FIFA has approved Jermaine Jones' application to switch from the German national team to the U.S. men's national team.
The announcement comes after months of speculation about the switch, but now the approval is a bit anti-climactic since the U.S. team has already qualified for the 2010 World Cup and Jones is currently sidelined after his latest surgery to repair a fractured leg.
Jones played for the German senior national team in three friendlies, but was allowed to switch national team thanks to FIFA's new rule allowing players with dual citizenship to switch national teams after the age of 21. Jones' father is American.
What do you think of this news? Glad to see the process finally completed? Will you be waiting for the Jermaine Jones USA patch on FIFA 10? Anxious to see him in a U.S. national team uniform?
Share your thoughts below.
Good Lord, can you imagine the CONCACAF force that Suriname could have turned into if the stars born there hadn’t gone Dutch? And by contrast, maybe the Dutch would have pretty darn middlin’.
The guy just LOOKS cool. We don’t have anyone on our team that looks like that. He seems kind of out of place, but maybe he can instill some of that coolness in our team.
the “social welfare benefits in america”? hmm…i would rather have germany’s welfare safety net, thanks. and i’m guessing jermaine jones doesn’t need social welfare benefits anyway. you’re an idiot.
Scams are perpetrated frequently to obtain the social welfare benfits in america. It would not be the first time that a US passport was obtained fraudulently. Since Jermaine has taken to ostensible steps to be part of the US, I would want him to prove it. Yes, DNA paternity testing.If I am chris Rolfes agent I would demand a DNA test. If I represent Logan Pause, Riley, Bradley, or any number of American born soccer players, I would file a lawsuit for DNA testing. But as a USMNT supporter, I would be against his selection even if he passes a DNA paternity test.
Holy Crud I just checked on Rico Clark the little guy is 5’10” 160 pounds!!! by comparison micheal Ballack is 6’2″ 180 lbs, Zidane 6’1″ 180 lbs, steven gerrard 6’0″ 185 lbs. Rico Gain some muscle please. Maybe you shou;ld go rehab with Gooch so you can learn how to lift weights.
Lawsuit? Blood relationship? DNA?????
STFU!
His father was an American citizen and soldier. Between Dec. 24, 1952 and Nov. 14, 1986, persons born abroad to one US parent were citizens if the parent had lived in the us for at least 10 years prior to the child’s birth and a minimum of those five years were after the parent’s 14th birthday. By the law of the land in force at the time of his birth, Jermaine Jones is a US Citizen.
And no…. We don’t need to see his long form “birth certificate” either!
Ouch!!!
The truth hurts doesn’t it? One thing that is common with dominating defensive mids is strength and confidence Clark has neither. I really didn’t notice how small he was until his scrapping with Beckham on Sunday. How big is he?
Are you saying that Jones doesn’t have a blood relationship to the US?
HIS FATHER WAS IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY! We at least owe it to his father who sacrificed for our nation.
All of this line-up talk got me thinking…
Many have said that the USNMT backline is a weakness – Why not play with 3 in the back and have our best 11 players on the field?
I’m not sure who our 3 back should be based on injuries and playing time, but it would be nice if we could push our strengths.
—Jozy—Deuce—
LD—-Paco—-Stu
–Jones-Bradley—
—LB—CB—RB–
—Timmmmmmmy—
—Jozy—Deuce—
LD–Bradley–Paco–Stu
—–Jones—–
—LB—CB—RB–
—Timmmmmmmy—
Ethics of a Jones selection? Completely unethical and flat out wrong. Contribute something to the American game. It would be fraudulent to allow jones to represent the US. The question where he should play in the lineup is moot; he shouldnt play at all. Like considering where will Lampard and Pirlo play in the American midfield. If I were a American born midfielder I would file a lawsuit against the USSF if Jones was selected. Matter of fact, I might do it myself. Per FIFA, a blood relationship must be demonstrated. That means DNA.
