Revs Ready to Support DeJuan Jones as Gold Cup Begins
Dave Romney: “Anytime one of your teammates gets called up to the national team you're extremely happy for them. It's honestly one of the biggest and most prideful moments you can have."
DeJuan Jones’ New England Revolution teammates are happy to see him called up to the U.S. Men’s National Team, though it does mean that they’ll be missing a big piece on the backline.
Jones departed this week to link up with the USMNT ahead of the Gold Cup. The United States’ group stage games are on Jun. 24, Jun. 28, and Jul. 2. The Final takes place on Jul. 16.
Dave Romney is excited to see what Jones does during the summertime tournament.
“Anytime one of your teammates gets called up to the national team you're extremely happy for them,” Romney said. “It's honestly one of the biggest and most prideful moments you can have in your career, getting to represent your country. I’m really happy for him.”
Jones has two previous appearances with the USMNT, playing in a pair of friendlies in January. He’s looking to accrue more caps during the next three weeks.
The defender has performed well at the club level, amassing one goal and four assists in 17 appearances this season. While he’s primarily featured as a left back, he’s also lined up on the right side.
The hope is that Jones’ club form translates to the international stage.
“[Jones] deserves it and he's been playing extremely well for us all year and I think he's played really well for the call-ups he’s gotten,” Romney said. “Hopefully he plays well in the Gold Cup. If he keeps playing well and getting called up, he has himself around for getting on that 2026 World Cup team.”
Of course, Jones’ absence means that the Revs will have to make at least one change to the starting lineup.
Ryan Spaulding, who was recently recalled from his loan with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and experienced defender Ben Sweat are options. It’s also possible that Bruce Arean strays from a four-man backline.
Shuffling the lineup is nothing new for the Revs, as the club has dealt with injuries and call-ups throughout 2023.
“We’ve missed [Jones] a little bit and had some stop gaps,” Romney said “We’ve played some different formations to kind of make up for him but we’re confident in who we have behind him to step up and play really well.”