Jermaine Jones

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Citizenship: USA/Germany
Birth date: November 3, 1981
Acquired: Signed on March 4, 2016 from New England Revolution in exchange for general allocation money and the Rapids’ first-round pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. Targeted allocation money was used on Jones’ contract and he will not occupy a Designated Player slot.

MLS CAREER

2016

• Suspended for the first six games of the season following a ban carried over from 2015, Jones eventually made his Rapids debut on April 16 against New York Red Bulls, in what has since been dubbed Snowclasico II.
• Jones scored the opening goal of a 2-1 home win over the Red Bulls. He also registered an assist for Dominique Badji's winning goal.
• Playing in a more advanced role, Jones scored again in the next game, a 3-1 home win over Seattle Sounders FC (4/23).
• In his first four starts, Jones scored three goals and tallied two assists.
• He missed three games due to international duty at the Copa America Centenario, before returning for the July 4 contest at home to Portland Timbers.
• An injury sustained in the game with the Timbers kept Jones sidelined until the last 23 minutes of the last regular season game of 2016 (10/23).
• When Jones started, the Rapids were 5-0-3.
• He made MLS Team of the Week on two occasions (Weeks 7 and 10).
• Named to the MLS All-Star roster, but injury prevented him from playing any part in the game against Arsenal.
• Returned for the last game of the regular season, a 1-1 home tie with Houston Dynamo on October 23 - his first appearance since July 4.
• He came on as a halftime sub for Dillon Powers in the road leg of the Western Conference Semifinal at LA Galaxy (October 30), but started and played 83 minutes of the return leg at Dick's Sporting Goods Park (November 6).

2015

• Appearances were limited to just 18 (17 starts) in his first full season in MLS, as he underwent surgery to repair two sports hernias.
• He had been playing throughout 2014 with the first hernia, and underwent surgery in February. This forced him to sit out the first five games of the season.
• He then sustained a second sports hernia injury in less than a year during a May 31 game vs. the LA Galaxy, which led to him missing the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
• Jones returned to MLS action as a 76th minute substitute in a 3-1 home win over Toronto FC on August 1.
• He also featured for the Revolution in their one-off Playoff game, a 2-1 loss at D.C. United, in which he was sent off in the 89th minute.

2014

• Played the first-half of the 2013-14 European season with Schalke but left the club in January for Besiktas. Finished 3rd with Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig. He then joined the New England Revolution in August.
• Made 10 regular season appearances (7 starts) for the Revolution, scoring two goals and adding four assists.
• He was also a mainstay during the run to the 2014 MLS Cup, which the Revs lost to LA Galaxy, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

OTHER

• Played 14 professional seasons, all in Europe.
• Became the second U.S. men’s national team player to score in the UEFA Champions League knockout stage (joining DaMarcus Beasley) when he tallied Schalke’s lone goal in a 1-1 road draw against Galatasaray of Turkey on February 20, 2013
• Began his professional career in 2000 with Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) where he made 93 appearances with the club’s first team in four seasons, while also splitting time with the club’s reserve/Under-23 side.
• During his time in Frankfurt, Jones played in both Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, as Eintracht Frankfurt were relegated to the second division for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, before gaining promotion back in 2003-04.
• In July 2004, Jones moved to Bayer Leverkusen (GER) on a free transfer where he again split time between the club’s first team and reserve side, and made two appearances in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
• Loaned back to Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2005, where he made 14 appearances, scoring three goals and adding five assists before the Bundesliga 2 season concluded in May.
• At the end of his loan, Jones re-signed with Eintracht Frankfurt and made 29 combined appearances in Bundesliga and German Cup matches in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
• Signed with FC Schalke 04 (GER) in July 2007 and became a mainstay in the S04 lineup. In two seasons, he made 59 league appearances, eight UEFA Champions League appearances (on the way to a quarterfinal appearance), four UEFA Cup appearances and additional appearances in UEFA Champions League qualification.
• A shin injury prevented him from playing during the entire 2009-10 season and he finally returned to the field in a German Cup game on August 14, 2010.
• Jones made 10 league appearances with S04 before going on a six-month loan to English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers in January 2011, where he made 15 appearances.
• Returned to Schalke 04 ahead of the 2011-12 season and made 59 league appearances in the next two-and-a-half seasons, and also made eight appearances in UEFA Europa League as Schalke advanced to the 2011-12 quarterfinals.
• Made six appearances in the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League as S04 advanced to the Round of 16, and three appearances in group play in the 2013-14 Champions League to help Schalke advance to the knock-out stage for the second year in a row.
• In January 2014, Jones was loaned to Turkey’s Besiktas through the end of the season, making 10 appearances.

USMNT

Became eligible to represent the U.S. after his documentation was approved by FIFA on October 20, 2009, following his petition to switch from representing Germany.

2010

• Called into the Brazil camp in August, but unable to participate due to injury. Made his debut against Poland on October 9th.

2011

• Started against Argentina on March 26th and was a second-half sub against Paraguay three days later.  Scored his first goal for the US in the 2-0 win over Panama in the Gold Cup quarterfinals. Started in the Gold Cup final against Mexico on June 25th.

2012

• Called into January camp, captaining the USA against Venezuela on January 21st and assisting on the game winner. Once again captained the USA against Panama on Jan 25th. Scored against Scotland on May 26th. Started against Mexico on Aug 15th. Started against Jamaica on Sept 7th and 11th. Subbed on in the second-half against Antigua & Barbuda on Oct 12.

2013

• Started against Honduras on Feb 6th, Costa Rica on Mar 22nd, and Germany on Jun 2nd. Started against Jamaica in the Jun 7 World Cup Qualifier and against Honduras on Jun 18. Started in the friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Aug 14th. Started against Costa Rica on Sep 6 and Mexico on Sep 10. Started against Jamaica on October 11. Started against Scotland on Nov 15 and Austria on Nov 19.

2014

• Started against Ukraine on Mar 5. Named to the final World Cup roster. Started against Azerbaijan on May 28th, Turkey on June 1st, and Nigeria on June 8th. Started against Ghana in the World Cup Group G opener on June 16th. Started against Portugal in the World Cup on June 22nd and scored. Started against Germany in the World Cup on June 26th. Started against Belgium in the Round of 16 on July 1st. Started the Oct 14 friendly against Honduras and against Colombia on Nov 14.

2015

• Started against Chile on Jan 28 and Panama on Feb 8. Started the Sep 5 friendly against Peru and the Sep 8 friendly against Brazil. Started the Confederations Cup playoff against Mexico on Oct 10. Started against Costa Rica on Oct 13. Started the World Cup qualifier against St Vincent and the Grenadines on Nov 13 and against Trinidad & Tobago on Nov 18.

2016

• Started against Iceland on January 31 and Canada on February 5.
• Played the full 90 minutes of the USA's surprise 2-1 loss to Mexico in their World Cup qualifier in Columbus, on November 11.

OTHER INTERNATIONAL

• He made his senior international debut on Feb. 6, 2008, in a 3-0 road win over Austria, coming on as an 82nd minute substitute for Thomas Hitzlsperger.
• Jones was also a halftime substitute for Michael Ballack in a 2-2 draw against Belarus on May 27, 2008, before making his final senior appearance for Germany as a starter in the central midfield in a 2-1 loss against England (Nov. 19, 2008).
• He also made eight appearances for the German Under-21 team.

PERSONAL

• Married his wife Sarah, a former Miss Germany, on September 7, 2009 in Schermbeck, Germany.
• The couple have five children: Keanu, Liya-Joëlle, Kenyon, Junius and Jadee-Mae.
• Born to a German mother and an American father, growing up he lived in Chicago and Greenwood, Miss., before moving back to Germany.
• Was re-connected with his father after his wife tracked him down.
• Has many tattoos, which he gets to commemorate significant moments in his life, and has a keen interest in fashion.