FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Less than 500 minutes into his MLS career, Jermaine Jones has already proved a dominant force in the league.
Coming in with a reputation as a fierce, physical, two-way midfielder, the New England Revolution’s Designated Player has lived up to every bit of it as the club inch towards a postseason berth.
“I would say the league is not an easy league to play [in],” Jones said. “You have a lot of players that are physical and love to battle in games, but still I think me and the team, we play good and we’re good with the ball, so we trust in each other. You can see that in a lot of games: the team is in good shape and that we never give up.”
In his short tenure with the Revs, Jones has tallied two goals and three assists as the Revs have gone 6-1 in the seven games since his arrival, 5-0 when he starts.
With a nose for the ball and a flair for the dramatic, it should come as no surprise that both of Jones' goals and two of his assists have been game-winners.
“He’s a professional, and he understands,” said coach Jay Heaps. “The physical side of it is one component. But I think the reason why he has two game-winning goals, and why he has a couple game-winning assists and he’s been part of games, is because … he’s got a great soccer IQ.”
Jones’ vast knowledge on the pitch has allowed Heaps to be more liberal with his game-day tactics, mainly working the World Cup standout between the No. 8 and No. 6 roles within a rotating three-man central midfield, but basically giving the German-American star free rein.
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“He really understands what’s needed in each game,” said Heaps. “We’ve moved him around tactically. Each game is a little different in what we want from him and the other midfielders. To his credit, he’s really excellent at that.”
Jones' role is similar to his spot under US national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, which has helped Jones gain a quick foothold in the league and help his club peak at the right time.
“I like that kind of game, where I have a little bit more freedom,” said Jones. “National team is the same: Jurgen gives me the same freedom. I love to go box to box and try to sneak sometimes around and see if the ball drops down like the last game. I’m happy that both coaches give me the freedom.”
