With the Bundesliga winter break fast approaching, it's looking more and more unlikely that Jermaine Jones will be able to return to the pitch for Schalke 04 in 2009. The Bundesliga's winter break begins on December 19, and will last until January 16, meaning the 28-year-old midfielder would have another two months to recuperate from his shin injury.
According to reports from Germany, Jones' recovery hasn't gone as quick as the medical staff would like, and with just around four weeks left until reaching the winter break, it seems unlikely that Jones will get a chance to return before the break begins.
While it's bad news to see Jones out for even longer, if the extra health means Jones is healthy at the start of January, there's the possibility that he gets a look at the U.S. camp held at the start of next year. Otherwise, there are few FIFA dates between January and the World Cup in June.
What do you think of the latest development? Disappointed to see Jones out for even longer? Think he'll be healthy in January and get a call then?
Share your thoughts below.
Uh, Brian, Selective Service is mandatory for all U.S. males at 18. Better register, Buddy.
Americans coming back from Germany you say? Landon Donovan? Brian McBride? Claudio Reyna? Conor Casey? Jeff Agoos? Josh Wolff? Heath Pearce? Frankie Hejduk? Chad Deering? Gregg Berhalter? Kasey Keller? Thomas Dooley?
Or are Tony Sanneh and Jermaine Jones different because they’re black?
Sanneh was a damn fine player for the USA back in his prime. One of our best players at the 2002 World Cup, hands down.
60k a game? Wtf are you even talking about? He’s making about 85k for the Galaxy this year and he’s appeared in 13 matches. Dude’s just trying to make a living like the rest of us. It’s not his fault that MLS coaches are still willing to pay his old, slow ass to sit on the bench.
And he probably already has a SSN since he does (and did prior to the FIFA eligibility rule change) hold a US Passport.
He lived in the US as a kid remember?
Pretty sure signing up for selective service isn’t mandatory.
actually, there are a lot of scrimmage type matches in the lead up that aren’t televised.
haha, are you kidding? the guy walks into our team if he’s 60% and into the starting 11 if he’s 80%. right now clark isn’t doing it, edu is injured and is looking like he’s going to miss out on the squad. donovan, bradley, jones, and dempsey in the midfield is a very very good lineup. he’s got to be in the squad.
I dont trust these “Americans” coming back from Germany. The last one was one old Tony “the street hustlin loan shark” Sanneh. The old street hustler himself has played about 10 games during his last 5 seasons in the MLS- at a cost of over 2million$’s. Words of wisdom: dont offer rosters spots to old debilitated street husters from Germany. As sanneh says:” I can hustle any GM in the MLS..even made Garber look like a fool…baby I get paid 60k/game…can anyother player in the world say that?..that be real pimp hustlin, man..anyone need a loan here?”
I am certain Jermain signed up for selective service and has been issued a social security number. After all, he is American.
If healthy the worse case scenario would be that he wouldn’t be able to join a camp/prep with the USNT until May 10th 2010 when nearly all the EURO leagues shut down to allow for player integrations with their national teams for the WC. that would give him at least a month to train, practice and have matches with the US team. If this is the case would still put him on the squad over some of the more fringe choices (Kljestan & Adu) that everyone keeps posting support for.
In response to those who disagree with this concept think back over the US coaching history…there are a number of cases where the coach has included players with injuries or last minute US Citizens (Ex..David Regis 98 just became a citizen, Reyna 02 came in injured). I’m sure I could find others as well. BB was the assistant to Arena and has drunk the CoolAid, so wouldn’t put it past him to do the same thing. Just my OPINION.
How do we know that BB hasn’t coached in THE major tournament?
For those who play FIFA 10 the game, Jones is a MAJOR UPGRADE to the US midfield. FIFA rates him almost as high as Donovan. Playing with Jones just makes me more excited when i he eventually plays for the USA in South Africa.
This may just be psycho-tricks from Magath. Maybe Magath means it, but he may just think Jones has been lollygagging a bit. Schalke’s doing incredible this year (given their reduced squad and the fact that they’re playing high schoolers), so it makes sense he would want to dig deep into the bag of tricks by using the media to motivate a player coming back from injury.
Stranger things have happened.
You guys who auto-type his name in the starting eleven regardless of whether he has worn a US jersey prior to June are delusional. No way Bradley or any coach worth his salt would mess with team chemistry like that, even for a player of Jones’ caliber. I hope he is ready to play by Jan 1 or I suspect his chances of helping us at the cup will greatly decrease.
Does Jones need to be in one of those camps for the coach to know if he’ll fit in, and is a better choice?
