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Chances are you don't need to have a degree in medicine to realize the words, "metal plate" and "soccer player" don't exactly mesh like peanut butter and jelly. Yet that's the situation facing would-be U.S. international Jermaine Jones, who still waiting to get onto the field for Schalke 04 of the German Bundesliga due to a hairline fracture in his left shin. The injury doesn't require another surgery but will keep him out the next three weeks.Though born in Germany, Jones has the chance to play for the U.S. national team since his father is an American serviceman. Jones has suited up for the German national team, but only on a couple of friendlies which due to a new wrinkle in FIFA rules would allow him to switch allegiances.
The fact that Jones is still bothered by a steel plate in his leg is cause for some concern for U.S. fans. Even though his switch, unlike Mexico-to-U.S. convert Edgar Castillo, hasn't officially been cleared by FIFA there was the possibility Jones could have worked his way into the mix for the final pair of CONCACAF 2010 qualifiers next month vs. Honduras and Costa Rica.
Now that he's sidelined until at least early October, there's pretty much zero chance U.S. coach Bob Bradley would call Jones into the fold. Even if he was healthy it's hard to figure Bradley would use a roster spot on player, however pedigreed, that's never played in a U.S. shirt before in the two most important matches of the last four years.
So assuming the U.S. banks the necessary points it needs to book a place to South Africa next June, there might not be an opportunity for Jones to get his first U.S. cap until perhaps some pre-World Cup friendlies next year.
The value of this scenario is debatable. Over the summer the U.S. has forged a fairly solid identity through the Confederations Cup, Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers. Jones, too, would have to distinguish himself from a crowded U.S. central midfield picture which included Michael Bradley, Jose Francisco Torres, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber, Kyle Beckerman and Maurice Edu. Jones does have the advantage of playing most of the last decade in the German Bundesliga, which should weigh in his favor.
However gauging the worth of a player in a friendly with nothing on the line is a tricky situation.
Back in 1998 then-U.S. coach Steve Sampson persuaded French national David Regis to join the U.S. since the defender's wife was an American citizen. Regis didn't play in qualifying but started in all three games of the U.S.'s lamentable last-place finish in France. In fact, he played his first game with the U.S. in a friendly with Kuwait on May 23, 1998 and was starting vs. Germany in the World Cup on June 15. (This was one of a string of moves that was retroactively blamed for the disaster in France.)
Conversely, there's always the chance when and if Jones suits up for the U.S. he could follow the path of another German-born son of a U.S. serviceman -- Thomas Dooley, who was a fine servant to the U.S. team from 1992-99.
As it stands today, unless Jones is a quick healer, U.S. fans will likely have to wait until 2010 to see where the Jones' piece fits in the upcoming South African puzzle.
