Jermaine Jones to play with USMNT

Ajas · 27 Oct 2009, 07:11 PM

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/c...3665585.column

Quote:

The United States potentially added a big piece to its World Cup puzzle last week when former Germany selection Jermaine Jones received approval from FIFA to switch national sides. The issue now for coach Bob Bradley is whether there's enough time to make the piece fit, or whether Jones fits at all into a well-knit U.S. team.

Jones, a charismatic defensive midfielder now playing at Schalke 04, was born in Frankfurt to a German mother and an American serviceman stationed in Germany. His parentage afforded him dual German-U.S. citizenship and the choice of which national-team shirt he wanted to wear.

He chose Germany first, but in June when it became apparent that he wasn't in coach Joachim Lowe's World Cup plans, he applied to play for the U.S. under a new FIFA rule that eliminated the age limit (previously 21) for changing national teams.

Jones, who turns 28 on Nov. 3, played three times for Germany in 2008, but because none of those matches was a full FIFA international, he was free to pursue a spot in Bradley's starting 11.

The fact that Jones was selected to play for Germany suggests he's quite a catch for the U.S. team. Jones debuted professionally in 2000 for Eintracht Frankfurt and has played nearly 200 domestic league games in Germany, most recently for Schalke. He hasn't played since June because of a fractured shin, but is expected to rejoin Schalke in December.
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Also, there's the question of how Jones, the No. 4-rated defensive midfielder in the Bundesliga last year by Kicker magazine, would change Bradley's lineup. It's likely Jones would replace Ricardo Clark in the central midfield and play in tandem with the coach's son, Borussia Monchengladbach's Michael Bradley. That's an upgrade on the face of it, but one that will have to be instituted on the fly.

Jones will miss next month's Nov. 18 friendly at Denmark because of his injury. The next FIFA match date is March 3, effectively giving Bradley just one chance to see Jones play with his new teammate before announcing his World Cup roster in May. That's not nearly enough time to fully vet a new player, but it's the time the U.S. will be given.

CyphaPSU · 27 Oct 2009, 07:47 PM

I want T.O. on this team! No wait, this guy is tougher than T.O. Bob can schedule more qualifiers just for this guy :]

I guessss on a more serious note, I welcome additional (talented) personality to this squad, especially after losing Davies for a while.

whip · 27 Oct 2009, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyphaPSU

I want T.O. on this team! No wait, this guy is tougher than T.O. Bob can schedule more qualifiers just for this guy :]

I guessss on a more serious note, I welcome additional (talented) personality to this squad, especially after losing Davies for a while.

If you want I get my boys to kidnap couple of USA players to make room for the German