https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/02/21/jermaine-jones-instagram-sarah-charvet-gun-us-soccer-arena 1. Holy cow. 2. "With all due respect" Bruce Arena is the worst coach he ever had. 3. He's very frustrated he can't get a coaching job. His general point, I think, is very strong...the US soccer culture is too much about who you know, not what you know. (That's changing with some of MLS' recent hirings, I would argue.) But Jermaine, buddy, perhaps you're not the best messenger? 4. To me, JK was a mixed bag. As JJ points out, we hit some real highlights under JK, especially in friendlies. But man, were we erratic as hell. 5. He has good things to say about Bradley. 6. Late in the article, Wahl mentions JJ's new girlfriend. Google her name + arrest. Birds of a feather.... I have wanted DC to can Ben Olsen for years. If I were the owner, I would NEVER replace Ben Olsen with Jermaine Jones v. 2020, because he's a nutjob who will blow up my organization. If he undergoes a couple years of intense, successful therapy, hey, bring him on. I see a really, really fun 30 For 30 in his future.
Well I googled nepotism + soccer and the results came back "Bradley" and "berhalter" . We all have our things.
Nuggets: I had in my deal that I don’t have to come for training, I just have to come for the games. Arena said: “My son has a professional coaching license, and we moved my Galaxy staff, which won a championship with my son on it, to the national team. Bob Bradley doesn’t do people favors to be on his coaching staff, nor do I Then you see that he cut out all ‘half players’”—half-German, half-American—"and brought all MLS players in,” Jones says. “And with all due respect, there’s some players, they play national team now, they’re not national team players. With all due respect. This is why we struggle. But nobody says that because it will hurt MLS. Because MLS is saying, ‘Wait a minute, if he helps them out and he brings a guy in who’s an MLS player, after a couple times playing national team he’s not a national team player. Now we can sell it better, you know? And it’s just marketing and the business.”
hes picking up the wynalda torch of whining about not being able to get a coaching job and hes gonna carry it for years and years. he needs to go to shalke and ask to assist with a youth team and actually learn how to coach- i doubt anyone just hands him a head job. ...cause, you know, he wasnt ever an arena/bradley assistant.
It's crazy that he apparently doesn't see the issues for teams potentially considering him as a coach. He's actively trying to set up a business to take star players to go out partying in LA, had a restraining order against him, and apparently just leaves an AR-15 lying around his house. Other than maybe the Cowboys or Raiders, what professional sports organization would want to bring that sort of individual on board as a coach?
In fairness to him, when you look under the hood w/coaches eventually you find all sorts of nonsense. Recycle coaches who just fail their way to countless jobs. Plenty of other coaches who have crazy stuff in their background that only comes out when its leaked and yet get recycled as soon as the story disappears: recall Dolphins coach Chris Foerster snorting coke while sending a short video to some stripper, losing his gig, then inexplicably landing a job just two years later. There's been worse, that Falcons coach shutting down female reporters asking tough questions while speeding around town hammered on a motorcycle with some woman he was cheating with has gotten multiple jobs since. I could go on and on, whether it's DUI's, prescription drugs, hard drugs, doesn't matter, theres numerous examples. With this guy what we've got is outspokenness, and a bad breakup, and that mind numbingly stupid AR-15 thing. The latter is obviously stupid, but I'd love to troll through the houses/homes of players in the South/Midwest/Rural communities and see just how many keep their weapons in even stupider places? My guess is far many than you or I might have assumed. I get why people are averse to him, but I also think he has a point.
What a great interview. Jermaine with as much talent and courage as any american athlete, finally exposes the amateur hour at US Soccer. In retrospect, Doyle's hatchet job on Jermaine's career, where he calls for the midfield to be handed over to the 'statistically speaking' worst captain in US history, Michael Bradley was simply an order handed down by the real showrunners at US Soccer, MLS. Result? No world cup. He questions Bruce Arena's appointment and his decision to go full 'Merica. Result? No world cup. Once again the guy I feel sorry for is Christian Pulisic. Missing the world cup probably cost him $4 to $5million dollars in endorsements and contract leverage. Talk all the soccer you want, but let me know about the results first and your opinion second. Result? Worst team to watch in 30 years. Poorest player selection in 30 years. Poorest talent pool in 30 years. No world cup. No coach for a year and then no viable coach. Worst captain in US history.
He left all three of his MLS clubs in at least somewhat of a confrontational and/or unappreciative manner so it's not that surprising no one there as of yet is eager to welcome him back.
Oh and I forgot to mention, JJ along with Sam Hamwich mentions after Tim Ream involvement. After Tim Ream's first match against Paraguay you knew this was some kind of a dead ringer job. I wish the guy all the money and success in the world as a professional, but he is not a good defender at the international level.
he also singlehandedly took two of the worst teams in MLS to the championship match. Colorado and NE are absolutely terrible. Guys a hot head, but he's a winner. He has personality. Two things I guess not tolerated by the USMNT: personality and winning.
Personality is great for his Instagram aspirations. It may or may not translate to coaching competency (same with his experience as a player). Regardless, guys like Donovan and Howard had to go further down the pyramid than MLS to get their start in coaching and management, so maybe Jones should follow suit.
Jermaine Jones should go right down to the level of football where the managers enthusiastically embrace his swashbuckling style...... Yes, right down to Davey Jones' Locker.....
1. That Revs team was pretty good. Nguyen, Fagundez, and Rowe were a pretty effective attacking midfield. 2. Colorado, no. I assume know that you have been confronted by the truth you will cool down your Hot Take. Or not.
As much as it is easy to dismiss someone who throws as much out there as Jones, I was surprised to see Hercules Gomez stand up his views more than I would have expected. He doesn't back him 100%, but he comes down on his side as far as the coaching in this country being sub-standard, players being called in that are not good enough, particularly relying on MLS, Arena gets the blame for missing out on Russia. Called the entire cycle a dumpster fire, etc.
Except for Twellman's 5 minute rant, after which he has come back to the party line a bit, Herc has been the ex-Nat\media guy that has been most critical the past several years.
Good post and I agree with your highlights. He needs to show some stability in this personal life to make me want to take him on as an assistant coach. However, for the right team with a strong culture, I could see him getting a chance. He needs to drop his "business" if he wants to get into coaching. The two are not compatible. Best article Wahl has written.
People in the US have a really hard time understanding the difference between Rational Opinion, Results and Belief. Rational opinion should include a distillation of facts into some kind of premise: The US played older players, primarily from MLS under Bruce Arena and this lead them to miss the world cup. JJ: in my 20 years of high level football, playing in the best leagues in the world under many coaches, Bruce Arena is the worst coach I've ever had. That is a rational opinion. Belief: I believe the US team play incredibly well, is well managed and the central midfield is a strength. JJ: US Soccer does not value half-american players. Fact: The US lost away to T&T for the first time...was that ever? The US missed the world cup. Bruce Arena coached a team that could not fight back from a losing position despite the stakes. JJ: He retired and now runs an escort service for footballers.