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Ankle injury rules Jones out of Mexico qualifier

Jermaine Jones

 

Photo by John Todd/ISIPhotos.com

By DAN KARELL

As the U.S. Men’s National team travels to Mexico City on Sunday, they’ll be short one starter.

Jermaine Jones, who needed stitches at halftime during Friday’s 1-0 win over Costa Rica, tweeted that he was traveling back to Germany due to the leg injury. (UPDATE: U.S. Soccer has confirmed that Jones suffered a left ankle sprain.) The news means that coach Jurgen Klinsmann will be without one of his most reliable players for the upcoming match against Mexico.

The German-born midfielder has won 28 caps and scored two goals for the United States since joining the national team in October of 2010.

With Jones out, Klinsmann will now be forced to play yet another starting lineup when the team takes the field on Tuesday in Azteca Stadium. The U.S. boss has fielded a different lineup in every single game he has been in charge of.

What do you make of the news? Who do you feel will replace Jones in the lineup?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’m sure Joe Corona is a good player, but he seems like the most recent flavor of the week with US fans. I’d be willing to be no more than a handful of commenters have seen him play more than 2-3 times if at all. People are so impressed by his improved play and his action in Copa Libertadores but ignore Kljestan starting in for the top team in Belgium and in the Champions League. He is clearly a pretty good player. I don’t intend for this to be a knock on Corona. I’m sure he is good too, but people who slight Kljestan and praise Corona are off the mark.

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  2. We are playing Mexico at Azteca. With our defense the way it is(No Cherundolo, No Bocanegra- beasley on the left, just a new look all around, Gonazalez and Goodson= slow) we are going to get ripped to pieces. 4-1 to Mexico. I am going to lay $100 on the US so I can win either way. We have small hope of pulling off a tie which would be great! Pay $100 and get a tie.

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  3. I wonder sometimes how familiar DM critics are with the necessity and difficulty of the position. It’s fair to complain at how many Klinsi plays at one time, but someone has to be doing the dirty work and winning balls in the midfield, and they are often card magnets and not as pure of passers as those around them. There is a history of complaining about players like Mastro before him, same basic naive wish all the mids were attackers, same complaints about their nasty streaks.

    When playing for the US — as opposed to Schalke — Jones is actually relatively creative in his passing, and not that big a card magnet. You do have to watch for dumb card fouls, but that’s true of Clark and others in the pool also.

    And against a team like Mexico you don’t want them being able to play keepaway and pass it side to side all day at the mid level.

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  4. Fortunately for Jermain Jones (SnoFrBro) they were able to ice down his ankle (and entire body) for the rest of the CR game.

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  5. Im kind of curious to see how we do without him. I’m also hoping JK sits Gomez down. I thought he was fairly poor against CR and we need far more from that spot

    Dont forget, we didnt generate many shots against CR and have to do much better against Mexico if we want to get out of there with some point(s)

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  6. I like Edu for Goodson for speed and Corona for Jones. We lose a bit of bite for sure but we really need a speed in the back. I wish Williams were healthy I think Bradley-Williams tandem is the future or Bradely/Morales for two holding mids. Whom ever Klinsi starts….they will be busy. Cameron will have to step up while Beas will have to keep it going.

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  7. Three holding midfielders didn’t help against Honduras, so won’t help against mexico!

    I like to see Boyd or Corona start over Zusi, Edu could replace Jones, just don’t mess-up with the defense. I just like to see USNT shot more from long-range, unlike vs Costa Rica.

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  8. If we put out 11 players who play with passion, grit, and skill like Jones I like our chances against Mexico. I would like to see a midfielder or two Mexico has not seen before like Corona for example to be a part of a counter attack strategy. Beasley on LW can be a part of a counter attack for example. Of course that leaves a question mark at LB. Also, Shea is a 45 min option and I am sure has had the benefit of an extra week working out. Shea on LW and Beasley as LB.

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    • “Mexico has not seen before like Corona for example”

      My guess is that Mexico probably knows everything worth knowing about Corona.

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      • Just watching him play is not that hard to see why many don’t care for his playing style….to each there own I guess….

      • I like Jones’s physical presence and thought he showed good touch against Costa Rica. But he also makes completely unnecessary fouls such as the swinging arm against Ruiz and some all out tackles that if he missed could’ve been red cards. Reminds of the Mastroeni days – living on edge with red cards and too burned by them. Bradley is as effective defensively in the middle but doesn’t take the risks.

