MLS ban will keep Jones from World Cup qualifiers

A six-game Major League Soccer suspension confirmed on Friday means New England Revolution midfielder Jermaine Jones will be unavailable for two USA FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers in March.

Jones was suspended and fined an undisclosed amount for shoving referee Mark Geiger in the closing minutes of the Revolution's MLS Cup play-off loss to DC United on 28 October. Jones had been issued a yellow card for dissent, and was sent off after making contact with the referee. His punishment had been appealed by the MLS Players' Union, but league commissioner Don Garber upheld the sanction.

"Jones will miss his first six MLS regular-season matches in 2016 and, per MLS and US Soccer policy, is ineligible to play in any soccer competition while serving the suspension," MLS noted in a statement on Friday.

Jones will still be under suspension and unavailable for national team duty when the United States play Guatemala twice in March in 2018 World Cup qualifying.