Bradley with pace? I’d rewatch game film again. Why do you think he was always giving up yellow-card fouls near our box? lost a footrace…
Hopefully he gets a chance to show BB he can
play
I don’t think Jones is really a holding midfield, he’s another box-to-box destroyer. Edu is more like a true holding midfielder. Jones makes the 4-2-2-2 Bradley had ultimately settled upon at the Confederations cup much more viable but now we don’t have Davies and that system relies on speed. Jones is definitely a big step-up on Clark, who isn’t a bad player by any means.
A 3-man central midfield of Jones, Torres, Bradley would be very industrious with an organizing presence at its heart. Bradley is definitely better as part of a 3-man midfield. That comes either as part of a variation on 4-5-1 or 4-3-3. We’re somewhat suited to the 4-3-2-1 but that system tends to require dynamic fullbacks we don’t have to provide width. Otherwise the top 3 have to be very fluid and provide dynamic width, which I think Jozy and Donovan are capable of. 4-2-3-1 is also a possibility, but that requires the central defensive midfielders to stay at home, a concept that seems anathema to our group of DMs (there are numerous examples but look at Bradley’s positioning on the 2nd goal v the Ticos).
But this is all getting ahead of ourselves… Get better Mr. Jones, get yourself match fit and we’ll see you in a couple months.
I’m not going to get excited about this one until I see him in a US Nats jersey and playing well for the team. We don’t know how well he will integrate into the system and if Bradley is even willing to mix up the midfield too much. Right now we are faced with restructuring our Attack and Defense with the long term injuries we’ve been hit with and on top of that we want to bring in this new guy and throw him instantly into the starting lineup?
I’ve never seen him play and I take Youtube with a very large grain of salt (give someone enough time and you can create a youtube highlight reel that doesn’t show the other 90% of the time they may be playing poorly). I hope he is all we hear he is but until there are results on the field I will hold my tongue.
There are no IFS about him getting on the MNT. He is going to be the heart of the midfield. We finally have a good spine: Howard, Gooch, Jones, Jozy.
He has to play this world cup considering he’ll be 32 next world cup. He’ll be in peak form after his rehab.
advocat said… “I wont cheer for this team if he is selected.”
Now Jones will help us on and off the field.
JJ is our John O’brien (WC Korea)….o’l Johnny boy play little to none of the qualifiers that term and bam; had a wonderful world cup. I just hope JJ doesn’t fall off the planet like JO. Good news none the less!!!
Not even arguably. Please get real.
“If you’re black and living in Germany it’s ASSUMED you are either African or American. That’s just the way it is. Jones was American the moment he could hold a conversation. Things are changing over there, though…. Ever so slightly.”
That`s probably true. On the other hand, after the war many African-American soldiers stationed in Germany were regarded and treated as Americans – which was a fairly new experience for them. But things have slightly changed in the US…
Sure, there are important “if’s” to consider, foremost among them health and actual performance *on the MNT*. However, I think Jones has the potential to make a huge difference to the team. At the level these guys are playing, small differences can have a big impact on the game and I think this is likely to be more than a small upgrade over Clark. I expect the defense to be under less pressure directly (because of his D) and indirectly (because he’ll do better at initiating the attack). The player in front of him, whoever it is, will be able to risk more ball control because he’s behind them. If he’s healthy and plays well with the team, I think Jones will make a big difference in the entire way the US can play.
Check your logic. We wanted Rossi. He wanted nothing to do with us. Jones wanted to play for Germany. They didn’t want him. Now he wants to play for us. Seems almost opposite if you ask me.
So following the Rossi-logic, Jones is a traitor, too?
Good to know.
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! This is the lineup I like the best.
Why the hell are you even talking about Eddie Johnson?
“Arguably”
Not so excited, Jones has had recurring injury problems and as a defensive mid, he must throw himself into tackles and hard spots all the time. That means the odds of sufficient recovery without reinjury is not so good. A lot will depend upon how he fits in with the team as well as how complete and speedy his recovery is. Lots of ifs and maybes there.
