Jermaine Jones Back in Action with Schalke 04

Ahhhh Yeahh Boys!... oh wait, the World Cup is already over. Well, it still is worth catching up on the guy cause we can use him in Gold Cup action and there is always the outside chance we could see the guy suit up for us at age 32 (he's currently 28) for Brazil 2014.

Jones has been out of action since May 2009 when he fractured his leg playing for Schalke 04. Since then, he's made two aborted comebacks in hopes of making the USMNT squad, who's allegiance he switch to after failing to regularly crack the Deutscher Mannschaft. Under current FIFA rules, a player who has played "insignificant" minutes for a national team can switch to a different national team, provided he's a citizen of said country. While never having really lived in the US, Jones is the son of a US military serviceman and was born on a US base in Germany. Hence, he's got a US citizenship (although I don't believe he's ever really invoked it but that doesn't matter to FIFA).

He put in 45 mins against Jagiellonia Bialystok (no relation to Bialystok and Bloom, I kid, I kid) which is in Europa League qualifying, so they aren't complete pushovers. Schakle won the match 1-0. Jones came out at halftime. He also played the 2nd half against Murtal XI (a 5th div. Austrian club) Yeah, not sure how this was even a match since Schalke won 6-0. Jones has yet to score, but is more of a DM so he isn't relied on for his goal scoring ability. He has been on the pitch for 6 of the 7 total goals though made by Schalke this preseason, though.

You can see him about the 2min 30sec mark in training (fitness, not on the ball) in a white jersey. He is sporting the #23, not his typical #, but it's unmistakably him.


Good to see him up and running (running well, I might add) and without the apparent grimaces that he showed when trying to come back early from his injury last season.

Jones returns to Bundesliga action on August 21st against Hamburger SV.

Video: TomaszBo