Yesterday we shared the first part of our interview with Oliver Strand, Managing Editor of SB Nation's NYCFC Blog Hudson river blue, and sought to learn more about James Sands after the American moved to the Rangers on an 18-month loan deal from New York City FC.
The US international is the first signing of Gio van Bronckhorst's reign as Rangers coach and Gers fans are eager to see what the 21-year-old can bring.
After helping NYCFC win their first MLS title this year, Sands was in demand this month with several European clubs eager to land the all-around star.
In this part of our interview, we find out more about their international prospects heading into a World Cup year, how working with people like Patrick Viera helped develop them, and the origins of their viral catchphrase 'bing bong'.
Working with Patrick Vieira and Dome Torrent at NYCFC:
โI understand the international skepticism surrounding MLS, and I share it. It's an exciting league because the wheels can come off at any time and that's a bit of fun, but it's also exciting because games like Manchester City's recent 6-3 win over Leicester are normal for MLS.
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โThe coaches we've had, with the exception of Jason Kreis, NYCFC's first head coach, we've had some really exceptional coaches who have been very good at coaching the players. Patrick (Vieira) absolutely transformed NYCFC and I think he changed the league. The idea of โโhaving a possession-based team in MLS didn't really exist. He changed that. Dome Torrent, Pep Guardiola's sidekick, also absolutely encouraged him.
โSands has that technical ability because she was raised on him and trained by these two exceptional coaches. In terms of Patrick, who would like to be more of a mentor to becoming a graceful, technical and possession-based midfielder than Patrick Vieira? The fact that he got his shot under him and became a starter is a validation of his skills. "
What are the international prospects for Sands for 2022:
"It's hard to say to be honest. We've been waiting for you to call it for a while and it probably should have happened in 2020. Good that it happened in 2021. The system that USMNT usually plays doesn't really suit you, so it performed well, but it was not the same as when he plays for NYCFC, so it will be interesting to see how he does for the Rangers.
โHe's really only played on one team and one focus. If the system in the Rangers is one that he fits himself into, or that he can adapt to, it will be extraordinary, but with the USMNT it just didn't quite work out. I think he has the potential to return to the international configuration and I think he will be called up again, but it was not the impressive performance that we were all hoping for. The way he played in the playoffs, he was one of the stars, but the way he played for the USMNT, let's be honest, it wasn't that good. "
Is it the right time for Sands to move to Europe?:
โI think the time is right. I think the time is right for him to be in that environment, in a place where the culture of football is so deep and I think it will be interesting to see him adapt to that.
โNYCFC is a great team and we have a lot of fans, but we play at Yankee Stadium, which, among other things, means that the schedule is dictated by the Yankees, so it's difficult to get fans in the stands. Some of the most expensive seats are far from the court because they are off to the side and then you have a schedule, and this has happened to me as a season ticket holder, when it is the hottest week in August and it plays Saturday-Wednesday-Sunday and not really. you want to go to three games in eight days in the Bronx. It just doesn't work. I think it will be interesting to see what it is like with full stands and committed fans because that is something you have in general in Europe and especially in Rangers.
โHe's going to face a lot of pressure and scrutiny, but I'm excited he's at a club with that history and that connection to the community, the city, and the country when we're not in the US yet and definitely not in New York. You have the Knicks, Giants, and Rangers playing at the same time and NYCFC is definitely second-rate compared to them. The Knicks are gigantic and occupy all the space of the city โ.
What kind of person is James Sands off the field and what is the 'bing bong' all about?
โIt's kind of ironic, quite low-key and the fans loved him and he loved them too. He's not a great 'character' but he's incredibly likeable and he's one of those players where you watch him play and you see what he does without the ball and you see how smart he is and he just silently appears and interrupts them over and over again. , and that's kind of like his personality.
โThat being saidโฆ there was something viralโฆ there was something on Tik-Tok or Instagram that was basically just these loud and obnoxious guys doing really fun things in New York. He's super aggressive and super New Yorker and the accent drips there. In the subway there is one thing before the door closes, a little bell that goes 'bing bong' and in the voices of these guys it sounds very different [think of the most obnoxious stereotypical New Yoik accent and youโre almost there] and it becomes kind of a 'fuck' so 'bing bong' became one of our ovations in our title race and then somehow he teamed up with Sands.
โIn the end, every time something happened, they gave him a microphone and they shut everyone up and he did 'bing bong' and everyone lost their minds.
โThere was also a connection with the fans that was so unusual that I don't think it could have happened anywhere else. We were all in Portland (for the MLS Cup final). The game was attended by 2,500 fans and, you have to remember, we found out on Saturday and the game was on Sunday, so everyone had to buy their tickets that day.
โMost of the fans were in one hotel and the team in another, Portland is a great city, and when we were in the stands, the NYCFC fans weren't shut up throughout the game and you could see the energy fueling the team. . . After the game, all the fans stayed and celebrated and Ronny Deila stripped down to his underwear, holding up his end of the deal.
โOnce we all went left and went for a beer afterwards and the team showered and all and got dressed at their hotel, grabbed the MLS Cup and walked down the street to where the fans were enjoying a buffet dinner. paid by the club. . Out of nowhere, the whole team came in holding the trophy and any fan who wanted to meet a player just walked up and fans who wanted a photo with the trophy could take it; You will see that there are thousands of photos online of fans with the trophy.
โSands was a very important part of that and he was fundamental to that identity that there was no line between the team, the staff and the fans. By that day, everyone was just hanging out and hugging each other. It may not be the best in Covid times, but it is not every day that you win a national championship.
โIn that environment, he is very discreet but charismatic. He's not going to broadcast himself, but he's incredibly cute because he's such a good player and he says bing bong.
โNow you're going to have a ton of New Yorkers trying to figure out how to watch your games. There is going to be a lot of cross pollination. We are proud of the players who have moved, so the Rangers are going to have a few thousand more fans here in New York. "
You can find more of Oliver Strand and Hudson River Blue HERE.
In other news, a Rangers Academy player joined Falkirk on a seven-day emergency loan deal
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