MetroStars: Denied U.S. Open Cup by Fire - Star Ledger sounds like a jerk who can't come to terms with the fact that he's not delivering like he was expected to and which he claimed he would do in the beginning of the season.... i remember him saying something like "after i play this season, everything will work out fine for me".... hey bob, bench him saturday. if we win....do the same the following week.
Let him go. He'll come crawling back begging to play in the MLS, probably back to LA after 1/2 of a season overseas sitting the bench whinning.
Mathis It really is too bad that his body can't keep up any more. He was truely somthing special--he and Wolff. Hopefully in the next year or two he is able to become fully healed and able to regain his form.
bruce arena was at the game... me thinks there will be no call ups in clint's future either..... at this point, we have a few young forwards who'd serve our nats better.....
I've said this on several other boards. The Metros need to bench him because they are ABSOLUTELY a better team when he is on the bench sipping on some hot cocoa. And why don't you guys add Richie Williams to that list as well. I cant believe he started over Lisi. I am a born and raised NY'er (although i've lived in DC for 10 yrs now and root for DCU), and i was sick to my stomach to see Clint screaming and flailing his arms in the face of his own teammate, Edgar. I would be willing to bet that most of his teammates hate his guts, and at this point, it should be clear that what i've been saying for the last month is true ............. Mathis is a cancer and a teamkiller for the Metros right now.
Mathis is listed at forward, si? Why is he not running up front? He is so often in the defensive half of the pitch trying to collect the ball, is he switching with Gaven? Is it that the midfield can't get the ball to him up front? If I am remembering correctly, he threw the ball in his third of the pitch. He is not going to score goals doing little one twos with Richie Williams.
with Mathis they are 10 wins, 7 lost, 9 tied without him 5 wins, 2 lost, 1 tied includes open cup games Clint had a goal a game consecutively in the month of may 5 goals in 5 games followed by He scored 2 goals in the 4-4 tie away at San Jose on 7/2, followed by a goal in the Open Cup against NE on 8/27 and scored the 2 goals against KC in the following game on 9/6
metrogo, that is the whole point...he does start the game playing next to the other forward...but once the whistle blows, he's usually near richie...in the past, it worked because there was no one to get him the ball...now we have a stronger midfield, and no one to be on the end of the service, so instead we just ball over the top, time and time again and what we see is magee or woly score scrappy goals, but at least they stay up there...mathis still has talent, but his style (and attitude) for our team is a terrible fit
But the problem with your analysis is that against Dallas he was no where near the midfield during the first half. He was up top trying to make the runs with the long ball. No one tried that pass once, and we messed around with it in the midfield. By the second half, after our midfield sucked, he was back there. I think the argument is also wrong because both Gueverra and Gaven seem to like to charge forward. If they do that, then a forward like Mathis would be a perfect forward for them to work with, if he's playing well obviously. Now, Mathis has sucked, no doubt about it, but these arguments that he "doesn't fit with our midfield" are sort of odd. Good players know how to fit with each other. That is a fact, especially in soccer. What is interesting to me, is that these past two weeks, are the first time Mathis has really made bold statements to the media. Before, even last year pre-World Cup, where he was playing better then any player on the Nats, and still got the criticism, he was very mild in his comments on Bruce. He didn't blast anyone. Remember his quotes after Zambrano questioned his sanity? He was just like, everyone has their own opinion. Now it is getting to him really badly. Look, I feel bad for him. Since the beginning people were out to get him with random criticisms. We didn't want him on the nats because he was of a too "fiery" temperament. Does everyone remember that insane argument, especially when our Nats would take the most punishment ? He was not in shape, when he was finishing better then every other forward on the Nats at that point before the World Cup. Everyone on the Metros last year pointed at Zambrano, yet Mathis took the brunt of the blame. Now this. Obviously it's Mathis' fault that he hasn't been able to produce on the field. The main problem though, is that by letting these criticisms get to his head, he has lost his mental edge in facing the keeper. Before he would bury anything, now he seems to overanalyze everything, instead of just letting his instincts take over.
When Clint hurt his knee way back when, I was afraid that he might be a second coming of Frankie Klopas. His production didn't drop as rapidly as Frankie's did right away but ... Mathis just isn't as potent as he was before....the 'swagger' is gone.
Looks like his plans are not to sign a big contract with a European club, but to become a track star.
