 | 0 |
| 2024 | 43 | 3666 | 1 | 1 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| 2023 | 32 | 2747 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 24 | 1506 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 47 | 3622 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 18 | 1600 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.06 |
| 2019 | 18 | 1398 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 | 223 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Form - Last 10 games
Strengths Analysis Season 2025
Role: MidfielderTop attributes (percentile)
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
Recent Matches
Major League Soccer
Leagues Cup
Teams
Transfers
FC St. Pauli
New York City FC
New York City FC
FC St. Pauli
Rangers
New York City FC
MLS All-Stars
Rangers
Louisville City
New York City FC
New York City FC
Louisville City
FC St. Pauli
New York City FC
Honors
