Jermaine Jones Finally Lives Up To The Hype

When Jermaine Jones switched his allegiance from Germany to the United States fans of the Red, White and Blue started to dream of the possibilities that his addition to the squad would bring.  Unfortunately, injuries delayed his arrival and forced him to miss the World Cup last summer but during this summer's Gold Cup we are getting our first real chance to see him perform.  The results, to date, have been a mixed bag but his performance against Guadalupe could be a sign of things to come.

Paired with Michael Bradley in the middle of the park, Jones played his best game for the Stars and Stripes.  By sitting deep in the midfield with Bradley playing mostly in front of him, Jones was able to receive the ball from the back and move forward with precision and accuracy.  Being set back also allowed him to use his speed and power to either cut out Guadalupe's counter-attacks or simply dispossess his opponents as they pushed forward.

Guadalupe is no powerhouse but the ability of the Americans to move the ball around with ease had more to do with Jones' comfort level on the pitch than it did with the opponents lack of quality.  As competition gets tougher in the knockout rounds the tandem of Jones and Bradley, and how they combine, will be the determining factor in how far the U.S. goes.  The good news is that Jones has finally started to hit his stride and his ascension could be what secures the Nats a spot in the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil.