Photo by Eric Hartline/USA Today Sports
By CARL SETTERLUND
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Don’t call Jermaine Jones a center back — at least not in MLS.
The New England Revolution star played 90 minutes for the first time this season in last weekend’s 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union, but it wasn’t from Jones’ usual perch in central midfield.
Instead, with Jose Goncalves and Darrius Barnes both out injured, Jones filled in as an emergency center back, which is the position he’s played lately for the U.S. Men’s National Team.
“The position is easy to play for me,” Jones said before the Revolution’s training session on Wednesday. “But I knew it before the game that if I play there that maybe after the game a lot of people will say ‘Why he don’t play (center back) always?’ I feel like, right now, I’m still hungry to get more balls and be more involved in the game and that’s why I like to play midfield.”
The 33-year-old Designated Player warned not to expect a position change anytime soon.
“I was saying that one game I was okay,” Jones said. “I told (Revolution head coach Jay Heaps) that. We need somebody, Jose is injured, so I stepped in and played it.”
Heaps isn’t ready to cede lineup decisions to Jones just yet.
“Jermaine is certainly someone we can play there any time we want,” Heaps said. “We know he’s very comfortable there, and I think he’s excellent there. We also see him helping the game from the midfield, but it’s great to have options. I think the versatility of Jermaine showed tremendously.”
Here are few more notes from Revolution training:
BUNBURY PROVING HE’S NOT A BENCH PLAYER
Teal Bunbury started last Saturday’s game on the bench, but he doesn’t plan to make a habit of it — something that showed in his play over the final half hour against the Union.
Bunbury came on for Kelyn Rowe in the 61st minute and quickly made an impact, setting up Charlie Davies’ 64th-minute equalizer before scoring the winner himself in the 76th minute.
“Obviously, I want to start every game and in my head I feel like I should start every game,” Bunbury said. “But it’s the coach’s decision and I have to be a man about it. When I came on, I just wanted to be dangerous and make an impact.”
Bunbury missed three games earlier this season with a shoulder sprain, but had already worked back up to playing 90 minutes the previous weekend against Columbus Crew SC.
“Maybe a little chip on my shoulder, but I think that happens,” Bunbury said. “Everyone has their own kind of motivation factors and, for me, every game I want to perform, I want to score, I want to get an assist, I want to work hard defensively, so nothing too much different there.”
Bunbury said Heaps explained the personnel decision to him, but the Revs winger wasn’t sharing details, saying, “He did give me a little insight and it’s between him and I.”
WOODBERRY FINDING A NEW HOME IN NEW ENGLAND
London Woodberry’s first MLS stop, as a Homegrown player coming up through the FC Dallas system, didn’t work out as planned, but the Texas native looks like a fit for the Revolution.
Heaps said he thinks the former University of Maryland standout — where he played with former Revs forward Patrick Mullins — can play all four back line positions, and with Goncalves, Barnes and Chris Tierney all dealing with injuries, Woodberry got the call to start at right back.
“We scouted him quite a bit when he played for Maryland, so I saw him play a lot in college and really rated him high then,” Heaps said. “But he was a Dallas Homegrown, so we followed his career a little bit, but he’s not someone you can draft.”
After appearing in eight games for FC Dallas in 2013, Woodberry spent all of last season in USL Pro, playing for Arizona United.
“It was kind of a difficult situation for me,” Woodberry said of joining the Revolution. “I had already signed with a USL team, Arizona, but I got a call from my agent saying that New England wanted me to come on trial. I couldn’t turn that down. I had a good discussion and a good relationship with the people in Arizona, so they were willing to give me the opportunity and let me give it a try.”
Woodberry ended up latching on, and on Saturday he showed the speed, skill and game sense that made him an MLS player in the first place. Bunbury even called him his personal man of the match.
“He was doing everything right,” Bunbury said. “He was in great positions defensively, he was confident on the ball, he played simple when he had to… There wasn’t a moment where I said ‘Oh, he messed up here.’ For me, he had a perfect game.”
JONES WANTS A LONG-TERM CONTRACT
Jones said on Wednesday that he wants to play professionally at least until the next World Cup in 2018, and he could see himself remaining in MLS for that duration.
“The only point that I try to talk now with the league about is to maybe get a longer contract that I can switch my kids, too, and my family (from Los Angeles to New England),” Jones said.
Jones said he plans to hang up his USMNT cleats in three years, but could continue after that in MLS.
“My goal is to go to the next World Cup and then retire with the national team and look how I feel,” Jones said. “If my legs is tired and people don’t want to see me when I’m old, then maybe I will say ‘Okay, it’s done.’ But I like it and I have a lot of fun. People give me so much respect here in this city.”
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What do you think about Jones’ comments? How should the Revs use Bunbury? Was Woodberry’s performance a sign of things to come or just a flash in the pan?
Share your thoughts below.
Its all about the figures. I can see him getting that 3 year extension but they’ll want him to take a deep pay cut. He’ll be 37 by the end of that 2018 season.
Let’s be honest here, JK will not solve the centerback’s problems by moving Jones there. We have like four to five mediocre ones (Besler Brooks Cameron Gonzalez Alvarado) right now that can alternate and maybe the right formula is found so that we don’t give up late goals as often. Jones belongs in the midfield behind Mr. Bradley, or along Mr. Bradley depending on the formation used. This team must play Jones Bradley and Dempsey all the minutes of this GC. Mexican team, if A team, will be scary.
Every great squad has at least one guy who won’t hang up his cleats and continues to defy Father Time.
That Colombia squad that shocked the world this past World Cup had 38-year-old Mario Yepes starting at CB. Even that German squad that won it all had 36-year-old Miroslav Klose as the one true striker on the roster. Pirlo may not be the best example because Italy has gone out in Group the last two World Cups – which should be a red-flag about what the state of Italian soccer is, right now, but he was still getting it done, and Lampard and Gerrard are still highly effective EPL players at 36 and 37 years old, and on top teams…and Gerrard, in particular, has a lot more miles on his legs than Jermaine Jones does. (I’m not terribly convinced Gerrard will not have much impact in MLS, actually.)
Just saying…Jones will PROBABLY hit the wall…but I’m not convinced of it. Jermaine Jones does not seem to be ready to pack it in yet…and with his athleticism, his competitiveness, his toughness…if there’s a guy I could legitimately see beating the odds and contributing even at age 36 for the USMNT – at center mid – it’s Jones. Personally I’d ride him as long as he’s still got that fire in his belly…because I don’t think Jones, anyhow, thinks he’s done.
He was arguably our best field player in Brazil. He elevated the Revs to MLS Championship contenders the second he arrived. As long as he keeps playing at that high level, I would not be the coach who drops him, or doubts him…and I don’t think Klinsmann will be, either.
Bunbury, C Davies, Rowe, Agudelo, D Fagundez; atleast two from that group will have to move to another team if they want to be consistent starters. Send one from that group over to the Galaxy, we’ll take one off their hands. Not Davies though.
As a Revs fan, many of us would love to see Rowe go but I dont think that will happen. Its a long season, people get hurt and people get tired and worn out. We have 5 guys running through 3 positions. I think with a good rotation, Heaps can keep them all playing and all somewhat fresh. Fagundez is locked into 3 or 4 more years so there is no urgency there. Agudelo is still struggling to fit into this group but he will find his spot
Jones – while we love him, I’m not sure the Revs will give him what he wants in contract length. Every time they have done that in the past it has burned them. He seems to have lost a step so far this year and that might only get worse. I think if his pace is back in a few more weeks though, they could go long term. I think the fans would be irate if they lost him at the end of the year
Wow. I don’t interact with a lot of other Revs fans, but I for one would hate to see Rowe go. Is that really a common sentiment?
Many think he’s a turnover machine. Thing is, every now and then he does something good and Heaps seems to rate him higher than others. All I can say is the game last week turned around when he and Juan cam off for Teal and Diego.
I like to think I interact with a fair amount of Revs fans – in the tailgate lots, on Twitter, on Reddit – and this is the first I’ve ever heard someone assert that they wanted Rowe gone. I don’t believe it is a common sentiment. I’ve heard some groans about consistency (with which I agree) and a few people who said, with our stacked midfield, we might be able to get a good price for a player like Rowe… but that’s it.
Again he is the BEST midfielder we have, so play him where he is his best. He shouldn’t lose his spot until someone better comes along….the that goes for Dempsey too.
You gotta think that with the way this man carries himself on and off the field, he’ll be in serious contention for a another WC spot in 3 years time. Barring any injuries or serious dip in form of course, but he’s quality of the highest order and for the US’ sake let’s ride him out till he can’t do it anymore!
Agreed, people talk about his age but he is still one of the fittest USMNT players especially in terms of ground covered per match and top speed. Injuries could catch up but the fact that he spent a couple years on the shelf due to them may extend his career.