Castillo, I am not so sold on, he admits that defense is his biggest weakness as a back and prefers to go forward, not that the US can’t use another threat down the left to give LD more room. Again, it will end up being how he fits in and how well he performs.
Edu has yet to play for Rangers after his knee injury last spring. The Rangers coach has faith in him and he will play when healthy. How soon that will be and how quickly he returns to his previous form are still questions. If he plays well, expect him back into camp sometime this winter.
Onyeu probably will recover in 4 months, will he be fully fit by June?
DeMerrit should be OK, but eye surgery souunds scary.
Davies will be fortunate if he can resume training in a few months and will require substantial rehab. He is almost definitely out for the W.C.
Torres, Holden and Rogers look like they will get increasing minutes in the future.
We will know more when we know more.
One of Bob Bradley’s strengths is that he is loyal to players he trusts. Sometimes he probably keeps guys in the mix longer than he should, but I am sure that players understand and respect him for this. There is nothing worse than playing for a coach or a team where you are not trusted so that one bad mistake or poor outing will ban you for a long stretch. I guess you could say he believes in faith and redemption and gives players enough time to show if they really do not belong. It also means that players must work their way onto the team by earning that trust. That does not happen in a 3-day camp! No matter what, expect no free pass for Jones who will have to earn that trust just like anyone else.
I was able to do in FIFA 09. Make sure he’s not in the German international selections (i.e. not a starter, sub or reserve). Then go to edit player and change his nationality or whatever to the US
Jones grew up in a very rough neighborhood in Frankfurt. And yes there are what you would call “thugs” in Germany.
Hey, what was that you said about Zidane the other day? He wasn’t born in France? He was definitely born in Marseille. Idiot.
Woohoo! Now he’s just got to get healthy.
And once again Advocat shows what an ugly human being he is. Jones has a U.S. Passport. The guy is just trying to playing soccer for the United States, it’s not like he’s running for President (not a shot at Obama, the birthers are retarded). I really wish there was a way Ives could ban certain people from commenting
(SBI-I can and do ban people from commenting.)
So the question no one seems to be asking is: can I update my FIFA 10 roster so he can play with the Nats?
(SBI-Apparently he’s already eligible for the USA on the game. That’s what I heard.)
Jermaine Jones is a beast
thats all there is to know.
Do they have thugs in Germany?
Assuming Jones is in form…
Brooklyn FC I have to admit I would like to see that lineup brought out in a tough friendly. Switching Edu and Jones and bringing in Torres for Edu..
Find a way to put the best players 11 out there.
Jones will mesh. Anytime you are on a team and the new guy is the best player on the team he meshes. It’s when he’s lower in the pack that it becomes a problem for who he unseated.. and let’s say Bob will not be earning his money if Jones has problems fitting.
I can kind of see where advocat is coming from as I believe that playing for a national team should involve a commitment to the country you are playing for. I think Jones’ case is difficult as I think a valid argument could be made that his decision is one of opportunity and not commitment.
On the other hand, Jones has acknowledged that his American background has contributed to the way he is as a person (and rumor has it to some of his differences with the German coaching staff) and he has lived/spent time in this country with his American father, so I don’t think you can say he is not at least partially American. It does seem unfortunate to the player who has grown up with and committed to the US national team and who now may lose his spot, but as Jones is American, I say we go for survival of the fittest capitalism and let him have a spot on the team if he is better than other Americans.
Top ten reasons why Jones is great for the USMNT
1. He can say things like… “Hey Dicker!” and it sounds cool.
2. He’s got more tattoos than the rest of the team combined.
3. He says things like…”If I want to hit Van Bommel, I will hit Van Bommel. I’ve got no problem with it.” (It actually sounds a lot tougher in Geman.)
4. He started as a forward, so even if he wasn’t prolific, he’s still got some finishing qualities which can come to the fore.
