ARLINGTON, Va. - The athleticism came from her father. Somehow his talents as a baseball player translated into a strong soccer star. At 5 feet 11 inches, Steffi Jones has a powerful, inherited build that is visible from a distance. Her thighs are exceptionally thick and muscled. Her upper body is long and lean.
Judging by her physique alone, it seems clear Jones was born to play soccer and destined to captain the women's national team in one of the world's most soccer-crazed countries. She stands as tall as a model for the disciplined German side. She leads from her position as central defender and organizes a squad lauded for its orderliness and efficiency.
Somewhere in San Antonio, Ray Jones is one proud American father.
The 26-year-old Jones is the daughter of a black US serviceman and a blonde-haired, blue-eyed German. The German national team affectionately nicknamed Jones ''Schoko,'' a shortened version of the German word for chocolate. Yet her athletic build, dark skin, and close-cropped black curls - which leave people disbelieving she is related to her mother, Lilo Fields - remain the only traces of a part-American past.
''I'm all the way German,'' said Jones. ''My father is a US citizen, but I'm still German because I grew up in Germany. I'm proud to play for the German national team. I never got the chance to play for the US, so there's no way to be said what it would be like if I'd play for them. I made it to the national team [in Germany]. It would have been fine if it had been the US team, but it's not.''
As if she needed to prove her German loyalties, Jones will carry on a fluent conversation in slightly-accented English and then abruptly stop and throw in a German word she does not know how to translate. But the one-word reminders are not necessary. The fact that German fans recognize the soccer star on the streets of Frankfurt and her veteran position on the national team show that she fits perfectly with the sports culture of her homeland.
In the 1999 Women's World Cup, Jones has anchored the defense in ties against Italy and Brazil and a shutout victory over Mexico. She showed her willingness to play physical soccer in the Germans' tournament opener against Italy, committing three fouls. Then, playing Brazil, the defender displayed her offensive touch, notching her first goal of the tournament on her first shot and only shot.
In the quarterfinals against the Americans tomorrow, Jones will be charged with disrupting the American attack. She does not shy away from the challenge, believing her team has players that can match the US talent. However, the Germans must overcome inconsistent play that saw them finish second in Group B behind Brazil and put a 2000 Olympic berth in jeopardy.
Regardless of the outcome, the World Cup has brought Jones closer to her father, and not just in terms of geography. The national television exposure given the tournament has afforded Ray the opportunity to watch his daughter play for the first time.
''He knew that I was playing soccer, but I guess he didn't know that it was in the Bundesliga, our highest league, and with the national team,'' she said. ''For the first time, he sees me on TV, so it's probably difficult for him. We phone almost every day because he sees the games. I've never phoned him as much as I have in the last two or three weeks. I don't know if he's shocked at seeing me in the World Cup, but he just told me that he's proud, and he's always thinking of me and how I'm doing.''
Jones hopes for a small family reunion before she returns to Germany. At her request, two tickets - one for her father and one for her soccer-mad stepbrother, Christopher - are waiting at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium box office.
Ray Jones now has a chance to see in person the athletic talent he passed on.
