The addition of Jermaine Jones to the USMNT roster could come as soon as August 2nd, according to a Soccer365 story. There was some confusion over the date that Jones would become eligible for the US, after a FIFA employee confused the new senior international rule change with another revision made at the most recent FIFA congress.
Jones could conceivably (provided his petition for the switch is approved) be available to Bob Bradley for the World Cup qualifier at Azteca on August 12th. If Jones is eligible, and if we assume that the entire midfield roster is healthy, do you believe that he's an automatic starter?
I haven't had much time to think about this new development, and I'm not yet sure how I feel about pushing Jones directly into the team without an adjustment period. While it's clear that Jones would be an immediate upgrade over anyone that Bradley could put out, I do have concerns about introducing a new player who has had little or no time working with this new teammates. My earlier concerns about a language barrier may be unfounded, as it appears that Jones understands English well and speaks it passably.
I'm putting it to a poll. I'm curious how USMNT fans feel about putting Jones immediately into the team for a high-pressure game against Mexico.
I want your thoughts as well as your vote; if you were choosing the team for Mexico, do you place Jones immediately in the midfield? If so, who do you pair him with? If you wouldn't start Jones, why not, and who would you have there instead?