  9. I was at the 2011 Gold Cup and Jones was owned by Mexico…horrid game….looked lost and out of place most of the game….

    I’m not a fan of Jones….to me he brings little of what we need in the midfield….

    Reply
      • More offense and creativity….neither of which he has….he has trouble stringing passes together and is one foul away from being sent off every game he steps on the field….have never seen what Klinsmann sees in him….

        Dude is an enforcer and that is last thing this team needs right now….he is damn lucky he was not rec carded against CR….

        And I’ll say it again he was ‘owned’ against Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup Final that I was at….in my opinion the worst American on the field that day….

      • Bradley was also “owned” in the Gold Cup final, they crushed in the midfield. Have you seem Jones play for Schalke? He’s much more than an enforcer and I know he will be missed. I find the Jones hate shocking quite frankly, he is one of our best 3-4 players.

      • No Jones was ‘owned’….I was at the game…he was out of place, looked lost and was just plain awful….

        I don’t hate anyone…I just don’t think he is that good….and yeah I watch a lot of club football from all of the leagues…I’m not just a casual USMNT fan team like a lot of folks…and not saying you are FWIW…

      • I was there too

        It because you cant pair bradley and jones together. You need jones + a creative midfielder

        Bradley is scared of high pressure players

        Bradley was the one that sucked that game even though he scored

  10. Edu for Goodson! Corona should take Jermaine’s position he’s had experience at Aztecs with Xolos! Klejstan will get ripped like a little baby like opera! Beasley can keep up with Santos and Jo tarito. But goods on is actually pretty slow compared with edu who’s in form can’t compete with that! Magee shouldve taken klejstans/ Davis spot he’s been playing better soccer also Bedoya would’ve been a better option! I say boyd, Shea , and Beckerman/Johnson are good sub choices! No graham zusi the guy is absolutely terrible! Bad game against Honduras and Costa Rica he’s not consistent at all!

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  11. I was thinking Jurgen used Edu to complement Omar with a more mobile Center Back…..wonder if he still does that? Or if he dares to start Besler in his first official game cap? So it would be Beasley at Left Back, Besler and Omar at CB and Cameron at Right Back????
    With Edu and Bradley in the middle behind Dempsey, Gomez and HOPEFULLY Corona….

    Or could we dream of Klinsmann using a more traditional 4-4-2 and stick the Edu at Center Back plan? I would love to see it, something like this is what I would love to see but it is a risk:

    ========Jozy==Gomez========
    =Dempsey====Zusi======Corona=
    ===========Bradley==========
    =Beasley==Edu==Omar==Cameron=
    ===========Guzan=========== Or maybe something like this:

    ========Jozy==Gomez========
    =Eddie====Dempsey====Corona=
    ===========Bradley==========
    =Beasley==Edu==Omar==Cameron=
    ===========Guzan===========

    I think Boyd, Shea, EJ/Zusi and maybe Besler should be the options off the bench….
    Hoping we see Boyd late in the 2nd half to help get a late goal….maybe for a tired Gomez or Jozy, ideally if Jozy goes 90 and Gomez subs out for Boyd around the 75th it gives us a great big, fast and strong tandem up top to finish the game!

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  12. ——————Guzan
    Cameron-Gonzalez-Edu-Beasley
    ——–- Bradley— Sasha—-
    —-Gomez—Dempsey— EJ
    ——————Altidore

    DO NOT go with boring bunker down DCM’s – beckerman

    Go on the attack…… FU#K mexico

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  13. I wanted Edu to start for Goodson bcI don’t think Goodson is quick enough to keep up with Little Sweet Pea. Bradley should be able to push forward a bit more which is good.

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  14. This is definitely not good news for the team. However, why not go a bit more offensive and go with Corona in the mid and then bring in Shea or Beckerman depending on the score. It is not as if Joe has not seen some ruckus Mexican fans before…

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    • +1. I’ve never been a fan of Jones. Yes, he plays hard. But technically he was never impressive. Additionally, for a 30+ year old he lacks emotional maturity. I’m always concerned he’s going to get consecutive yellow cards. Still boggles my mind that he’s supposedly our best #2 option at CM.

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  15. I didn’t like what I saw from Edu’s brief appearance Friday (I was at the game). He seemed to hang up field too far when we were trying to close the game out. I generally like him as a player, but he seemed out of position for what was needed. Costa Rica was pressing two forwards on the center backs late in the game and he was too far away to help provide any cover.

