USA Soccer World Cup Profile: Midfielder Jermaine Jones
Position
Jermaine Jones is a 32-year-old American that is currently playing for Turkish club team Besiktas and the United States Men's National Team as a defensive midfielder. He was born in Germany but has the American citizenship through his father who is a service man.
World Cup Experience
Jermaine Jones does not have any World Cup experience. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is his first Cup. However, Jones does have international experience with both the German team and US team. Jones actually played four matches with the German U-21 team. He was never called up to play for the senior German team.
In 2009, Jones told the press that he would play for the US team due to his father's American nationality, making Jones an American citizen. Also, FIFA had just passed a rule stating that players with dual citizenship could switch countries as long as the player had not played for a country's senior team in an official match. Jones was perfectly eligible. With the US, Jones managed to play in some friendly games against Brazil, Poland and Colombia.
Club Experience
Jermaine Jones started his professional career with German club team Bayer Leverkusen after being bought from another German team - Eintracht Frankfurt. His chances with Leverkusen were scarce, so he was sent to Leverkusen II. Eintracht took Jones back on loan for six months so he could get more playing time. In those six months, Jones scored six goals.
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Jones's career was hindered by injuries but Schalke 04 took a chance. With his new German team, he suffered another muscular injury that kept him from playing most of the time. Schalke 04 sent him to the English Premier League with the Blackburn Rovers on loan.
In the English league, Jones picked up his game, so Schalke 04 took him back without letting him sign a contract with the Rovers. Jones ended up having a successful run with the German team, but his contract ran out. Now, he is playing with Turkish team Besiktas.
Latest
Jermaine Jones told the press that it was going to be key to shut down Ghana in the first game for the US in the 2014 World Cup, and that is exactly what Jones and the US defense did. Jones is the defensive midfielder for the US and plays alongside Michael Bradley who is the attacking midfielder. Jones did a spectacular job at keeping the Ghanaians in check until the 81st minute when Ghana scored the tying goal. It wasn't until a few minutes later that the US got the victory goal made by John Brooks.
Despite being scored on in the first match, Jones and the rest of the US defense did a great job of stopping the onslaught from Ghana, who were shooting left and right in desperation. The US now has to concentrate in scoring more goals in order to win just like the they did against Ghana.
Read other United States men's national soccer team player profiles here
J.L. Herrera is a huge fan of football and has been following the Raiders since the 1980s during the LA era. J.L. is also a freelance writer and copywriter on the web. He taught English for a little more than a decade in Los Angeles at the secondary level. While writing for web based news outlets, J.L. enjoys reading, creative writing, and watching sports. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
