MLS

New England Revolution Acquire Defender Will Sands and $600K GAM from Columbus Crew

Revolution Academy Forward Olger Escobar Called up to U-17 Guatemalan National Team

July 31, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution acquired defender Will Sands and $600,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Columbus Crew in exchange for defender DeJuan Jones. New England will receive $300,000 in 2024 GAM and $300,000 in 2025 GAM and will retain a portion of the fee if Jones is transferred abroad.

Sands, 24, joins New England after three seasons in Columbus, where the Rye, N.Y. native collected 25 league appearances, including 16 starts, and three assists for the Crew. In 2023, Sands featured in seven games, all starts, and logged two assists, helping Columbus to the MLS Cup title. This season, the left back has posted six appearances, four of them starts, in 2024.

Prior to arriving in Columbus, Sands played three seasons of collegiate soccer at Georgetown University from 2019-21. Sands registered 56 career appearances for the Hoyas, with four goals and five assists. Sands helped Georgetown win the NCAA College Cup during his freshman campaign in 2019, in addition to helping guide the Hoyas to Big East Conference titles in 2019 and 2021. On the youth international level, Sands featured for the United States at the Under-17 and Under-19 levels.

“We are excited to welcome Will Sands, a talented left-footed defender with ample MLS experience, to New England,” Revolution Sporting Director Curt Onalfo said of the club’s newest acquisition. “Will brings solid MLS experience to our backline and has all the tools to succeed here in New England. Will’s arrival provides additional cover for us at the outside back position, which will be an important asset as we pursue a playoff berth over the final 11 games of the season.”

Jones departs New England in the midst of his sixth professional season after arriving as a first-round pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. The Lansing, Mich. native registered 142 MLS appearances for New England, including 127 starts, with six goals and 22 assists. Jones helped the Revolution qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs in four of his five seasons with the club, including an appearance in the Eastern Conference Final in 2020 and the club’s first Supporters’ Shield title in 2021.

“The entire Revolution organization is tremendously grateful to have had DeJuan Jones representing our club for the past five-and-a-half seasons,” Onalfo said. “DeJuan is an exceptional person and a true professional who has always given his best to the club on the…

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