    But I still rate him highest for playing Tuesday.

    Hopefully someday we’ll be able to choose camera angles from which to watch games. I really enjoy seeing games live because you can see the shape and movement of the whole team.

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  16. Any chance we get to see Sacha play centrally (I know i’m likely the minority who are interested in this propositon)? I know he plays a deep lying role for his club,and the little I’ve seen of Anderlecht I’ve liked his play out of that position. My guess is that he may be to much a liability defensively. Realistically I’d be happy with Edu anchoring the backline and a pairing of Bradley with Corona/Kljestan. Cap it off with Dempsey, Herc and Altidore at FWD. Problem with this formation is width, that is assuming our fullbacks won’t be pressing FWD all that much in an Azteca minded gameplan.

    Most importantly, I wish Jones a speedy recovery. He will be missed.

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  17. Some one please shoot me 🙁 this means beckerman will see the field. Smh I don’t even want to think of how bad he’s gonna be outclassed and outrun in that midfield. In a perfect world klinsy would go for it and throw MB as a DM and play corona in front of him, but we all know that wont happen

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  18. Positionally, I don’t see any need to use 3 d-mids at Azteca. In fact, Jones’s absence might work out rather well, as Bradley could do his usual two-way work while Edu could basically hang back and focus on shielding the back line in what will surely be a game where the U.S. will need to absorb a good deal of pressure. And voila! — no more worries about having both central mids caught upfield simultaneously.

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  19. I think this is a bigger issue than it seems at first. I’m thinking Edu was brought in to play CB against Mexico as he did in the win at Azteca. With Jones out that moves him into that spot leaving the Goodson to pair with Gonzales again. A Goodson/Gonzales tandem may not be mobile enough against Mexico. Ok so slot Cameron in there, right? But then we will have a very inexperienced RB. If I had to choose I guess I’d go with Goodson/Gonzales. We’ve been burned from the wing too many times against Mexico. There’s also the possibility Beckerman takes Jones’ spot and Edu plays CB with Gonzales – allowing Cameron to stay at RB. This could work but I’m not a huge Beckerman fan at the national level. It will be interesting to see what Jurgi trots out there. Any result for this bunch against that bunch in that place will be pretty impressive.

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    • On what basis do you say Edu was bought in to play center back at Azteca? It’s far more likely that he was bought in to play the third deep mid. The only good news is that now JK can’t do that. Or at least its likely he can’t…

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  20. Hope he recovers quickly. Great player for us. Did he choose us after Germany looked elsewhere? Sure. But he’s American and he’s been as committed to us over the past couple of years as anyone else. Unless he’s injured again, he’ll be wearing the red, white, and blue in Brazil with pride.

    I have faith in Edu but I might put Beckerman behind him.

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  21. ——————Guzan
    Cameron-Gonzalez-Goodson-Beasley
    ——–Edu-Beckerman-Bradley
    —-Gomez——————-Dempsey
    ——————Altidore

    Reply
    • I really do like Beckerman as a player, think he plays smart, puts in the effort and has grit. Unfortunately he is slllllllloooowwwww which makes him a situational player at the International level, which in my opinion, should not include games like this. My impression against speedy, skilled teams, he is often a step behind and ends clipping from behind giving away a lot of dangerous free kicks right outside the box.

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    • With that line-up, Beckerman touches the ball more than any other American (with the possible exception of Guzan while retrieving it from the back of the net).

      I like the 4-2-3-1, think it fits our situation with the back line well as well as our depth in DMs. But I am open to other approaches, thoughts – with one caveat. Always, always, always (in other words, to the extent possible) have strong ball handlers in your spine positions.

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    • Swap Bradley and Beckerman. Bradley pushes forward a little bit. More like…

      ————Guzan
      Cameron-Gonzalez-Goodson-Beasley
      ———-Edu—–Beckerman
      ————–Bradley
      —–Gomez———Dempsey
      ————-Alitdore

      That way we might actually get some width.

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  22. He played big in Denver, but fortunately, this is a position where the Yanks are ocean-deep with quality. And frankly, in a steaming-hot cauldron filled with thin black air, palpable hostility, and the usual array of cheap shots and baiting from the ever-chippy, Machiavelli-worshiping Mexicans, one less red card waiting to happen can only be a good thing.