5. He’s a thug.
6. Some people say he’s got no allegiance to the US. But those people have never been black and living in Germany. If you’re black and living in Germany it’s ASSUMED you are either African or American. That’s just the way it is. Jones was American the moment he could hold a conversation. Things are changing over there, though…. Ever so slightly.
7. He plays for a solid team that has experience in the Champions League.
8. He’s a leader. He was captain of Eintracht Frankfurt, and he’s widely expected to be the captain of Schalke once he gets fit.
9. His wife is kind of hot.
10. He’s crazy, but he’s experienced crazy. He’s now got the experience and years under his belt that he knows he doesn’t need to get red cards to assert his authority.
Huzzah! The positive legacy of American military presence in Germany continues. Welcome to the USMNT, Jermaine. Can’t wait to see you in U.S. colors.
Thanks, Ives.
what took you so long?
really no way!?!? I cant believe FIFA allowed Terry, Ballack and Blanco are able to switch federations after already playing an official FIFA sanctioned match!!!
Just realized I left off Demspey. He could compete with Johnson. Yes, I know, a bit ironic.
I have no problem with people slotting Jones into our lineup. The rest of the lineup changes thrown out there in this thread show me that no one has watched our matches over the last 4 years.
It’s certainly a good 11. A bit conservative… but solid and Bob-friendly. With your system I might go with Castillo on the left over Boca to have at least one ‘flying’ wing back.
While anybody with a brain could see that your 11 is maybe the best team, we’ve been playing such a different style over the past year or so that I don’t know if the players have the patience required to make your formation work. Donovan’s been a great assist man, but an inconsistent finisher. So our opportunities basically have to come from Dempsey (inconsistent), set pieces and voodoo.
Personally I’d make a casting call for our best Davies impersonator and do the following…
——E. Johnson-Altidore—
Torres-Jones—Bradley—-Donovan
Castillo–Boca–Demerit–Spector
and on offense switch to the diamond with Donovan cutting inside from the right.
——Johnson———Altidore
————-Donovan————
——Torres————Bradley
————–Jones————-
Castillo—Boca—Demerit-Spector
I watched a US game last year where Adu came on in the second half and I thought they were playing the diamond, because Adu was cutting inside so much. If Adu can do it, I’m sure Donovan can, too. He just has to get used to cutting in from the right, rather than the left.
Also.. when Donovan played forward for Bayern Munich last year he looked COMPLETELY lost. Just think he needs more space to be his most effective. Johnson may not be able to score, but he can do all the Ching stuff better than anyone else, and he’s got the speed so stretch the defense for Altidore.
Oh, no….you won’t cheer for this team? But what would this team and blog be without you?
More great news: FIFA grants John Terry to play for the US national team. It urns out his grandmother was born in America. Look slike Onjewu and Bocanegra will be looking for jobs. I understand Ballck and Blanco are also looking to play for the USMNT.
(SBI-Alright Advocat, let it go. You’re contributing nothing to the comments section with your repetitive rants. Find some new material.)
This formation has less width than dental floss!
I’d be excited if it weren’t for the fact that it looks like he’s the second coming of JOB getting our hopes up with his talent but physically not healthy enough to play
“I wont cheer for this team if he is selected”
Does that also mean you’ll stop frequenting certain blogs documenting soccer with an American voice. That would be awesome.
I am completely against his possible selection for the US NATIONAL soccer team on ethical grounds, fairness, loyalty, future player development. He has not proven to be an American citizen beyond all reasonable doubt. He is certainly not an American player based upon pedigree, training, history, education, demonstrable commitment. He doesnt represent me. I wont cheer for this team if he is selected. He has never played for the United states on any level. He has done nothing for US soccer. He has done nothing to help ONE american player at schalke or elsewhere in Germany. Not one demonstrable contribution to American soccer. To entertain this possibility is sheer inanity. More on the way..hold your breaths…