After a solid preseason, Jones seems set to start
CHESTER >> The significance of Derrick Jones’ first game for the Philadelphia Union, whenever that occurs, will resonate as pivotal in club history.
But as the team prepares for the season opener in Vancouver this Sunday, symbolism has taken a back seat to the tactical importance of Jones’ presence in midfield.
Increasingly, it appears that Jones will get the starting nod against the Whitecaps, pairing with Haris Medunjanin. While injuries have opened the opportunity for Jones to potentially make his debut two days after his 20th birthday, his preseason performance has solidified his grasp on the spot.
“Derrick’s been excellent all preseason,” manager Jim Curtin said Wednesday. “… Completely comfortable to put Derrick out there. Will I be nervous for him as a guy that I’ve seen go through this progression? Of course. He’s a young player, but with me, there’s not young and old, there’s only good and bad, and Derrick’s a good player.
“We have to have the courage to put a young kid out there, and I think he’ll be able to rise to the occasion.”
Jones is a Union trailblazer, the first player tracking from Union Academy through Bethlehem Steel to MLS as a Homegrown. His signing last August portended an era shift, from the early incarnation of the Union’s buy-local approach that sputtered to a close with just three prospects making few meaningful contributions. But Jones’ inclusion against Vancouver would be a step toward putting that ignominy in the past.
Injuries have cleared Jones’ way. Maurice Edu is nowhere near returning (Curtin said Edu is disappointed not to be further along, only jogging when the hope was to be running by early February). Warren Creavalle incurred a groin strain that only Wednesday relented for him to participate in 11-v11 drills, and Brian Carroll has progressed slowly this spring.
Still, Jones’ preseason play has warranted more than merely the default nod. He scored the only goal in a preseason win over Tampa Bay Rowdies and is among a select group to figure prominently in all three games of the Suncoast Invitational.
“First of all, I’m thankful he gave me the opportunity and believing in me, so I just have to prove him right,” Jones said. “I try to do my best in practice every day.”
Jones played 26 games for Bethlehem Steel last year, leading the team with five goals. He’s forged an understanding with Medunjanin, one of the biggest items on the preseason to-do list for the midfield contingent. They constitute a more nuanced pairing than the Union deployed in the past, with Medunjanin a non-defensive No. 6 and Jones as the box-to-box, ball-winning No. 8.
Such labels are largely semantics, with Curtin preferring to focus on each player’s strengths. Medunjanin is a distributor who’ll drift back in possession as the conduit to attack. Jones must develop a feel for the space around the Bosnian, opening passing angles and doing the defensive work.
“I try to help him always all the time,” Medunjanin said. “Sometimes when you see him in the beginning, his quality is to defend and win the ball. But I tell him, ‘You are a good player with the ball. Have control and be confident.’ The (biggest) thing for him now with his qualities is to be more confident … and to believe in (those) qualities.”
“He makes playing look easier for me,” Jones said. “He always teaches me to try to space it out during the game so when he gets the ball, he can get it to me. He makes it easier for me.”
Jones has given some thought to the possibility of his debut, particularly in the first game of a new season. Curtin extols the virtue of young players seizing and not relinquishing opportunities. While he expects to change the team shape situationally — maybe Medunjanin as a 6, Alejandro Bedoya in the 8 behind a more creative No. 10 or second forward — Jones is the frontrunner for minutes among the ball-winners, at least until Edu’s return at an uncertain date.
With Jones feeling he’s done enough to earn a long look this weekend, he’d like nothing more than to begin by getting
his debut.
“I’d be a happy man, getting to start the season’s first game,” he said. “I’m just thankful for it. … I’ve thought about it. I just have to keep pushing and keep working in practice every day.”
*** NOTES >> In addition to Creavalle, Fafa Picault and Charlie Davies have been limited in training. The bone spurs feared in Picault’s toe were overblown, but he appears to
have gout-like symptoms that Curtin said the team is treating with dietary changes. Davies has been working off to the side with an ankle knock. … Curtin said he “has a good idea of who the starting XI will be” in Vancouver, but some positions remain up for grabs. The Union ship out to the Pacific Northwest Thursday to acclimate to the time and train on turf. … Curtin said Bedoya will wear the captain’s armband this season.