So that means w/Clint we have won 38% of games played and w/o Clint we have won 63% of games played. Obviously we play better w/o him, there's no question about it. Numbers don't lie. I think its time to put Clint on the bench and start playing the rookies more often. Especially since they're more mature than he is. In addition to lacking maturity, he also seems to be lacking the desire to score, win and play his best. There were so many moments yesterday where i wondered why Clint wasnt making a run for the ball, and staying back, letting others get to the ball first, including chicago. The rookies have a greater want to win and score. They have a strong desire to get the ball and place it in the back of the net. They have a spark, a fight in them that Clint lost several years ago. I think thats a problem w/some "older" players. The game becomes boring to them b/c theyre playing it all the time. They no longer strive to win, they playfor the money, and b/c theyve got nothing else to do w/their lives. Clint has lost his touch, its as simple as that.
Why did they have to interview Clint?? See the problem is that he gets all this attention even when he plays bad.... this guy craves attention. the fans and the media should just ingnore him so that he is forced to get attention by making noise on the field(with his play and not with his mouth).
I agree with your end result, but not with the logic that got you there. I would submit that it isn't a lack of DESIRE TO SCORE on Clints part, but something a little different. I still do believe that Clint wants to score, because i think that Clint loves the limelight. The issue with Clint is that when he was an unknown 3 years ago, he was playing within the framework of the team, and being a good teammate. after his great run in 2001 qualifying and in the league, he got the BIG HEAD! now, instead of working with his team, he more and more is working FOR HIMSELF. OH, Clint wants to score, but in his zeal to shine above everyone else, he has forgotten that scoring is mostly about the buildup. and the buildup is mostly about teammates looking for and finding each other in dangerous spots on the field. everyone notices that Clint never stays up top as a forward, but is constantly trying to run back to midfield to snatch the ball. well that is because he is only interested in headlining himself and not being a team player where he needs to be at the right time. The offers overseas have screwed up his head. He now thinks he is better than he is, and he has lost sight of what made him good in the first place.
onefineesq: so you're saying that he still has the desire to score, yet doent have the correct reason and motivivation to score? I do see your point, however i still think i might be correct, in a way.Why, if he wanted to score (regardless of reason) would he WAIT for the ball to come to him. Why isnt he the go-getter he once was? Even if he has a big head, he would still fight for the ball, right? He seems to stop trying to get the ball back after he's lost it to an opponent. He doesnt really make runs into the box, or try to get open when a teammate has the ball and is ready to cross it. He never seems to be in the right spot at the right time. He just doesnt really seem to be doing anything lately except wait liek an old man that has no energy.
oh, don't get me wrong sccrlvr. i agree with you that he is not doing what he needs to be doing to score. but what i'm saying is that he has let his "fame" get to his head, and it has affected how the team as a whole plays with him on the field, which in turns makes it even more difficult for him to score. Instead of being in the right places to receive passes now, he is making random movements to get closer to the ball .......... almost like when you watch a little kids game of soccer. you know, all the kids see the ball as a prize, and then just run to it with no thought of spacing, teamwork, etc. It is his selfish attitude about the way he plays the game, due to his thoughts of himself as a megastar that have caused him to do this and killed the team when he is on the field. We may all disagree how Clint came to this, but i think that most of us can agree that something has gone seriously awry with a player I was drinking the coolade for just a measley 2 years ago.
Has anyone else realized that every touch/pass Mathis takes is like 85% one touch. Yes it looks pretty and skillful, but it is never with the flow of his teammates. It actually kills the Metros in the their transition from the midfield to the offensive third. Clint should be concentrating more on the basics.
Was stunned by Mathis being so visibly angry at his own teammate Wednesday, and wonder how much of a factor that had in Bob pulling him out soon after. I understand disagreements happen during a game, and maybe Edcar did screw up. But Mathis needs to be a leader, not screaming at somebody. Yelling at somebody will not necessarily make them work harder. Most of the time, they will usually be pissed right back and focus on that rather then the game. Excuses or not, Mathis simply did not have the kind of season he wanted to, or he needed to, to get a good European club calling.
Haha, that would be nice. Do you guys think its possible that the players and coaches themselves logon to bigsoccer and see what we have to say? Do you think that they might actually be responding to what we have to say? All the *#*#*#*# taht we say about the players... do u think they kno??