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  23. Edu and Beckerman are the obvious replacements. The former is the better player while the latter has the advantage of being altitude-experienced. I’d go with Edu, personally.

    I think this complicates matters for Klinsmann because I’m sure he was tempted to go with the three D-mid set, and now he only has three dedicated D-mids on the roster. Go with Bradley, Beckerman and Edu, and there’s no one to come on and shore things up if needed. I would like to believe this will make him more likely to stay with the 4-2-3-1 he used against the Ticos. That said, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

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    • Why the $%^& would you go with that line up ???… Why is everyone so scared of mexico? They are not that good…

      So you want to see no possession, no scoring changes ??

      ZZZZ…..

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    • Hopefully Mo and Beckerman are NOT the answer. I just don’t feel Beckerman can play at the national level. He’s much too slow, and he does not have the technical skill needed to overcome this glaring weakness.

      There is a compliment to Bradley…I just don’t think he’s with the team in Mexico right now.

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    • I disagree completely. There is a reason why Mo is playing in Turkey vs. England. He’s strong and athletic…that’s why I like him better at defense. As a center midfielder he gives the ball away too much when he plays for the Nats.

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      • Disagree. JJ is not a reliable passer. He turns the ball over much more than Mo. He tends to (with USMNT anyway) try to do too much and hold onto the ball and turn it over instead of making the obvious pass. He missed two wide open through balls on Friday that could have led to scoring chances and he threw a stupid elbow for no reason that could have easily been a straight red and was a dangerous free kick for the Ticos. If they had scored on that set piece, what would everyone have been saying after the game? He is more disciplined with Schalke. With USA, he’s too much risk and too little reward.

      • Moderation… of course. I’m beginning to think of switching over to American Soccer Now. This is senseless.

  24. And he wrapped his leg after the injury and continued playing……… showing his commitment to the team. The man is a beast….wish you a speedy recovery JJ

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  25. Say what you want about his turnovers, they bother me too, but the guys plays hard every second that he is on the field. Well…except when he is pretending to be injured after a tackle, but I digress. He gives you everything he has, and NEVER disappears in a game. That can not be said for many of the mainstays in our lineup.

    He’s not perfect but I love his his passion and desire to win!! I think his attitude is perfect for Azteca!!

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    • It’s time to break in Joe Corona in some way. He’s familiar playing in Mexico and will help to keep possession.
      _____________Altidore
      __
      Corona_______Dempsey_______Gomez
      _________Bradley
      ___________________Edu
      Beasley___Goodson___Gonzo__Cameron
      __
      _______________Guzan

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      • Yeah I’d like to see that.

        Big pressure on Corona, but why not. Just yank him early if he seems overwhelmed.

    • You should be… devastated that is. Despite the occasional bonehead yellow, he’s one of the top 2-3 players we’ve got. Big blow.

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      • Absolutely. Edu is a good player, but he lacks the grittiness and intensity Jones brings the full 90.

      • +2. The way he played after his ankle got obliterated on Friday should shut up all the talk about under motivated foreign born players. Get well Jermaine! We are behind you!

      • Agree say what you will about potential for yellow cards and some occasional bad passes, you cannot fault his commitment.

        Also, this leaves the US with all its German-American players out with injury. That is not a good thing, they are on the team because they are good.

    • And was lucky to not have gotten a red card with the elbow to the face…he scares the hell out of me every time he steps on the pitch…a card/send off waiting to happen….

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      • That point might hold some water if he had more than one straight red in his career (which most soccer people said was BS). He has a rash tackle in him but he USUALY knows his limits.

      • Pull your pants up. This is the big leagues and Jermaine plays like a grown man. We need an enforcer and Jermaine is a good one who plays Champions League ball and plays well. An enforcer in the Bundedliga is like a tank in any other league. Edu will be an adequate replacement but not nearly as talented. Get well soon I say, and I hope we can hold down the middle w/ out him.

      • Totally agree…he plays the way the game used to be played before the actors got involved(and the Oscar goes to Cristiano Ronaldo.) Hard foul…yes, accumulated lot’s of yellow cards…yes, love him or hate him, nothing in between…yes, do you want to play against him….no, is he Nigel De Jong…no, do emotions some times gets his way…nope he is a machine.

        You can say a lot about but I am more worried that he will be caught in possession and is unable to foul his way out of a counter attack that leads to a goal.

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