BRADENTON, Fla. – Will Sands knows how it feels to win an MLS Cup. Playing for the Columbus Crew in their 2023 championship-winning season, he says he wants to “chase that feeling again and again,” and he's confident it's an objective the Revolution have the talent and determination to achieve this year.
“I don't want to be corny or go off into clichés, but it's really the chemistry on and off the field that helps a team,” the 24-year-old left back explained. “I think the more you can build a sense of camaraderie, it really matters when the going gets tough in games and you're trying to hold on to a lead or you're trying to fight back when you're down. Just understanding that the guy next to you is willing to give his all, I think that's very important.”
With a roster full of new players, chemistry is at the top of everyone’s list for the Revs this preseason. Sands says it’s already apparent just two weeks into camp that it's starting to come together.
“We all like to play a similar way and we all have similar goals. Even if we don't all quite know each other well yet, you can see it on and off the field,” he said. “I think this team definitely has the individual talent to do something, so it's about how we can mesh cohesively and create a group effort that is capable of doing it all.”
Sands was once the new guy on the pitch, joining the Revolution in July of 2024 after playing with the Columbus Crew since 2022. When he looks back on his start with New England, he says he was a bit shy and reserved at first. Now, he has come out of his shell, claiming “once you get to know the people around you, the easier it is to assimilate on and off the field. So, for the guys that just came in, it’s all about making sure they feel welcome and supported.”
When joining the Revolution, one face was familiar to Sands from the start; he had played under head coach Caleb Porter when he made his MLS debut with Columbus, and now has the unique opportunity to play for a different club under Porter’s leadership. Sands says playing with Porter again has really helped him understand his philosophy.
“It’s very cool to see different coaches with different ideas. You can pick up the best parts of them. So, I think playing for a lot of coaches, it’s cool to come back to Caleb’s style of play and really understand what he wants and why he wants it,” Sands explained.
As the team learns more about Porter’s plan ahead of the 2025 campaign, preseason at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida has been a bit of déjà vu for Sands, who spent his freshman and sophomore years of high school at IMG. Sands attended school as he trained with the U.S. Youth National Team, which ran a program out of IMG. Playing for the United States, Sands scored three goals across seven appearances for the U-17s in 2016 and had one appearance with the U-15s in 2015.
Sands comes from a family of soccer players, but it didn’t start with his parents. “Weirdly enough, neither of my parents played soccer. They both played high school and college sports, but it was my older sister who got all the kids to play soccer,” he said. Sands’ twin brother James plays professionally for New York City FC and is currently on loan with FC St. Pauli in the German Bundesliga, and both his sisters played soccer at the collegiate level. “We all followed in my older sister’s footsteps. She started the soccer trend and it caught on from there.”
It’s apparent that Sands cares deeply about his family, explaining that soccer hasn’t been the only thing his older sister has influenced in his life. Off the pitch, Sands is a self-proclaimed “nerd,” explaining that his sister, who is now an English teacher, is his source for good book recommendations.
“I wear this with a little pride, even though I get made fun of for it, but I like to call myself a nerd off the field. I like to play chess in my off time, and me and Noel Buck have been doing the New York Times Crosswords every morning,” said Sands. “In my free time, aside from hanging out with family and friends, I like to read a lot.”
Sands is not the only chess player on the team, having played against Revolution goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič a few times – with no luck. “I might have to practice a little before, but I am looking forward to a rematch against Ali,” he said.
For now, a checkmate against his teammate takes the backseat, and all eyes are on another MLS Cup.
“My biggest hope is to win an MLS Cup,” said Sands. “I was lucky enough to do it once and we can win one with this team. The guys are amazing and I think everyone deserves that. It's something we could definitely achieve and that's what I want most this season.”
