FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – When the U.S. National Team hosted Haiti in the group stage of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on July 10 at Gillette Stadium, Jermaine Jones was a frustrated spectator, watching from the stands as he recovered from bilateral sports hernia surgery.

But when the USMNT returns to Foxborough next Tuesday night for a high-profile friendly with star-studded Brazil, he’ll be back where he feels most comfortable – on the field.

“When you have to watch on TV or live in-stadium against Haiti, it’s bad,” Jones said. “You always want to be on the field and help the guys. But I’m happy now.

“Everybody who [puts] that jersey on is proud to play for his country. I always say, if I’m playing for New England, I want to play for my country, too.”

Jones is, in fact, playing for New England, totaling 121 minutes in a trio of abbreviated appearances since returning exactly one month ago. He’s played increased minutes on each occasion, culminating with a 62-minute stint in this past weekend’s 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Union.

While Jones admits he’s still shy of full match fitness, he believes the two upcoming friendlies – against Peru on Sept. 4 at RFK Stadium before the Sept. 8 meeting with Brazil at Gillette Stadium – will help him reach peak physical shape before returning to the Revs ahead of a Sept. 13 trip to Toronto.

“When I go to the national team, I try to get a little bit more fitness back,” said Jones, who said both he and Revs head coach Jay Heaps spoke with USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann about Jones’ status. “We’ll see with the Peru game how it goes and how long I can go.”

Jones pointed to the importance of these two matches, which will serve as the buildup to an Oct. 10 playoff against Mexico to determine which country will participate in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, as a key reason why it’s critical for the U.S. to take the current camp seriously.

There’s a little something extra in it for Jones, of course, as he’s very much looking forward to the opportunity to represent the United States at Gillette Stadium for the first time since it became his home club venue a little more than one year ago.

“I’ve played already with the U.S. (at Gillette Stadium) against Spain (in 2011), but here it’s completely different,” Jones said. “I’m in New England now and I’m the captain.

“Of course it’s always different when you come with the national team. A lot of people will be there – friends – to watch the game. It’s a tough game at home against Brazil, but I always say, these are the games you have to enjoy. You’re playing against the best players in the world – what more do you want?”