You’re like clockwork advocat.
Get a life.
I hope he’s healthy in January and can play in the camp. But even if he doesn’t, if he’s healthy when the World Cup squad is named, he should be in it.
It’s amazing how you never stop. He doesn’t have to do any of that. Go away.
He will be probably end up playing his first game for us in our first game of the world cup.
This gives Jermaine Jones, “American citizen”, time to conduct coaching clinics for Americans in america; time for him to help the USSF fundraisers, attend the U17, U20 world cups, sign US soccer jerseys, memorabilia, meet and greet US soccer fans, help Us soccer players abroad, help Us soccer players in college,etc; make appearance at Us army bases in Germany and in Iraq. Oh ANDDDDDDDDDD report all of his income to the US tax Authorities, IRS, state tax boards, and the city tax boards for his domicile. I am certain that as an American he has fully paid his taxes to the Federal government the last 12 years. His first 85k is excluded from taxation.
How many of those games included players whose clubs were in-season? My guess is they mostly involved MLS guys during their off-season and very few guys from the top leagues abroad.
I think in those years, the Gold Cup was a January event, which is why there were so many games prior to the World Cup. Maybe not in ’06, but pretty sure that was the case in ’02.
Regardless, the only time Schalke has to make him available to us is on International Dates, of which there is one between now and when Bradley will finalize his roster.
number 4 rated midfielder in germany last year (kicker magazine)…if you guys dont think he makes the 23 man roster please hook me up with your source since he clearly has good sheet
I agree with you but our coach is Bob Bradley.
There has usually been a long international break during years with World Cups. Break usually runs the entire Month of May to allow teams to have quality preperation time for the Main Event. as for other International FIFA dates those may still be in the process of being worked out with the various Club/League calendars.
He ain’t gonna be in the Jan camp no matter what. Bundesliga “preseason” begins right after the new year, and being in Carson with a bunch MLS long shots won’t help him win back his starting job with Schalke, which is priority no. 1 for everybody.
can someone explain how can FIFA expect only 1 international date pre-world cup… I’m sure there’ll be more, but they just haven’t settled on one
Just don’t see Coach Bradley bringing this guy to the world cup if he doesn’t get healthy before the January camp and plays for the USA. Bradley isn’t one to really mess with the lineup that much before THE major tournament.
I believe that the March 3, 2010 date is the only FIFA date on the calendar before the WC.
Could be an issue if Magath doesn’t want him released, no?
I think Jones should be on the World Cup roster even if he never plays in a friendly. We need him.
If Bradley such a man crush on Sacha where has he been the lest few months? He sure as Hell hasn’t been near the National team. He hasn’t been brought in since the Confederation’s Cup. Even at that, in the Confed Cuop, he played one game complete game, and played scrub minutes in 2 others. Despite what you think Bob has no man crush on Sacha. Now others players…………………………
Not worried. He’ll be in the January camp for the MNT and will have 6 months of playing time before the World Cup.
I have a gut feeling that even if JJ is healthy…Bradley would prefer to start his man crush (sasha) over jones…
For all the people on here saying Jones may not play for the USA at the world cup.
GET REAL!!!!
the guy when healthy, is the most talented USA national team member ever outside of the unreal Landon Dononvan.
If Jones has never played a game for the US before the kickoff game for the world cup, having him in the starting 11 is still one million times better then having a scrub like Rico Clark or Maurice Edu in it.
The talent at defensive mid isn’t even comparable.
Be serious.
if we have 10 Friendlies Jones can potentially participate in, then its fine..
Rest up, theres no such thing as too healthy..
He can get a break…in his shin!!!!!!
Two broken wrists would probably do it for a ‘keeper. And also a broken pelvis. Too bad for him.
I am starting to fear he may not feature for us.
Bit off topic but Carlo Cudicini was in an accident and police are saying it may be life changing.
Apparently German doctors and physios are not happy about Jones switching his allegiance to the US! CONSPIRACY!!!
Just goes to show that you’ve gotta worry about the players you DO have. I hope Jones gets healthy, gets called in, and plays as well as everybody wants, but until that happens, I’m more concerned about what Rico Clark and Michael Bradley can do for us.
We played 10 friendlies from January ’06 up to the World Cup. In ’02 we played 14 friendlies leading up to the World Cup. If he’s back in time for January, he should still have plenty of chances to earn a spot, provided Bradley wants to use him.
The guy really can’t get a break. If we can’t get him into camp in january or at least in a few friendlies, then i say we’re gonna have to do it without him.