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Jermaine Jones: We aren't the same team that lost to Colombia

The veteran midfielder is ready for the big matches ahead

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Veteran United States midfielder Jermaine Jones gave a great interview to FIFA.com on Wednesday. Make sure you check the whole thing out here.

In it, he discusses how he enjoys big matches way more than he does friendlies. "I like it when it's all on the line. I like my games all-or-nothing," Jones said.

Tomorrow night's Copa America Centenario quarterfinal match against Ecuador will certainly be that. You can expect Jones to be front and center on the big occasion fighting and giving his all for the USMNT just like he has his whole national team career.

There was a bit of a controversial moment during the opening match of the Copa America against Colombia when Jones was subbed off. It appeared as if he shrugged off Klinsmann's departing handshake while leaving the field.

That moment is in the past now as the team have responded by winning two straight and winning Group A. Jones has played a crucial part in the turnaround and says that this is a completely different team than the one that played in the opener.

"We're not the same team that lost to Colombia at the start. And big players show up on the big days," he told FIFA.com.

The 34-year-old has received a ton of criticism in his career. Accusations of him being a dirty player have regularly been brought up. Some have even labeled him "lazy" at times. Jones has always responded in the biggest matches for the national team with sublime performances. He was arguably the best player on the team at the 2014 World Cup and during the CONCACAF Cup last year against Mexico, no one worked harder.

Tomorrow night is a huge match for U.S. Soccer and you can expect Jermaine Jones to be one of the leaders who motivates the team, win or lose.