Jermaine Jones officially hung up his boots on Friday, announcing his retirement via Instagram. The German-born midfielder made 69 appearances and scored four times for the USMNT, including one of the greatest World Cup goals ever scored by an American.
While he may not receive the same outpouring of love bestowed upon Clint Dempsey after he retired a week earlier, Jones had a huge impact on the USMNT.
Jones played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke, Blackburn Rovers and Besiktas before finishing out his career in the U.S. with New England, Colorado and the LA Galaxy. Though his MLS career never really proved effective, for a while Jones was an ever-present in the USMNT starting lineup.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best Jermaine Jones goals and craziest moments.
Top 5 Most Memorable Jermaine Jones Goals And Moments
5. Snowclasico, March 22, 2013, Commerce City, Colorado
The Snowclasico in a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica was one of the most unforgettable matches in USMNT history. While Costa Ricans complained about the cold and snow (I would have too), the U.S. marched on and scored a 1-0 win.
While Clint Dempsey got the goal, one of the lasting images of the match was Jermaine Jones’ white snow-fro.
4. FIFA Switch Cleared, Oct. 20, 2009, Zurich, Switzerland
Jermaine Jones was a Germany youth international, appearing more than 10 times for the country of his birth. But Jones couldn’t get any playing time with the senior national team, so he opted to make a one-time switch of allegiance to the U.S., the country of his father’s birth.
At the time Jones’ switch went through on Oct. 20, 2009, he was a hard-battling midfielder for Champions League club Schalke. Although Jones missed the entirety of the 2009-10 season due to injury and therefore missed a chance to play in the 2010 World Cup, Jones was a steal for the USMNT, which hadn’t yet seen the influx of German-Americans as it would see under Jurgen Klinsmann.
After 69 appearances with the national team, his switch can without a doubt be called a good move for both Jones and the U.S.
3. Red Card With New England, Oct. 28, 2015, Washington, DC
During the 2015 MLS playoffs in his second year with the New England Revolution (arguably his most productive in the U.S.), Jermaine Jones absolutely lost his mind.
Late in stoppage time against DC United, Jones thought he had won a penalty kick for a hand ball in the box. Referee Mark Geiger denied the appeals and Jones charged at the official, shoving him and getting into his face.
Not surprisingly, Geiger immediately brought out the red card, which didn’t stop the tirade from Jones.
MLS ultimately suspended Jones for six matches. The moment came to define Jones’ stay in the league, where he never really performed up to expectations.
2. USMNT Rant, Oct. 13, 2017, Los Angeles
Soon after the shocking failure of the U.S. to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Jermaine Jones took to Instagram to rant about the team. It was a 15-minute diatribe that mostly focused on the whole MLS vs. Europe issue that was a popular talking point at the time.
While not as widespread as Taylor Twellman’s SportsCenter rant, it was pretty epic. Just watch for yourself.
1. Goal Vs. Portugal, June 22, 2014, Manaus, Brazil
There have been plenty of amazing goals for the USMNT over the years, but this Jermaine Jones goal ranks in the upper echelon — right alongside Landon Donovan’s winner against Algeria in 2010 and Clint Dempsey’s solo demolition of Ghana in 2014.
The goal came with the U.S. trailing Portugal 1-0 in the 64th minute when a corner kick fell to Jones outside the box. The midfielder took a couple touches to create a little space and blasted a magnificent rocket that curled outside the post and in. The sound of the ball swishing into the net is personally one of my favorite moments of the 2014 World Cup.
Every time I hear the name Jermaine Jones... pic.twitter.com/EXLoOg9mY1
— BattleIsBack (@DrunkCuseFan) March 29, 2017
Jones was a divisive player in his day, one not afraid to speak his mind. But whether you loved him or hated him, he was a vital player for the USMNT for many years and one whose grit will be missed in the coming years.
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