Why Jermaine Jones Was the Standout U.S. Player vs. Honduras

On a bleak afternoon for the United States, Jermaine Jones offered fans assurance that he can play well in big spots.

The German-American was stationed mostly in the middle of the park but rotated to the flank at times and demonstrated a few reasons why he was Jurgen Klinsmann's best player throughout the game.

Jones is normally known as a time-keeping passer.  Opting to play the ball square and backwards rather than forwards on most occasions.  Against Honduras, he showed his class and vision by assisting Clint Dempsey's beautiful goal. 

With a bit of time and space Jones found a streaking Dempsey with a perfectly weighted chip.  Not only did Jones drop the ball right onto the Texan's foot but he also played it into space for Deuce to run onto.  Jone's utilized a precise under-spin making the service easy to handle.

The result: a brilliant opportunity that Clint Dempsey did not waste.  The finish was sublime but a majority of the credit belongs to Jones for creating it.   

The heat was an obvious factor for the United States.  U.S. players were visibly gassed early on in the match and the quality of play was severely affected.  Jones was able to work through the difficult conditions and impact the game on multiple parts of the field (per mlssoccer.com's Opta Chalkboard).   His touches may have been limited but his effort was not. 

The team desperately required a workhorse to cover ground and Jones proved himself admirably.

Leadership and poise were critical for a United States side that sent out a back-four who had never played together as a unit.  Jones did a nice job of shepherding the inexperienced group both verbally and physically.  He tracked runners and did his best to protect his center-backs. 

An overall calming influence, Jones was not as rash in the tackle as has been historically.  He stayed the course, kept his emotions in check and showed why he has become a mainstay in Klinsmann's midfield.

The team appeared to unravel after he was subbed off.  Roger Espinoza and the Honduran attack seemed to do just about whatever they wanted in his absence. 

This was by no means a perfect performance from Jones.  He will need to continue creating chances and attempting dangerous passes, particularly in the absence of Landon Donovan.  But on a day where the Yanks were generally lifeless, Jones was a small bright spot.