SAN JOSE, Calif. -- U.S. international midfielder Jermaine Jones said he is pleased that manager Jurgen Klinsmann will be sticking around a while.
Klinsmann has been linked to several managerial vacancies since leading the U.S. to the semifinals of the Copa America last month. Most were shot down quickly, but one that persisted was England, with overseas reports hinting strongly that the English FA was interested in interviewing Klinsmann.
Ultimately, Sam Allardyce got the job, and just how much interest there actually was between Klinsmann and the English FA remains unclear. That didn't stop Jones from expressing his delight that he'll continue to work under the U.S. manager.
"I'm happy that it [didn't] happen," said Jones about Klinsmann leaving the U.S. program. "I know there's a lot of critics sometimes on him, but at the end of the day, I will say that since he has been there we've changed a lot."
Jones stated that under Klinsmann, the U.S. has played more friendly games against top opposition, and highlighted the wins over Germany and the Netherlands last year.
"Of course, people always get frustrated when you lose against Colombia, we lost against Argentina," he said. "But you have to be really focused and realize these teams have a squad of 20 and Argentina brings [Ezequiel] Lavezzi out, [Sergio] Aguero comes in. [That's] not like where we are at right now, to be honest, this is the truth. But the process is going forward and I think Jurgen is a big piece why."
Jones also highlighted the U.S. performance at last month's Copa America Centenario, where the hosts reached the semifinals.
"For my eyes, what I see, we played a good Copa America," he said. "So if you take the first game away, you play Colombia, it's a good team. Inside of the team, we were talking, and we said, 'Okay, you can lose against Colombia. That's the point, but we have to beat the other two teams.' That was the main thing, to come out of the group. We lost against Colombia, but then the next two games, we were concentrated, made it out of the group."
He added, "If you look back over the whole tournament, I would say for us, as a country, it was a good tournament, especially if you look at what South American teams we left behind us."
The U.S. ended up falling 4-0 in the semifinals to a superior Argentina team. Jones was suspended for the match after receiving a controversial red card in the quarterfinal win over Ecuador. Looking back on the incident, where Jones appeared to make minimal contact with Antonio Valencia, the U.S. midfielder admitted he shouldn't have let it get that far, while also defending his continued place in the team.
"People always talked about it, how important I [am] for the national team, that maybe it's time to [replace] me," he said. "But when the games come, there's not a lot of people who will always be there and stand on the field like I do. Argentina, I wish I could play that game to see how everything would be with me on the field, but that wasn't the case. The red card? Yeah, a mistake."
The U.S. midfielder is currently nursing an LCL strain in his right knee that has forced him to miss the last three league games with his club side the Colorado Rapids. Jones said that he injured the knee on July 4 against the Portland Timbers, and the initial prognosis was that he'd be out four weeks, but he added he'll get an MRI on Monday to gauge his recovery.
Jones is eager to rejoin the Rapids, given the success the club has enjoyed this year. Colorado is currently in the midst of a 15-game unbeaten streak, and while Tim Howard has looked sharp in goal and Shkelzen Gashi has contributed to the attack, Jones feels the team's success runs much deeper than just the big names.
"Timmy is my boy, and we have a good relationship," he said. "But the main thing is it's not him and it's not me and it's not Gashi. It's the whole group, especially the guys too who sit on the bench. To keep them all on the same page and be focused, that you can make that dream really happen, that's always ... what I try to do, especially as a leader on the team.
"All the other stuff, you try to enjoy it. We have a good team, we have the people who can make the difference on the field. But then you have the other guys that I see, like Micheal Azira, Sam Cronin, they are already in this league for a while, so they are still on the page, they fight for us and keep us clean in the back. It's a whole, I would say, a team effort."
No one could have predicted the Rapids' success in preseason, especially when Jones was in limbo due to a contract dispute with previous club the New England Revolution. The subsequent trade to Colorado now has him in contention for silverware.
"There was a lot of people saying, 'Let him go to Colorado. They will struggle, maybe win a couple of games, but they will not be up top,'" he said. "I'm not finished. I know that my team isn't finished too, and we want to keep that going and see [where] the stuff ends."