The United States men's national team will not have any of Alejandro Bedoya, Bobby Wood or Jermaine Jones for the Copa America semifinals.
Jurgen Klinsmann says Jermaine Jones’ red card was ‘a joke, a disgrace’
Not only will the USMNT be without Jones in the semifinal, but he’ll miss the last game of Copa as well.
In the case of Bedoya and Wood, they were the victim of a rule that might be silly, but ultimately applies to everyone the same. Over the course of four games, they got two deserved yellow cards, which is an automatic suspension. But Jones’ straight red card on Thursday? Well, that’s a bit more controversial. USMNT manager Jurgen Klinsmann was very unhappy with the decision and openly criticized the officials.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann calls the controversial red card shown to midfielder Jermaine Jones "a joke" and "a disgrace." #usmnt #USAvECU
— Doug McIntyre (@DougMacESPN) June 17, 2016
If you haven't seen the incident that led to Jones getting a red card, here it is. After Ecuador's Antonio Valencia was shown a second yellow card for a bad foul, a scuffle broke out and Jones put his hands in the face of Ecuador midfielder Michael Arroyo.
Here's what Jones' red was for https://t.co/0GHfhjrc0S pic.twitter.com/OPJ23sTtD9
— Stars and Stripes FC (@StarsStripesFC) June 17, 2016
Is that a soft red card? Yes, undoubtedly. That incident happens in most games, and it usually doesn’t result in a sending off. But every time you put your hands up near an opponent’s face, you risk a red card. Jones is one of the USMNT’s leaders and most experienced players. He has to know that he can’t put his hands on an opponent’s face. Many reds have been given for less.
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