The New England Revolution have shown the ability to play through pain, and outside back Will Sands is the latest example. It was revealed on Tuesday that Sands played through a broken hand.
“It happened early in the New York City game [Sunday]. Thankfully, I'm a soccer player," Sands said. "I don't really need my hands all that much. So, we're just wrapping it up tight, and I just take a couple of Advil and hope for the best (laughs). But it doesn't really change much. I think the focus is still all with the team and looking forward to the games ahead.”
Head coach Marko Mitrovic has been pleased with Sands' growth so far this season. He praised his dedication and the consistent work ethic that has seen him become a consistent starter after once struggling to get minutes prior to the arrival of Mitrovic.
"Will [Sands] is somebody that has a very strong competitive mindset," Mitrovic said. "Something that we really appreciate is that he played with a broken hand, but he didn't give up. He showed a high level of relentless mentality and how great a teammate he is, pushing through those tough moments. I can [only] imagine just how painful that is. "To be fair, during [Sunday's] game, there were a few times when you could see on his face that he felt the pain. But he just kept going, never said anything, never complained, and showed a very high level of [resilience], which is a good thing. We really appreciate everything Will is doing for the team. He has [played a high] number of minutes and games this season, but every training session he comes here, keeps doing what he has to do, keeps working hard. I believe he's showing that he's taking the right steps forward."
But this isn't just something that Sands has done. Recently, Peyton Miller clashed heads with Richie Laryea in New England's match against Toronto FC.
While there were initial concerns regarding a concussion, that was not the case. Still, Miller had to receive stitches above his left eye and needed to play with a bandage.
Sands believes the fact that himself – along with Miller – didn't miss any time due to their injuries displays two fundamental principles of the team.
“It kind of shows two fundamental aspects of this team," Sands said. "I think the first is intensity. Everyone has really strong intensity and desire to win. We especially pride ourselves on that in the backline, like putting your body on the line for the team. The second value that I think really lends itself to that is selflessness. I think you have to be willing to do what you can for your teammates, and we all want to win, and we want to do our best for our teammates. So, I think it kind of builds that trust in each other, and it's a positive aspect of our team so far.”
But there is a balance. Sometimes a player needs to be sat down to avoid further upsetting an injury or to properly recover.
New England has seen multiple players suffer injury setbacks on the path to recovery so far this season. This includes Luca Langoni and Leo Campana who are both working their way back into game fitness.
"Obviously, there are different types of pain," Mitrovic said when asked by The Blazing Musket about how to handle player injuries and players who want to play through pain. "There is pain that, no matter how strong your mentality is, especially when we talk about muscle injuries, makes it impossible to keep going. But there are injuries, or pain, that are a normal part of an athlete's life. I don't think that a player would come into the locker room after a game and feel no pain, like everything is good. I don't think that's actually a feeling you're ever going to have in your career. "So, it's about being smart. On one side, what kind of pain you have, what pain you should manage, and what pain you shouldn't. When you have players in your locker room who are ready to handle pain, that good pain, and keep going and pushing, as a coach and as a staff, we can only appreciate that."
