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Colorado Rapids midfielder Jermaine Jones, who was suspended six games for making contact with referee Mark Geiger during an October playoff game, has admitted the incident was a "mistake," but has called the punishment excessive. Jones touched Geiger late in a New England playoff game after an uncalled penalty late in the game. Jones put both of his hands on the referee, earning a red card, and then pulled Geiger's shoulder. "It was my mistake that I go to the referee and touch him. It's not allowed," Jones said. The punishment, which Jones calls excessive, cost him a chance to possibly play in Germany or China this season. FIFA regulations require suspensions to be applied across leagues, and MLS commissioner Don Garber had already rejected Jones' appeal of the ban in December. "My situation was not good," said Jones, who played 14 seasons in Europe before joining New England on August 24, 2014. In March, Jones was acquired by Colorado from New England for general allocation money and the team's first-round pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. Jones will be joined by a familiar face in Colorado soon. The Rapids recently acquired goalkeeper Tim Howard from Everton as a Designated Player. He's expected to arrive in July when the transfer window opens. Howard and Jones were teammates on the American squad that made it to the Round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup before losing to Belgium. Jones said of his fellow national team player: "I'm happy for him. He got a good deal. He's a good teammate."
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