HAMBURG — The first Hamburg derby in the Bundesliga between Hamburger SV and St. Pauli since 2011 was an affair to remember. St. Pauli, who won the last one way back in 2011, went into HSV’s home, the Voksparkstadion, and left with a 2-0 victory. And the final score actually undersells it for a St. Pauli side that didn’t have finishing on their side on Friday. The visitors outshot their hosts 17 to 5 and and won the expected goal battle 1.44 to 0.35. Any way you look at it, it was a dominant performance, and an American, James Sands. was at the center of the action.
Moving from New York City FC to St. Pauli on loan in January, Sands took a risk joining a club fighting a Bundesliga relegation battle and ended up only making seven appearances before an injury cut his season short. But St. Pauli saw enough in Sands to make the move a permanent one, and now he’s thriving in his second experience with European soccer after a spell with Rangers in the Scottish Premiership. With a full preseason and being injury-free, this season feels like a fresh start, and it always helps that the club have kicked off Bundesliga play with two wins in their first two matches of the season.
“It’s amazing, the injury was really tough for me. It took a long time to come back, but I had good people around me and I worked hard for nights like this,” Sands said. “So I’m happy it was able to go our way. I just want to keep putting good performances together.”
His German is improving, but the coaching staff also takes the time to explain things in English, which shows the care that the club has for their players. It’s somewhere that Sands feels comfortable to be himself, and that’s shown in his growth as a player. Friday he spent the match pushing up the pitch to break up play, imposing himself in what was a massive evening for his club. Winning five of his six tackles, getting an interception, and almost scoring a goal, Sands did a little bit of everything for St. Pauli. During his career, Sands has popped up everywhere from being in the back line or deeper in midfield positions but despite the six on his back, he was a true box-to-box midfielder.
Sands is no stranger to massive matches, having been involved in the Old Firm during his time with Rangers, so wasn’t phased by the rocking atmosphere at the Voksparkstadion, being able to shut out the noise except when it came from the more than 5,000 traveling St. Pauli fans celebrating goals and clapping their team off after a win.
“It’s certainly nice to be winning one of [these derby matches]. I’ve been on the wrong side of a couple, and those are the worst feelings, so it’s nice to win,” Sands said. “[The Old Firm] is pretty hostile, there’s a lot of history in that one, but both are some of the best in the world. USA vs Mexico, I’ve been a part of that. It’s special when you play in these games.”
Games like this are something that only leagues steeped in history, like the Bundesliga, can offer and it’s certainly a change of pace that only helps to challenge players like Sands.
“The Bundesliga has challenged me in the ways that you want to be challenged,” Sands said. “I’m gonna have good games, I’m gonna have bad games, but when you’re at that level, that’s when you know at the right place.”
Where that challenge leads will be part of the fun in seeing what Sands gets up to in Germany. The United States men’s national team is quite deep in defensive midfield with Tyler Adams and Johnny Cardoso performing at high levels for their clubs, but if Sands continues to grow, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be on Mauricio Pochettino’s radar. The start is being at a club where he can show what he can do, and St. Pauli has been the right step for him. It may have taken time coming back to MLS to find that proper move, but that’s what the league is here for.
Not only does it help produce players like Sands, but it’s also here if they need to take time to reset and get back to their best. It’s why no move should be written off because progress is never linear, and what’s right for one American player isn’t always what’s right for others. Sands is carving his own path and success is coming with it.
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