LOS ANGELES — Jermaine Jones, one of the most accomplished U.S. soccer players of the past decade, is holding court at a corner table after finishing a vegan taco at one of his favorite spots on Melrose Avenue.
It’s a Tuesday afternoon in early 2020, and Jones has his future on his mind. Though there will be no formal announcement, he decided today to end his 21-year professional playing career, one that saw him compete in the UEFA Champions League for Schalke, score one of the most spectacular U.S. World Cup goals in history (against Portugal in 2014), eventually join three different MLS clubs and conclude with a stint at the Ontario Fury, a team in the Major Arena Soccer League.